The goal of administration at Bethel is to make possible the most effective instruction in the most appropriate physical environment, supplemented by the most meaningful co-curricular activities and services, that will help achieve the objectives of the school in the lives of its students and that also will provide a challenging and rewarding opportunity of service for its employees. Administration is viewed as a means to this end. All of its tools—officers, staff persons, finances, equipment, etc.—are subordinate to that end and are valuable only in the measure that they contribute to it.
A strong emphasis is placed upon teamwork and collaboration at Bethel. There is a deliberate effort to avoid imposing arbitrary directions from above. Each administrator works with staff persons and is encouraged to approach each task as a team leader engaged in constant interaction and prayer with those responsible to him/her. It is the conviction of the administration that people will do a more effective job in carrying out the policies of the institution when they have had an appropriate voice in the development of those policies.
The President's Cabinet meets regularly as a forum for communication, coordination, review and evaluation. It consists of administrative officers and presidential assistants.
Areas of responsibility assigned to each of the major administrative officers are summarized in the following sections.
The President
The President is the chief executive officer and is responsible for the overall planning, coordination, and direction necessary for the effective accomplishment of the university's objectives. Within the limits of the Bylaws of the corporation and the policies established by the Board of Trustees, the President is responsible for and has commensurate authority to carry out the following duties:
1. To execute all decisions of the Board of Trustees, inform the members fully on the progress of the university in achieving its objectives and see that the policies of the board are properly interpreted to the academic community.
2. To guide in establishing objectives, plans and programs by the development of short and long range goals for each area of university life.
3. To develop a team of competent people by establishing basic policies for the selection, compensation, evaluation, training, motivation, and promotion of personnel throughout the university.
4. To coordinate performance by the formulation, recording and review of basic policies covering the activities of the university, and by promoting a clear understanding of responsibilities, policies, and management philosophy at all levels of university life.
5. To control results by establishing measures of accountability for university wide activities and programs; by appraising results through progress reports, standards of job performance, audits and other means; and by taking developmental or corrective action on the basis of an analysis of the facts involved.
6. To insure the soundness of the financial operations of the university by presenting a consolidated annual budget for board approval, exercising budget control to confine expenditures to actual income, maintaining effective accounting practices and incurring capital indebtedness only upon the specific direction of the board based upon reasonable amortization plans.
7. To represent the institution officially in academic, community and church affairs and to enlarge the opportunities for making the resources of the university useful to its constituency.
8. The President also serves on the Bethel University Foundation Board of Governors and is a member of the Board of Overseers of the Baptist General Conference/Converge Worldwide.
The Executive Vice President and Provost
The Executive Vice President and Provost (Provost) is the senior administrator of the academic, student life, and spiritual life programs of the four schools, and is responsible to ensure that their mission is met through the integration of these programs in a mutually supportive and synergistic manner. This officer reports to the President.
The Chief Financial Officer
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) has strategic and operational responsibility for the university’s financial resources including strategy development, financial modeling in annual and multi-year time horizons in alignment with the university’s strategic plan, operating and capital budget development, and financial and operational analysis. The CFO partners with other key leaders inside and outside of the university in building financial systems that optimize its resources to support the university’s mission and strategic plan. This officer reports to the President.
The Chief Advancement Officer
The Chief Advancement Officer is the senior administrative officer responsible for all resource development programs and initiatives, corporate and constituency relations activities, alumni and parent services and programs, and the work of the Bethel Foundation. This officer provides leadership to assist with the synergistic integration of the multiple components of Bethel’s overall advancement efforts to best support the achievement of current and future advancement goals. This officer reports to the President.
The Chief Diversity Officer
The Chief Diversity Office articulates a vision, develops initiatives and programs, and provides leadership to ensure that a community characterized by Shalom advances diversity and dismantles racism and other forms of discrimination and advances intercultural competency from evangelical Christian orientation so that they are woven into basic fabric of the university. This officer reports to the President.
The Executive Assistant to the President
The Executive Assistant to the President provides assistance and advice to the President. The individual manages a wide variety of assignments connected to the Office of the President. He or she represents the office and the University to faculty, staff, students, alumni, trustees, and others. This officer reports to the President.
The Chief Human Resources and Strategy Officer; Title IX Coordinator/Compliance Officer
The Chief Human Resources and Strategy Officer is the senior administrative officer responsible for providing the vision and strategy for the Office of Human Resources. This role also provides leadership to activities related to planning, including overall strategic planning efforts, and consults with other administrators on the implementation of strategic and major operational initiatives. This role also serves as the University's Title IX Coordinator and Compliance Officer with primary responsibility for oversight and enforcement of harassment and non-discrimination policies, as well as identifying and addressing any systemic problems that arise during the review of complaints. This officer reports to the President.
The Associate Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, College of Arts & Sciences
The Associate Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, College of Arts & Sciences oversees the academic affairs of the college, coordinating the work of the academic deans in program development, staffing of programs, and effectiveness of instruction. He or she is responsible for development of and adherence to the academic affairs budget and oversight responsibility for academic areas in the College of Arts & Sciences. This officer collaborates with other administrators and faculty to accomplish the objectives of the college. This officer reports to the Provost.
The Associate Provost of the College of Adult & Professional Studies, Bethel Seminary, and Graduate School
The Associate Provost of the College of Adult & Professional Studies, Bethel Seminary, and Graduate School oversees the academic affairs of all adult, seminary and graduate programs, overseeing program directors in curriculum development and staffing of programs, fostering innovation and program growth, and supervising the work of faculty and staff. He or she is responsible for development of and adherence to academic affairs budget and oversight responsibility for academic areas in adult, seminary, and graduate programs. This officer collaborates with other administrators and faculty to accomplish the objectives of the college, seminary and graduate school. This officer reports to the Provost.
The Associate Vice President for Christian Formation and Church Relations
The Associate Vice President for Christian Formation and Church Relations in the College of Arts & Sciences coordinates all spiritual formation activities for undergraduate students. The dean oversees a staff that creates chapel, worship, discipleship, outreach, and service programs. This officer reports to the Provost.
The Vice President for Student Life for the College of Arts & Sciences
The Vice President for Student Life for the College of Arts & Sciences gives leadership to student development programs, including such areas as athletics, counseling, health services, housing, and multicultural development. This officer reports to the Provost.
The Chief Facilities and Technology Officer
The Chief Facilities and Technology Officer is the senior administrative officer responsible for all aspects of campus facilities including daily operations, operations, grounds, maintenance services, building services, energy/technical services, space/project management, as well as campus safety and security, and provides vision and leadership for academic computing, administrative computing, network services, telecommunications services, and Web services. This officer reports to the President.
The Chief Enrollment and Marketing Officer
The Chief Enrollment and Marketing Officer is the senior administrative officer responsible for enrollment and marketing efforts for undergraduate and post-traditional admissions. This officer leads the division in setting and attaining enrollment and net revenue goals as well as developing the marketing and communications plans and implementation of those plans. This officer reports to the President.
Office of the Provost