Clarion 1989-09-29 Vol. 65 No. 02

              Inside: Bands Invade Bethel
See Page Eight
BETHEL COLLEGE
ST. PAUL, MN
VOL 65 NO. 2
SEPTEMBER 29, 1989
Brandt emphasizes communication
by Joante Daggett
H. David Brandt sees communication
between staff and faculty as "the main
thing" that his office has worked at in
his first year as Bethel's Provost. One
idea that Brandt has tried to communicate to faculty is his own philosophy on
the libera! arts education.
Brandt explained his view of education
in a speech entitled "The Consumer,"
which he delivered to the faculty last
fall. In the speech, Brandt likened Bethel
to a business, whose "product" was
education.
This has resulted in what Brandt terms
as "an ongoing conversation" between
Brandt and some faculty members who
hold a different view of education.
Brandt says he believes that liberal arts
colleges must change as the world
around them changes. "I contend that
we live in a different day than when I
went to college," states Brandt.
This attitude leads Brandt to be concerned that Bethel make "our product
(education) something that is useful." To
Brandt, this means educating students
with a specific goal in mind. "I think that
somehow, there has to be a road that
leads you beyond Bethel," asserts
Brandt. "Our people have to get jobs."
Brandt's view of education differs
greatly from the views of some faculty
members. Of his comparison of Bethel
to a business Brandt remarks, "Faculty
doesn't view that as liberal arts talk."
Brandt believes the difference of educational philosophies to be an important
issue. He explains that if the issue is
ignored, "there would be a danger of
becoming a sterile, ivory-tower type of
place, which just doesn't care about
outside things." However, Brandt also
admits, "Both sides could be taken to
an extreme."
While Brandt views the issue as important, he doesn't feel that differences in
opinion have damaged his relationships
with faculty members. "1 don't see it as
divisive at all," states Brandt. "If the faculty is feeling threatened by it, that's
certainly not my intent."
Brandt regards his relationship with the
faculty as a positive one. "I feel if we can
talk about differences, we're on pretty
Provost H. David Brandt,
good terms," he says.
Faculty members seem to agree with
Brandt's claim that communications
have improved, even if they disagree
with his view on the libera! arts education. Greg Boyd, Assistant Professor of
Theology, has reservations concerning
Brandt's model of Bethel as a business,
with students as consumers. "I don't
think that should be the primary way
Clarion Rle Photo.
teachers see their role," says Boyd.
However, Boyd does acknowledge that
communications between faculty and
administraton have improved. "I feel like
he's really above board," states Boyd of
Brandt. "At first that was threatening,
because he's very frank." Boyd adds
that after a time, Brandt's frankness
became "comforting, because you
always know where he stands."
Townhouses are here to stay
Students leaving Arden village East.
Clarion Staff Photo.
by Jennifer Jackson
For most of the past decade, rumors
have abounded pertaining to the quality
of Bethel's townhouses. It has been said
that they were only intended as temporary structures, are unsafe, and
should be torn down. To set the record
straight, these rumors are false.
According to Director of Housing, Rod
Long, the townhouses were not built or
ever intended for temporary housing.
When the current campus was being
built, the plan was to make the Nelson
Residence larger. However, the idea of
townhouses provided more space for
the same cost as the Nelson expansion.
This is why Arden Hilts East and Arden
Hills West now adorn our campus.
The college's committment to the
townhouses proves that they were
never meant to be temporary. Recently,
the doors and the heating system were
re-done, along with a new paint job and
new carpeting. Last summer, repairs
done on A, B, and C units began a renovation cycle that will continue each
summer. There is also a long-term
mortgage on the townhouses that
would have been senseless were they
only intended for temporary use.
All city fire codes are met or exceeded.
There are smoke alarms in every unit,
one pull station on the outside of each
building, and fire extinguishers near the
exits.
All safety codes are also met or
exceeded. There are railings in the stairwells and the stairs are maintained and
kept safe. In fact, the only violation of
safety is made by the students themselves—parking behind the townhouses,
which is prohibited as it is a firelane, but
students sometimes still do this.