1986-1987 Cedarville College Annual Report

''God's blessing is the only way to explain it! ' ' Dr. Paul Dixon President I know of only one reason why Cedarville College continues to grow in enrollment and in program quality during a period of massive decline and retrenchment in higher education: GOD'S BLESSING. His blessing focuses on people. A college, after all, is not merely a collection of buildings, equipment, and books. Colleges are people - teachers and learners who work together in the intensely personal task of education. During the past year, a year of celebrating a century since Cedarville's chartering, we have praised God for His work in the lives of people. God's blessing is the only explanation I know for the spiritual fervor of our College family, the quality of our gradu– ates and our programs, and the faithful giving of our friends toward the most expansive capital program in Cedarville history. I see His blessing in our chapel services and special con– ferences as our students accept challenges to hone their talents and use them for Christ's glory. These personal, spiritual growth experiences are reinforced by the everyday classroom integration of academic matter with the Word of God. The eagerness of our students to volunteer their services thrills me. At any given time, over 70% of them are involved in Christian ministries in churches, hospitals, rest homes, and many other settings. I sense God's blessing when scores of our students devote their spring and summer vacations to missionary endeavor. It is my great joy to keep track of our graduates. God's blessing is so evident as they assume leadership roles in their professions and their churches, and as their family and personal lives are marked with faithfulness, spiritual sensitivity, and integrity. I thank God for the immeasurable contribution of our 320 exceptional staff and faculty. Besides involving themselves in caring and edifying relationships with students, they fill impor– tant roles in many local churches. Cedarville's quality academic programs and competent faculty are competitive and compelling. We continually assess the needs of the world of employment and are developing programs to prepare young people to fill those needs. As we look at ways to help each student achieve his or her full potential, we develop such courses of study as the new Honors Program. Our faculty are constantly upgrading their knowledge and skills; seven completed doctoral studies this past year. Perhaps the most visual reflection of His blessing is the new Centennial Library, now completed and in full use. As handsome and impressive as this structure is, it was not built as a monument or a shrine. Rather, it is user-friendly, functioning effectively to enhance our students' learning. I will never forget the day when over 1,500 of our students voluntarily moved the books from the previous library to our new one. I surely enjoyed leading that parade! To me, it was a picture of our students adopting the Centennial Library as their very own. The retrofit of the previous library to provide a modem corporate center for our Department of Business Administration and several other extensive remodeling projects provide more pleasant and effective learning environments. Quality facilities are not an end in themselves; they house the individual and group events that stimulate learning and focus on achievement. God's blessing upon our College is very apparent as many friends sacrificially give for these capital projects as well as for the annual operating needs. Much of what happens at Cedarville would not be possible without these friends, and we are most grateful. But I do not know anyone who is giving to "the institution." People are giving to people. Believing in the potential of our students, donors are investing in their lives and their futures. As you read the following articles, please think of them as some of the fingerprints of God's hand of blessing on Cedarville College. We invite you to rejoice with us.