“We chose the schools that appear on our Top Ten Best Value Colleges list based on institutional data and student opinion surveys,” said Robert Franek, vice president for publishing at The Princeton Review. “Broadly speaking, the factors we weighed covered undergraduate academics, costs and financial aid.” More specifically, academic factors included the quality of students the schools attract, as measured by admission credentials, as well as how students rated their academic experiences. “It’s interesting to note that Princeton’s number one ‘Best Value’ college [Bates College in Lewiston, Maine] costs about $40,000 a year,” said Dr. Ned Harris, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admission at William Jewell. “Jewell’s tuition, fees, room and board for the 2004-2005 academic year was less than $23,000. We firmly believe that William Jewell provides an outstanding liberal arts education that is also a tremendous value.”

William Jewell was ranked in the number nine slot and was the only Midwestern institution named to Princeton’s list of “Best Value” colleges. Financial aid factors considered in compiling the list included the average gift aid in grants and scholarships awarded to students, along with the average percentage of financial need met for students who demonstrated need. “In a nutshell, the Top Ten Best Value Colleges names schools that we believe offer outstanding academics and enroll good students who are happy with the education they are receiving,” Franek said. “Additionally–and more importantly–it names schools in which students do not have to mortgage their futures to pay for their education.”

William Jewell was named the number one “Best Bargain” among private colleges in the 2005 edition of “The Best 357 Colleges,” which was published by The Princeton Review in the fall of 2004. The college also scored among the top 20 in several other categories, including capturing the number two spot in “Happiest Students”; the number five slot in “Town- Gown Relations,” which indicates how well the college is integrated into the surrounding community; the number eight slot in “Best Quality of Life”; and the number 11 slot for “Great College Radio Station.”

“We have always believed that William Jewell provides an outstanding value for students seeking a top quality liberal arts education,” said President David Sallee. “We are gratified that the Princeton Review has affirmed the value of the Jewell experience, and at the same time has indicated that students have expressed an extraordinary level of satisfaction with the education they are receiving.”

The Princeton Review is a New York City-based company known for its college test preparatory courses, education services and books. The firm first published its annual “Best Colleges” guide in 1992. The book is the only resource that offers college ratings based on student rankings of schools.

For a link to The Princeton Review’s rankings of William Jewell and other top colleges, go to http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/bestvalue/default.asp

COMMENCEMENT CAPS 2004-05 ACADEMIC YEAR

About 3,500 friends and family members gathered in Jewell’s Mabee Center for Physical Education May 7 to observe commencement ceremonies for the class of 2005. Nearly 300 graduates received B.A. and B.S. degrees. The graduating class observed the campus tradition of the last walk around the quad. The class of 2005 was the graduating class pictured as entering students making their first walk around the quad in TIME Magazine’s “Colleges of the Year” issue in September of 2001.

At the morning baccalaureate service in John Gano Memorial Chapel, Reverend Dr. Heather Entrekin, Senior Pastor at Prairie Village Baptist Church in Prairie Village, Kan., offered a reminder about the unique gifts the graduates have to offer. “While it is a good and wonderful thing you have done here, earning this degree, coming out so much smarter than you came in, what will matter as you go along is not measured in credit hours or diplomas on the wall. What will matter is whatis already inside of you. You can’t earn it or date it or download it. You can only discover, uncover or recover what God has created in you and no one else on earth, ever.

“How desperately this world needs your beautiful song and self. God is looking and saying, ‘You are my daughter, my son, my beloved.’ What will matter when our short visit on Earth is done is only this: That I am loved by God and by people and that I love them with everything I’ve got.” Dr. Kala Stroup, President of Kansas City-based American Humanics, offered the afternoon commencement address. Dr. Stroup leads the national nonprofit organization connecting 70 universities and colleges with 17 of the largest national nonprofit youth-serving organizations. Founded in Kansas City, American Humanics is the only national organization that prepares undergraduate students for professional careers in the nonprofit sector.

Dr. Stroup has had a distinguished career as a leader in higher education for more than four decades. She held the cabinet-level position of Missouri Commissioner of Higher Education and also served as president of Southeast Missouri State University from 1990- 1995. She was president of Murray State University in Kentucky for seven years and previously served as a fellow with the American Council on Education (ACE). Dr. Stroup spent five years as vice president for academic affairs and professor at Emporia State University in Kansas and was a member of the faculty and held several administrative positions at the University of Kansas for over 18 years.

JOURNALIST CHARLIE ROSE JOINS WILLIAM JEWELL TO HONOR ALUMNI FOR LIFE ACHIEVEMENTS

William Jewell College honored distinguished alumni who have made significant contributions in their respective fields at its annual Achievement Day celebration February 24. Special guest speaker for the Achievement Day dinner was the Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist Charlie Rose, host of “The Charlie Rose Show” on PBS and a correspondent on “60 Minutes II” on CBS. Rose offered the Achievement Day address at the Downtown Marriott in Kansas City. One of the country’s most famous interviewers, Rose told the crowd of more than 500 that listening is just as important as asking questions. “There is hearing, and then there is really hearing,” Rose said.

Rigorous preparation is the key to a good interview, he added: “If you are prepared, you can be spontaneous.” Among the heads of state, business leaders, athletes and celebrities, Rose named the late Susan Buffett, wife of Omaha investor Warren Buffett, as his favorite interview, and Buffett himself as his favorite guest. He shared stories about numerous luminaries during the 40-minute talk, including performers Marlon Brando and Anne Bancroft. He noted that the Oscar-winning actress insisted on sitting in his chair during their interview. Honorees for the Citation for Achievement were Arvil Van Adams ’65, Senior Advisor for Social Protection in the Africa Region for the World Bank; Gregory E. Lund ’80, Principal of Lund Resource Group; and Rosa White Pace ’53, an attorney serving in tax and probate law.

MABEE FOUNDATION MAKES GIFT TO JEWELL

William Jewell College has received an $800,000 challenge grant from the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation in Tulsa, Okla., to help renovate the Yates College Union and the Leadership Development Center. The Mabee Foundation issued the challenge grant in January of this year; in order to receive the funds, William Jewell had to raise additional funds toward the project within the next 12 months. The College met the challenge within just two months. Construction on the Leadership Center is underway, and the addition to the Union is scheduled to begin this summer. The Mabee Foundation was formed in 1948 by Mr. John E. Mabee and his wife, Lottie E. Mabee. The purpose of the Foundation is to aid Christian religious organizations, charitable organizations, institutions of higher learning, hospitals and other organizations of a general charitable nature.

JEWELL SPEAKER ADDRESSES ISSUES OF SCIENCE AND RELIGION

Nancey Murphy, philosopher of science and author, discussed issues relating to science and religion as the featured speaker for the recent 2005 Walter Pope Binns Lectures on the Sacred and Secular. Murphy presented two lectures, “Science, Souls, and Society” and “God’s Nonviolent Direct Action.” Dr. Murphy is Professor of Christian Philosophy at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., where she has served on the faculty since 1989. She has also held teaching positions at Whittier College in Whittier, Calif.; the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, Calif.; the Church Divinity School of the Pacific; the University of California, Berkeley; and Creighton University in Omaha, Neb.

Murphy received her B.A. in psychology and philosophy from Creighton University; her Ph.D. in philosophy of science from the University of California, Berkeley; and her Th.D. in theology and philosophy of religion from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif.. A member of the International Society for Science and Religion, she is the author of several books, including On the Moral Nature of the Universe: Theology, Cosmology, and Ethics, co-authored with 2004 Templeton Prize winner George F.R. Ellis; Religion and Science: God, Evolution and the Soul (2001); and Reconciling Theology and Science: A Radical Reformation Perspective (1997). She is a member of the National Jesuit Honor Society Alpha Sigma Nu and was a National Science Foundation Fellow for three years.

DON BROWN OFFERS WILLARD LECTURE AT WILLIAM JEWELL

Dr. Donald C. Brown, emeritus professor of music at William Jewell College, offered the recent Carl F. Willard Distinguished Teacher Lecture on the Liberty campus. Dr. Brown’s lecture was entitled “Down With Hymns! The Opposition of English Baptist, Congregational, Presbyterian, Reformed and Anglican Churches to Hymn Singing.” “The Reformation movements of the 16th century changed the Christian world in profound ways,” Dr. Brown said. “The Council of Laodicea in the 4th century had effectively forbidden the laity of the churches in that region to participate in worship, and other areas followed suit. The Reformers disagreed about a number of things, but they agreed that those in the pews should be involved in the services.

“Luther, Calvin and the English Reformers encouraged congregational song, but they disagreed as to what should be sung. Calvin and Luther both permitted Psalm-singing, but Calvin opposed Luther’s desire to also sing hymns. Calvin’s views prevailed in England, even among churches that rejected his theology. “Seventeenth-century English Baptists led the way in overcoming objections to hymns, although it caused great strife within the denomination. Similar conflicts occurred in other English religious bodies. The work of Isaac Watts and the Wesleys in the 18th century helped persuade many of the so-called ‘Low Churches’ in the Church of England to adopt hymn singing, but a number of Anglican congregations did not accept hymns until the 19th century.”

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH IS FOCUS OF COLLOQUIUM AT JEWELL

William Jewell College showcased student research initiatives and creative activities during the recent David Nelson Duke Undergraduate Colloquium. Celebrating the Life of the Mind: A Day of Undergraduate Scholarship and Creativity involved students presenting their scholarly works to faculty, staff and the comjewellmunity at large through oral presentations, performing and visual arts, public speaking and readings of creative writing. The colloquium allowed students from all academic disciplines to receive recognition for their unique ideas and studies. “Jewell students from throughout the campus are engaged in scholarly pursuits with faculty mentors,” said colloquium chair Dr. Blane Baker. “The Duke Colloquium provides opportunities for students to present the results of their outstanding efforts.” The colloquium concept reflects Jewell’s commitment to increasing involvement of undergraduates in research, according to Dr. John Westlie, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College. The event embodies William Jewell’s educational mission and reflects its high expectations of students and faculty, communicating that the College seeks out and celebrates scholarly achievement. “All of us at William Jewell are very proud of the student achievement and scholarship in evidence in the Duke Colloquium,” Dr. Westlie said. “The colloquium shows the commitment of our campus to academic excellence.” Regular classes were suspended for the day in order to involve all students in the celebration.

ACCLAIMED PHILOSOPHER/PUBLIC ETHICIST JEAN BETHKE ELSHTAIN SPEAKS AT JEWELL

Jean Bethke Elshtain, Ph.D., the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Professor of Social & Political Ethics at The University of Chicago Divinity School & Department of Political Science, addressed the question “Can War Be an Instrument of Justice” during a recent address on the William Jewell campus. Professor Elshtain is the Hall Distinguished Visiting Scholar at William Jewell, a position funded by the Hall Family Foundation. In addition to the public lecture, Professor Elshtain led student and faculty discussions on politics, ethics, faith and learning. Jean Elshtain is one of America’s foremost public intellectuals. As a political philosopher and a committed Christian, her task has been to show the connections between our public and private ethical convictions. In addition to her duties at the University of Chicago, Professor Elshtain currently serves as co-chair of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and is chair of the Council on Families in America. She has also chaired the Council on Civil Society. From 1996-1999 she was a member of the National Commission for Civic Renewal and the Penn Commission on American Culture and Society. She was a Phi Beta Kappa Scholar for 1997-98, and also served as Vice President of the American Political Science Association in 1998-1999.

PRESIDENT’S HOME OBSERVES CENTENNIAL

The William Jewell College President’s Home, built in 1905, turns 100 years old this year and has been designated a Century House by the Liberty Preservation and Development Commission. In addition, Jewell has been selected to receive the Commission’s Stewardship Award for the dedicated long-term care of the President’s Home. The Stewardship Award is given to an individual or organization that has exhibited a commitment to a historic structure and provided continued respectful care of an architecturally, historically, or culturally significant publicly accessible property over a minimum period of five years. An article highlighting the President’s Home anniversary, including historic memories and photos, will appear in the fall issue of Achieve.

If you have fond memories of this grande dame of the campus, please share them with us for a future Achieve article. Contact Angela Stiffler in the Partee Center at 816-415-7620, by email at stifflera@william.jewell.edu or by mail to Angela, at The Partee Center, 500 College Hill, Box 1023, Liberty, MO 64068. Entries selected will receive a WJC logo item. Help us celebrate the home with your memories. Please share your remembrances, anecdotes, impressions and experiences related to the President’s Home. Did you attend a holiday celebration in the home? Were you a Cardinelle or Campus Host? Did you live in the home as a student! All memories are welcome.

JEWELL PRESIDENT EMERITUS TURNS 90

More than 150 friends, family members and former colleagues of Jewell’s President Emeritus Thomas Field gathered in the President’s Home on campus recently to observe Dr. Field’s 90th birthday anniversary. Dr. Field received a set of framed watercolors of signature Jewell buildings from President David and Mary Sallee.

TRANSITIONS

WILLIAM JEWELL NAMES NEW VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENROLLMENT

Dr. Edwin B. Harris has accepted the position of Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admission at William Jewell College. Dr. Harris served as Associate Provost for Enrollment and Academic Services at Saint Louis University from 1996 to 2004. At SLU, he led a division of 110 staff focused on the recruitment, enrollment and retention of undergraduate students, including the functional areas of recruiting and admission, financial aid, advising, registration, academic support, international student services and summer sessions. In that capacity, he increased the size of the freshman class by 37% over eight years while improving the composite test scores of the incoming class. He also expanded by 19% the percentage of the freshman class enrolling from outside a 100-mile radius of St. Louis. Dr. Harris has also served as Director of Admission at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y., and as Associate Director of Financial Aid at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Ind. He received his Ph.D. in higher/postsecondary education from Syracuse University; his M.S. in student personnel work from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio; and his B.A. in philosophy from Le Moyne College.

HEAD FOOTBALL COACH DAVID BASSORE LEAVES WILLIAM JEWELL

David Bassore, head football coach at William Jewell College since 2001, has accepted a position as head football coach at Olathe North High School in Olathe, Kan. “We appreciate Dave’s outstanding service to his alma mater, and we wish him well in his new position,” said Dr. Jim Redd, Director of Athletics and Chair of the Physical Education Department at William Jewell. “Dave is a hard worker who always gave his best effort and truly put the student first. His teams were disciplined, competitive, and played hard.” Bassore coached Jewell’s football Cardinals to a 5-5 record in the 2004 season.

Bassore, a member of the Jewell class of 1977, was the 25th head coach at the college. He came to William Jewell from Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, where he served as assistant head football coach/offensive coordinator. His prior experience included service to Emporia State University, Winona State University, Sam Houston State University and Pittsburg State University. He also held the position of head football/head track coach at Center High School in Kansas City, Mo. While at Center he served on the Board of Directors of the Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association.

FRAN SCHWENK NAMED HEAD FOOTBALL COACH AT WILLIAM JEWELL

Director of Athletics Dr. James Redd has announced that Fran Schwenk has been named the new head football coach at William Jewell College. Schwenk has served as head football coach, athletic director and associate professor of physical education at Doane College in Crete, Neb., since 1984. He was the first coach in the college’s history to reach the 100-win mark in 2001.

Schwenk’s overall record at Doane was 123-88-3. “We are pleased to have a coach of Fran’s caliber joining the Cardinal staff,” said Dr. Jim Redd. “Fran is not only a gifted coach but also a strong educator. He will play a key role in developing the new physical education and recreation and sport majors at William Jewell.” In addition to his football coaching duties, Schwenk will serve as assistant athletics director and instructor in physical education. Schwenk earned a bachelor of science and master’s degrees at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, where he was a four-year letterman and earned outstanding running back honors during the 1968 season.

He coached at several schools in Missouri, establishing winning programs at Eastgate Junior High school in Kansas City, Rock Port High School and Clinton High School before becoming defensive backs coach at Missouri Western in St. Joseph in 1980. Schwenk’s professional memberships include the Nebraska High School Activities Association, American Football Coaches Association and the NAIA Football Association. He served as president of the NAIA Football Association from 2002-2004. He was named the State College Coach of the Year by the Omaha World Herald in 1997 and was the Lincoln Journal-Star’s Nebraska State College Coach of the Year in 1993. Coach Schwenk has taken his teams for international competition in New Zealand, Norway and Sweden. Schwenk and his wife, Sue, have three daughters: Hillory, Brandy and Aubrey.