NIELS-ERIK ANDREASEN President

In 1874—126 years ago—Seventh-day Adventist pioneers in Michigan established the school that would eventually become Andrews University.

In that same year the worldwide mission of our church took a significant step when John Nevins Andrews and his two teenage children became the church’s first official missionaries to Europe. In effect, Charles and Mary Andrews served as our first student missionaries while their father worked as a pastor, author, editor, teacher, and missionary in Basel, Switzerland.

About 40 years ago Andrews University took its name from that first Adventist missionary. Today a bronze statue by Adventist sculptor Alan Collins, situated in front of Pioneer Memorial church, depicts the J. N. Andrews family setting sail for their mission appointment. The two young people, their mother no longer living, seem both excited and anxious, while Andrews himself points decisively across an expanse of lawn to the university library, where both undergraduate and graduate students receive their preparation for service.

The faculty, staff, and students at Andrews University take this sculpture to heart as a visible symbol of the educational mission of the university—to serve the church and society generously.

Let me share some statistical information about that preparation for service we’ve offered our students over the years.

That Andrews continues to serve the world church is evidenced by our large international enrollment. In our recent fall term approximately 20 percent of our students came from outside the United States, with international students making up 29 percent of the graduate population and 14 percent of the undergraduate student body.

A breakdown of Andrews’ international students enrolled at the beginning of our last academic year by world division (not including Canadian students in the North American Division) is interesting:

The Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary continues to offer courses that serve the world church in the preparation of ministers. Over the past five years a total of 391 Master of Divinity students have been graduated on the Michigan campus. During the academic year just completed more than 800 seminarians studied on the Andrews University campus and in overseas-affiliated seminary programs under the general supervision of our seminary faculty.

Andrews University has affiliations with nine sister colleges and universities and eight extension sites around the world. Between 1995 and 1999, 2,716 graduate and undergraduate students earned degrees from Andrews on these affiliated campuses.

Our Faculty
Andrews University boasts a diverse teaching faculty dedicated to academic excellence. Like the student body, the 259 faculty members come from around the world. Of these, 32 percent are women and approximately 20 percent represent ethnic minorities.

In addition to the teaching they do, Andrews faculty research and publish, and serve the church, the community, and the world. During the past five years approximately half the faculty engaged in research activities.

The university has developed a variety of new academic programs to meet the needs of the church and community, such as the Master of Social Work (in conjunction with the Mennonite Seminary’s peace studies program) and the Master of Science in Administration with ADRA. Meanwhile, Andrews has committed its resources to a variety of longstanding programs such as the archaeological excavation of Heshbon in Jordan, which celebrated its 30-year anniversary in 1998.

In 1999 Andrews was reaccredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools for 10 years. In separate evaluations the School of Education and the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary also received 10-year extensions of accreditation from the Unit Accreditation Board of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada, respectively. These accreditations indicate that the university offers higher education of good and timely quality, articulates and implements its mission clearly and effectively, and carefully plans for the future.

Our Campus Facilities
Visitors and residents alike agree that Andrews has a beautiful campus. Recognized as an arboretum, the 116-acre campus on the banks of the St. Joseph River daily reflects our dedication to preserving God’s creation. Students and teachers put the accommodating and striking campus high on their lists of things we’re proud to claim.

This spring construction began on the $9 million expansion and renovation of the seminary building. For the dated offices and classrooms in this 40-year-old building, a significant renovation is long overdue. The added room will provide much-needed areas for study and research in addition to display space. Meanwhile, across campus, the Art Department has taken up residence in the newly renovated power plant building—a space that provides excellent natural light and expansive studios for ceramists, painters, and graphic designers.

Soon undergraduate education will get another boost with the construction of a new building just north of Nethery Hall. University Advance-ment reports that good progress is being made on the raising of funds for this structure, which will house religion, history, behavioral sciences, communication, and the newly established Center for College Faith. The new building will also feature a prayer chapel, a lecture/recital hall, and an outdoor plaza that connects it to Nethery Hall. The latter building, as well as the architecture building, is slated for eventual renovation.

Major improvements at the airpark and the farm have caught the attention of the local community. Additional space in a newly constructed hangar provides local aviators with quality storage area for their planes (in addition to providing shelter for all nine planes operated by the Aeronautical Technology Department), and local farmers and agricultural researchers watch with interest as our dairy herd settles into a new solar barn that effectively admits sunlight and fresh air.

Next year Andrews celebrates the hundredth anniversary of its location in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Concerts, lectures, picnics, a host of community events, and possibly even the opening of a new entrance to the campus from the highway will mark this occasion.

Our Finances
Although the cost of operating a comprehensive university is notoriously great, Andrews’ financial picture is positive, even remarkable. Revenues (which are less tuition-driven than the norm for private doctoral institutions) annually exceed expenses. Church subsidies remain substantial. Accounts receivable are falling. Institutional debt is negligible. Andrews recruiters are working arduously to expand enrollment, and our development directors have more than doubled the university’s endowment over the past five years. Taken as a whole, the financial operations are rational and stable. God’s blessing, in other words, is constantly apparent.

Our Look to the Future
Although somewhat fixed on the future, Seventh-day Adventists generally speak cautiously about it. Nevertheless, I am persuaded that Christian education is so central to the mission of our church that we will educate until our Lord calls us home. Accordingly, we must plan for the future of Andrews. The Andrews faculty in the future will remain committed teacher-scholars who teach effectively by using all available tools, including advanced electronic technology, who meaningfully advance knowledge in their respective disciplines, and who punctuate all teaching and learning with a faith perspective.

Obviously, a good Christian university needs competent, industrious, committed students, and we will invite them to join us in this great educational adventure. Their learning environment will include good libraries, laboratories, and technology. Their need for scholarships and bursaries, no matter what their cultural, national, and economic backgrounds, will intensify the university’s ongoing search for resources.

Again, we wish nothing more than to press during these years toward fulfilling our mission and the goal God has set before us—continuing to place this university in the service of the kingdom of God.