Calvin College, one of the largest Christian colleges in North America, is internationally recognized as a center of liberal arts teaching and scholarship in the context of a Reformed Christian world-and-life view. Graduates live and serve worldwide as skilled and visionary leaders in God’s kingdom.
What’s New
Each fall Calvin opens with a convocation service. The 2007 convocation message, “Taught by the Spirit,” highlighted the focus for campus worship during the year. We welcomed first-year and transfer students as new members to campus, and then the entire community enjoyed food and conversation at a picnic on the Commons Green.
Philosophy professor Rebecca Konyndyk De Young turned one of her courses into a guidebook on spiritual development for teens and young adults. Titled The Seven Deadly Sins: A Survival Guide, it was published by Faith Alive Christian Resources.
A new book by Robert J. Keeley, a Calvin education professor, aims to aid the church in nurturing the spiritual development of children. Helping Our Children Grow in Faith: Nurturing the Spiritual Development of Kids (Baker Books) is designed for children’s ministry and worship leaders, church school teachers, pastors, and parents.
In May, Commencement closed the year with more than 850 graduates and an address by author Philip Yancey. The 2008 Distinguished Alumni Awards were presented to David and Janice Entingh Dykgraaf (1966) and Fritz M. Rottman (1959), who have lived out their Christian faith in their callings for more than four decades.
David and Jan Dykgraaf served for 40 years as missionaries in Nigeria for Christian Reformed World Missions. They worked for 20 years with the Tiv people, followed by 20 years in a remote area in Niger State with the Avadi people. They learned to speak and to write the languages, living and teaching about God’s love.
Rottman, a biochemist, worked on unraveling the genetic code, revealing an awesome and beautiful aspect of God’s creation. He later concentrated on the study of HIV/AIDS, which brought him to work in Africa. In his retirement he formed a relationship with the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee and Case Western Reserve’s HIV/AIDS programs to bring health resources to remote villages with little or no access to medical care.
These powerful stories by alumni encourage and challenge our graduates as they enter graduate school or professions around the world as agents of God’s kingdom. We appreciate your prayers for our students, faculty, staff, and graduates.
Website: www.calvin.edu
800-688-0122
616-526-6142
Quick Facts
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4,224 students
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407 faculty members; one-third are female, 23 are members of ethnic minority groups
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Students from 48 states, seven Canadian provinces, and more than 50 countries
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Student to faculty ratio of 14.2:1
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851 graduates in May 2008
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All ministry shares provide grants for CRC students
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268 U.S. ethnic minority students (6.3 percent), 305 other citizenship (7.2 percent)
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61,634 members of the Calvin Alumni Association, with 40,571 graduates
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93% of Calvin students receive financial aid
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39.5% of students are children of Calvin alumni
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Just under one-half (47 percent) of students are CRC
