September 21 marked the official end of summer, so we thought we’d give a quick recap of the last few months here at Andrews for those of you who weren’t here to enjoy it. Our 2005 Andrews University Summer Highlights include:

AU at the GC: Andrews University left an indelible impression on the worldwide church at the 58th General Conference Session, held June 30-July 9 in St. Louis, Mo. A group of 25 Andrews students made the drive to St. Louis to work as administrative pages in a variety of offices, including the Secretariat, Session Management, Business Center, and Communication Department. In addition to the administrative pages, a number of Andrews administrators served as members of the official delegation to the General Conference Session, including 2005-2006 Student Association president Guillermo Magana, the youngest delegate at the session and President Niels-Erik Andreasen, who served on the executive committee. And none of the attendees will forget the massive, 40x50 ft. Andrews University booth in the exhibit hall. Designed by Andrews architecture professor Andrew von Maur, the booth comprised a “mini-campus” staffed by Andrews faculty and staff, who handed out heaps of Andrews paraphernalia, including bags and promotional brochures.

Campus Tours: Thanks in part to the General Conference Session, the Andrews campus experienced an influx of summer visitors, as Adventists from around the world scheduled pilgrimages to the church’s flagship educational institution. Between May and August, the campus hosted more than 3000 visitors from all corners of the globe, and volunteer tour guides gave campus tours in multiple languages to over 500 international visitors, hailing from Brazil to Germany to Cuba to Japan. The university also hosted a number of conferences and workshops, including the Missions Institute and the SEEDS workshop.

International Study Tours: Alright, so this isn’t technically on-campus news, but we thought it was worth mentioning that nearly two hundred Andrews students were able to take advantage of the university’s many international study opportunities available during the summer. May is quickly become Study Tour Month at Andrews University with over ten department-sponsored annual or biennial tours, including the English and communication British Dramatic Arts tour to London, the Institute of Archaeology and anthropology archaeological dig to Tall Jalul, Jordan, and international languages tours to France, Italy, Spain, and Greece. Tours typically range from two to six weeks, offering students the chance to earn up to six credits and enjoy an unforgettable educational experience.

Faculty Research: Students weren’t the only ones who enjoyed some scholarly travels over the summer—many professors worked on research projects around the U.S. and abroad. For example, in the History and Political Science Department, Jane Sabes traveled to the Ukraine and Brian Strayer continued research in Paris, biologist Jim Hayward and mathematician Shandelle Henson conducted seagull research in the Pacific Northwest, and Claudio Gonzalez and Stephen Zork of the Music Department traveled to Chile and Hong Kong for conducting clinics and performances. Additionally, several professors continued book projects, including Woodrow Whidden of the Religion Department, Scott Moncrieff of the English Department, and PT professor John Banks, whose work is being touted as the new leading gross anatomy textbook.

Jimmy Carter Habitat for Humanity Project: In support of the Jimmy Carter Habitat for Humanity Project in Benton Harbor, Andrews University housed 240 of the project volunteers. The volunteers spent June 19-24 working alongside the former U.S. president to revitalize an entire district of Benton Harbor by building 24 houses in the Hall Park area.

Bobby McFerrin Concert: On June 30, the Howard Performing Arts Center hosted yet another world-class performing artist, 10-time Grammy Award winner Bobby McFerrin. One of the world’s premier vocal innovators, McFerrin has mastered a host of musical genres, including classical, jazz, folk, and world music. On June 30, the singer treated a packed house to an astonishing performance that more than lived up to expectations.

Campus Improvement Projects: As you might guess, summer is also known as “construction season” at any university, and as you stroll around Andrews this fall, you might notice that a few things have changed since you were last here. Andrews’ summer improvement projects included the following:

o The sidewalk, short-term parking, and landscaping on the west side of Lamson Hall were redesigned to accommodate the fire lane requirements.

o The east side of Lamson received a new HVAC System, new plumbing, and renovations in several rooms.

o Meier Hall received new fire escapes and renovations to 12 bathrooms.

o Nethery Hall Computer lab services were relocated to James White Library.

o James White Library received a fire safety update.

o Construction began on the University’s new and relocated wastewater treatment plant.
o All of the windows in the Art & Design building were replaced.

o Construction began on WAUS’s new radio broadcast offices and studio in the Howard Center, thanks to John and Dede Howard’s generous challenge grant and to the donors who matched the challenge!

o The west and east entry doors of the Howard Center will be reconfigured to provide more effective handicapped guest accessibility.

o The Campus Center received new carpet, tables and chairs.

o The Campus Ministries Office went under a complete overhaul, creating more open workspace for students and staff.

As you can see, we’re doing our best to ensure that Andrews continues its legacy of top-quality education!

New Students and New Alumni: Our final summer highlight comes courtesy of our students, the only reason that this institution exists. Andrews was proud to welcome 335 new alumni at summer commencement on August 7 and 446 freshmen and transfer students during All Fired Up, held August 21 to 28. The week was packed with special events and activities designed to help new students settle into life at Andrews, including a concert by Christian recording artist Shaun Groves and an “extreme bowling” party DJ-ed by the local Christian radio station. The incoming students helped raise total enrollment to 3087, up from 3017 last year.