Vision 2020 Campaign Viewbook

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ordt College’s distinctive mission and contribution to higher education in North America has never been more needed as salt and light in our culture and our world.

We’re launching the Vision 2020 Campaign to ensure that the penetrating light of God’s truth continues to shine in the lives of Dordt graduates through this decade and beyond. We invite you to learn more about this vital campaign to secure a strong future—and, yes, we invite you to participate, as God leads, in the fulfillment of the goals of this ambitious campaign.

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he prairie on which our campus is planted offers inspiring vistas and horizons that seem to stretch all the way to ... eternity.

The third-floor view out my office window puts in focus a keener and deeper perspective about the nature and quality of a Dordt College education.

Our vision for Dordt students is to inspire commitment and help sharpen their minds. Our view is long and expansive, rooted in our reverence for God’s everlasting relationship to us as our Creator, our Sustainer, and our Redeemer. It makes everything we do, and each idea we consider, lively and important.

Our Vision 2020 Campaign is about securing and extending this vision. For more than a half-century, we have built something precious and unique at Dordt College. With God helping us, we have created an exceptional learning environment in

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which our academic and residence life programs work hand-in-glove to prepare our students for Christ-honoring service in every part of their lives.

We are a community dedicated to that vision and that ideal.

Time and again, I’ve seen that vision take hold of our graduates. As I travel, I hear alumni cite three things about their Dordt experience: • They experienced a sense of Christian community.

• They encountered a comprehensive biblical worldview.

• They left with a passion to use their gifts to make a difference for Christ’s kingdom.

DR. CARL E. ZYLSTRA DORDT COLLEGE PRESIDENT

Our donors and supporters share this vision. People give to Dordt College because they, too, want to make an impact in and through Christ’s kingdom.

They tell us appreciatively that • they see Dordt College graduates filling leadership roles in their churches and communities • they believe Christians need to be engaged with our world, and • they want us to deliver a distinctively Reformed vision for life and education Dordt College is known among its peers as an institution committed to its vision. Our faculty and staff share that vision. To be sure, as an academic institution, we want to learn from others. Yet, at the same time, we remain convinced that uniting a faculty, staff, student body, and supporters around a common vision and mission makes our message

clear and bold. We believe it also means that we are better able to give the next generation of Christian citizens a strong foundation from which to serve their Lord in every part of their lives.

Perhaps you’ve noticed that Calvinism is garnering renewed attention among many young Christians today. Reformed thinkers like Abraham Kuyper are getting a fresh look. For us at Dordt, this trend is both an affirmation and a challenge. We’ve breathed it and believed it for generations, yet understanding the implications of Christ’s claim upon “every square inch” of creation is always unfinished business and demands our finest thinking and our deepest passion.

Our graduates are prepared to ask searching questions. How do we account for each dollar in our businesses? How do we approach the ethical implications of biotech research? How do we write about world events? How do we engage in the political process? How do we organize our school curricula? How do we relate to our spouses and children? How do we serve in our churches? All those questions require a response that is shaped by God working in and through us.

That’s what we teach and learn here. That’s what makes every day new and remarkable. That’s what makes the vistas broad and the horizons expansive.

I invite you to join us in that seriously joyful task. 

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T In their words: “Christian engineers and computer scientists need to know more than mathematical algorithms, scientific data, and design procedures; they need to demonstrate care for those they serve and be committed to stewardship and the appropriate use of technology. On the other hand, doctors need more than good people-skills and a pious demeanor; I want my surgeon to have a good grounding in anatomy and be skilled with the scalpel.”

Dr. Calvin Jongsma in his 2001 Commencement address, “The Coinage of a Dordt College Degree.”

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here are no ivory towers in Sioux Center, Iowa. This is a place where people live close to the soil, where they prefer to get busy and do what needs to be done. At Dordt College, we’re on a mission.

God’s world needs eager, obedient, and engaged people who take time to think deeply and reflect, but also to act fearlessly and serve others extravagantly. Dordt’s powerful mission is to train such people—the next generation of Christian leaders—for active discipleship in a complex world.

scholars, committed to working out of a worldview grounded in God’s word, play a crucial role in this process. At Dordt College, we challenge each other to clearly state and demonstrate how our programs are faithful to the way of the Bible and at the same time fully relevant for use in today’s world.

Active discipleship requires both hearing and doing.

It’s nourished by a Christian worldview that sees all of life as service to God and creation. A Christian worldview, grounded in the eternal wisdom of the Bible and broad knowledge about the world in which we live, gives students the tools to understand and, where necessary, challenge the ideologies and practices of our culture. Experienced faculty

Our academic task is to prepare students for service, developing hearts that care and minds that grasp the ambiguities of how the world works, how creation has been distorted by sin, and how they might be transformed through the work of God and his people. Knowledge makes service more effective. We believe that serving is central to our calling as caretakers of creation and people; it gives

our learning purpose and is an essential part of the classroom. Serving engages every aspect of our lives and reaches across God’s wide world.

Not long ago, one of our First Monday Series speakers, Dr. Paul Marshall, a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute’s Center for Relgious Freedom in Washington, D.C., advised our students to get their perspective, their Christian worldview, in place during college so that they know how to tackle problems once they’re absorbed in a particular job.

That’s what we’re helping them do.

The cost of a college education can be a barrier to many students and many families. And yet the value of a Dordt College education is incalculable for those who are able to receive it.

This campaign places the student and the rich quality of his or her experience at Dordt College at the center. We’re asking you to help young

Christians get this priceless experience in order to prepare for a life of active discipleship.

Your contributions to the Vision 2020 Campaign will make a high-impact Dordt College education affordable to more students, enable our faculty to stay current in their fields and deepen their understanding of how God works in their disciplines, and update facilities in which students prepare to become engaged and transforming professionals.

We’re on a mission. We’re not alone. Let’s move forward—together. 

Our primary goals:  Lead students in becoming faithful disciples, equipped to serve around the world  Help students develop a holistic biblical understanding of creation and culture  Celebrate and proclaim the lordship of Christ over all areas of life

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e don’t ever want to say that a Dordt College degree is available only to those who can afford it. We’d much rather declare that a Dordt degree can be afforded by all who truly want it.

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We’re determined to keep the cost of our fouryear, residential undergraduate experience within reach for any student who wants to be a part of the Dordt College community. Dordt consistently is rated a “best buy” and is widely recognized as a great value. Compared to peer institutions, Dordt’s tuition is lower than most.

for Christian primary and secondary education for their younger children. In the aftermath of recent economic calamities around the world and throughout North America, the level of aid available from state governments is tenuous at best. Our challenge is to provide increasing amounts of aid from our own resources.

And yet many families must rely on financial aid to meet the cost. Sadly, a significant percentage of middle-income families find they do not qualify for federal aid and are often also paying tuition

The best way to meet this challenge is by raising the funds for endowed scholarships. With 88 endowed scholarships already in place, Dordt reaffirms its commitment to affordability by

In their words: seeking to add $8 million in new endowed scholarship funds through the Vision 2020 Campaign. We also want to add to the number of annually-funded scholarships and create a $2 million scholarship fund to provide both meritand need-based aid.

Affordability is the key to attracting bright students from an array of international, cultural, and economic backgrounds; improving retention and graduation rates; and equipping greater numbers of students to make a lasting impact in God’s world.

Raising up the next generation of students to be

leaders in God’s kingdom should not hinge on a person’s ability to pay.

The Vision 2020 Campaign will help Dordt College attract gifted students through meritbased scholarship programs. Such a permanent endowment will be an important source for annual scholarships and grants, strengthening future enrollments and providing schools, businesses, ministries, and other organizations hiring our graduates with exceptional servant leaders for the 21st Century. 

“When Jason received the award letter in the mail, it made us stop and think, ‘What a wonderful thing you are doing, that you care enough to help support our son in his journey to serve as a youth minister.’

God has blessed you to also bless Jason.

Thank you for that! We are so grateful!”

Larry & Pat Groen, Prinsburg, Minnesota; Parents of freshman student Jason Groen, recipient of the Henry & Helen Van Klaveren Youth Ministries Scholarship

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T In their words: “What drew me back? In some ways, the same things that brought me here as a student. I knew that Dordt, as an institution and as a community, is serious about academics and serious about its faith commitment. The opportunity to work with students, professors, and staff who are willing to engage in serious discussion of how our faith and learning should interact to effect meaningful change in the way that we live our lives is invaluable.”

Dr. Jeff Ploegstra (’99), biology professor

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he faculty are at the heart of any well-respected teaching institution, and Dordt College is no exception.

Great classroom experiences follow from great teaching, and great teaching is the culmination of many things—including research and scholarship.

Dordt College faculty members are teachers, first and foremost. And as the giants of today’s classrooms make way for their successors, it’s essential that we attract and retain the very best Christian teacher/ scholars and ensure that they thrive as committed agents and advocates of Dordt’s mission.

Through the Vision 2020 Campaign, we want to build on Dordt’s proven excellence in integrating classroom and laboratory learning with a broad range of residential experiences and with experiences in the world beyond our campus boundaries. We must equip, enable, and expect faculty mentors to nurture students as individuals and help them think about their faith in relation to their individual and common vocation.

To accomplish this, we need to invest continually in improved teaching, innovation, and creativity.

We must offer gifted teachers the opportunity to do scholarship that not only benefits students in their classrooms, but also provides students with research and learning experiences outside of the classroom.

The Academic Support portion of the campaign will provide and expand opportunities for faculty scholarship and research. It will deepen the connectedness of curricular and residential experiences. And it will spread Dordt’s distinctive voice and reputation beyond our campus and our region.

Endowed Chairs An endowed chair or professorship provides funds for a significant portion of a senior faculty member’s salary. This enables a professor to have a reduced teaching load in order to do research and scholarship, public speaking, and develop partnerships that expand opportunities for Dordt students. As a result, such professors will be able to share a Reformed Christian voice beyond the boundaries of our campus and have a greater impact in God’s world.

Andreas Center The Andreas Center for Reformed Scholarship and Service provides opportunities for faculty, students, and staff members of Dordt College to develop Reformed Christian scholarship and service that engages today’s global community. The Center does this by providing funding for both on- and off-campus projects in which members of the Dordt community engage culture globally through scholarship and service.

Sample faculty projects funded through the Andreas Center: Some initiatives currently being funded by the Andreas Center: Center for Psychological Restoration: Dordt’s Psychology Department is researching community psychological health needs to consider creating a center for psychological restoration to serve underserved members of the community.

Collaboration with IAPCHE Faculty Enrichment Program: Dr. Jay Shim has participated in IAPCHE (International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education) Faculty Enrichment programs in South Korea, India, and Indonesia, helping develop an anthology of readings that will promote Christian scholarship by faculty in various regions of the world.

Northrise University: Agriculture Professor Ron Vos and Theology Professor Tom Wolthuis are working with Northrise University in Zambia to prepare students for leadership roles in the church and business community.

Professional Development School: A three-year pilot Professional Development School will help pre-service and in-service teachers work together in ways that benefit them and the students they teach.

Mathematics Textbook: Dr. Calvin Jongsma, professor of mathematics, is writing a historicallyfocused text on middle school mathematics that incorporates historical and worldview perspectives, to serve as a resource for middle school mathematics teachers and those studying to teach middle school mathematics in a more context-sensitive manner.

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In their words: “I came to Dordt because I wanted to devote my working life to an institution that could make a difference in serving Christ’s kingdom. When I retire, I don’t want to merely have padded my curriculum vitae with publications and presentations for an institution that rests on nice platitudes about education and jobs. I want to have given my work life to a Christian institution that made a difference—to students, to alumni, to academics, and, yes, to the world. In the world of higher education, Dordt is an increasingly rare institution that tries to follow a different path. It isn’t perfect—nothing is, but when I get bogged down in work, it sometimes helps to remember why I came here in the first place.

“I love seeing the spark of interest and curiosity in my students’ eyes—just as I’m discouraged when their eyes are dull and robotic. I love challenging them to develop a Christian perspective. I love being challenged to constantly approach my research and writing from a Christian perspective. I try to convey to students that they have been given a gift that few people have been given—to explore creation and seek to discover and develop their gifts. I tell them not to declare a major or a career for monetary purposes—but through prayer and exploration to find their calling. Maybe they’re called to be a doctor or lawyer—but I urge them not to become a doctor or lawyer just because it seems like a good way to make more money.

I’ve taught long enough now to have had alumni in a range of careers and vocations tell me that they feel blessed to be able to serve where their work is not a chore.”

Dr. Paul Fessler, history professor

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Endowed Fund for Faculty Research The opportunity to participate in research invigorates our faculty and benefits students who work at their side, whether in the lab or publishing an academic paper or contributing to a research journal. By supporting scholarship and research, we amplify the voice of the faculty and enhance the learning experience for students.

Through the Vision 2020 Campaign, we plan to establish an endowed fund that will support faculty research. The resulting research “fellowships” will be awarded competitively, funding time, equipment, and student participation. We believe this will provide a richer educational experience and elevate the profile of Dordt College academics among potential students, faculty members, employers and supporters. 

In their words: “There is no way I could have anticipated how God has used the experience of a close-knit college community to shape my mind and person. I have been shaped through the education I have received, but what stands out is what I have gained in using that education as a servantleader. The staff and administration I have worked with have shown this kind of servant-leadership and are sure to point out that there is no better example of this kind of leadership than Christ’s humble work on the cross. With this background I feel ready to lead in the home, church, school, and in my future career.”

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he soul of Dordt College is found in the community of people who gather around our educational mission.

But buildings, and the environment, also are important. Beauty and functionality both matter

at Dordt, and we are raising $10 million to dramatically improve our campus on the prairie.

Troy Ellens (’10), biology major, Lacombe, Alberta

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The Sciences Dr. Ethan Brue believes that Dordt can contribute remarkable insight to a “humanizing of the sciences” in the decades ahead.

“The focus of science education today can’t be simply on the equipment or the laboratories,” he says. “It’s about shaping a new generation of people who think about the Creation in a more holistic sense. Science is an important part of being human, and we all participate in science and technology no matter what we choose to do with our lives in the 21st Century.”

Brue’s decade of teaching engineering at Dordt has deepened his appreciation of the college’s distinctive perspective on the sciences.

“I’ve come to more fully understand and appreciate that Dordt’s strength lies in our ability to break down the barriers that are so common at other universities,” he says. “At so many institutions, it’s a tale of a two-culture world—humanities versus the sciences, or vocational knowledge versus theoretical knowledge. Here, we see all knowing as God-inspired. We begin with biblical insight as the foundation of all teaching and learning.”

He’s excited to see what the Vision 2020 Campaign will spark within science disciplines at Dordt. “It’s

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my hope that we’ll be cultivating Christian insight more deeply, recognizing that religious belief controls all theoretical knowing.” Plans for upgrades to the current science building are growing out of that conviction. We need to • Create space for academic and informal collaboration between faculty colleagues, between faculty and students, and between fellow students—in the process extending science beyond the walls of a science building.

• Create space for cultivating Christian scientific insight through faculty, faculty/student, and student research.

• Create space for faculty to teach and students to learn through project-based interaction, which research shows is the most effective way to teach in the sciences.

Dordt graduates in the sciences are well regarded for their knowledge and for the preparation they received while studying here. Maintaining that level of excellence will likely require an addition to the current facility in the not-too-distant future, but more immediately to upgrade and remodel parts of the current facility and purchase some new research tools, experimental instrumentation, and laboratory test equipment for use by both faculty and students.

Graduates in action: “Our goal is to bring the cost of renewable energy down,” say Jason (’98) and Bonnie (Runia,’98) Jonkman.

The Jonkmans work for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in its National Wind Technology Center in Golden, Colorado. Their applied research is helping solve technical problems for the developing renewable energy industry. Bonnie analyzes data to create mathematical models of atmospheric turbulence. She is the lead developer of TurbSim, a computer code used to simulate the conditions that help engineers like Jason develop software that connects wind inflow with the wind turbine systems needed to produce usable energy. A senior engineer at NREL, Jason is the lead developer of physicsbased computer simulation software for onshore- and offshore-based wind turbines.

“At NREL, we do the high-risk research that manufacturers can’t afford to do and still offer affordable products,” Jason says.

“There is a lot of potential but also a lot of risk in putting turbines offshore,” he says.

Researchers need to anticipate and solve a range of problems related to aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, control systems, and structural dynamics before businesses will be able to design and begin large-scale manufacturing of cost-effective floating wind energy systems.

Jason and Bonnie believe that the kinds of jobs they sought and the way they choose to live their lives has been deeply shaped by their Dordt education. That education helped them see that every part of their lives needs to be lived in service to God. It also gave them the technical skills to participate in work that they believe makes a difference in today’s world.

Jason’s commitment to renewable energy came from Dr. Charles Adams, whom Jason credits with instilling in him a passion for using creation’s resources in stewardly ways. Both

“I’ve always wanted to do work that I enjoy and that I feel passionate about,” says Jason. “I have to say that what we have is beyond what I hoped and prayed for.”

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Education, Art, and Digital Media

In their words: “I believe that God has great plans for me and my peers. I am excited to see how he will bless all the people these Dordt teachers and artists will teach. Thank you to all those who have made this project possible, for equipping me and so many others to better impact our students, develop our artistic skills, and further his kingdom. And most of all, thank you to the Creator and Teacher who gives us a passion to pursue this truth and strive for excellence. Soli Deo Gloria.”

Kim Brinkerhof (’11), Branchville, New Jersey, art/education major, in remarks at the dedication of the Douglas and Henrietta (Miedema) Ribbens Academic Complex

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The Vision 2020 Campaign is a supporting pillar for the expansion of the Classroom Building into the newly dedicated Ribbens Academic Complex.

The campaign is raising the funds to support the 4,500-square-foot addition to the building, and the 7,000-square-foot remodel. These upgraded facilities already are attracting new students and increasingly become a center for training Christian leaders in education, art, and digital media.

The new education facility meets current pedagogical needs, recognizes the department’s prominence on campus, and promotes a vision for the future of the department and its academic program. It also gives space for faculty and students to interact comfortably with each other and with visiting educators to build a more meaningful learning community.

The new art facility features over 10,000 square feet of spacious studios in a safe environment by providing special venting for work areas. Easy

to maintain surfaces and exceptional lighting— including large skylights in the painting and ceramic sculpture rooms—illuminate work and display areas.

A large gallery lounge space, studio hallways, and a gallery next to the art offices allows the department to rotate and feature art works by past and present students in a wide range of media.

The new addition includes a 1,600-square-foot graphic design and film/video production lab. One of the only labs of its kind in the region, it includes • sixteen Hewlett Packard workstations with dual 22” monitors • ten Macintosh workstations with 24” monitors • two HD projectors and surround sound • sixteen computer workstations containing Avid, the leading film editing software tool in the world today, along with the latest tools for animation and DVD authoring • computer workstations with the latest graphic, photo, and web design software including Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, and After Effects

Campus Environment The Vision 2020 Campaign includes several campus beautification projects that together are providing a dramatic new aesthetic for Dordt College. From new and upgraded signage, to improved landscaping and the restoration of a natural prairie habitat on the south end of campus, the result will be a more pleasant and hospitable college community for students, staff, and visitors.

The upgrades are part of the Campus Master Plan and provide a true collegiate environment for our campus learning community. ď Ž

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he Dordt College Fund is never out of season, and provides support for our day-to-day operations.

Throughout the duration of our Vision 2020 Campaign, we’re raising $14 million to support our annual operating expenses, along with $6 million to build up our Dordt College general endowment.

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It’s the meat-and-potatoes portion of the capital campaign, and it ensures that Dordt will remain a healthy and vital institution of Christian higher learning. 

In their words: “I love what I do. Dordt students, in general, are energetic, interested in learning, respectful—‘good kids.’

Sometimes I come back to my office at night just to be around them. I especially enjoy seeing them develop from young, sometimes unfocused freshmen, often uncertain of their calling, into competent, focused seniors, prepared and ready to serve in the kingdom and in the world in their area of preparation. Observing that process and having a role in that development is an enormous privilege and a great joy.”

Dr. Karen De Mol, music professor

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$50,000,000 SCIENCE INITIATIVE

OPERATIONAL SUPPORT

$14,000,000

SCIENCE INITIATIVE

ENDOWMENT

$6,000,000

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The Vision 2020 Campaign will provide a firm foundation for Dordt’s growing initiatives in the realm of the sciences. Following the conclusion of this campaign, we expect to launch a targeted campaign to more fully address facility needs in order to develop sustainably excellent programs in the sciences.

SCHOLARSHIP COMPONENT

$10,000,000

Endowed Scholarships ($8M) Annually-Funded Scholarships ($2M)

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

$10,000,000

Endowed Chairs and Professorships ($5M) Andreas Center for Reformed Scholarship and Service ($3M)

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS

Endowed Funds for Faculty Research ($2M)

$10,000,000 The Sciences ($5M)

Education, Art, and Digital Media ($3M) Campus Environment ($2M)

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HENRY VAN KLAVEREN & JOE VAN TOL VISION 2020 CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRS

hen I came to this country in 1950 at the age of 18, I didn’t know what God had in mind for me.

We boarded the big ship in the harbor and came across the vast ocean with lots of wonder. But God has led us all the way and our family has been blessed tremendously in our business. Although I never was able to graduate from high school, in my lifetime of work as a nurseryman I constantly see God’s handiwork of creation in all things, and God’s care for all of creation. I love to see new growth, and I’m thrilled by what I see at Dordt College. It’s a college where new growth is nurtured in the soil of God’s word, and in the light of God’s promises to us. It’s a privilege to make Dordt our Christian college of choice, and I’m excited to see the bountiful harvest that God will provide through the Vision 2020 Campaign.

HENRY VAN KLAVEREN

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n our modest corner of the world, Dordt College is sometimes a closely held secret.

I grew up in Northwest Iowa, went to Dordt for a couple of years, moved away for a time, and then came back. As an adult, I’ve come to understand and appreciate the power of what goes on at Dordt.

Dordt produces people I both like and respect, with very strong moral underpinnings, and the ability to think independently and work their way through tough issues and problems. Dordt alumni have a healthy curiosity about the world in which God placed us and find a niche for service through this

unique world and life view that many of us share.

As a banker, I’m impressed by the college’s ability to manage its resources in a stewardly and deliberate way. As a Christian and member of the community, I’m equally impressed by Dordt’s output—graduates who become the next generation of great employees, terrific citizens, and outstanding church members and officers. Dordt is a strong foundation stone for the building of Christ’s kingdom.

JOE VAN TOL

498 Fourth Avenue NE Sioux Center, Iowa 51250-1606