President’s Message

Barry H. Corey

March 2008

Paula, Anders, Ella, Sam and I want to say again how grateful we are to serve alongside you, the Biola community.  We’ve now officially passed the 100th birthday, and we’re moving forward confident of this one thing, that as we stay centered in God’s Word and sensitive to the Spirit’s leading, we’ll be fine, come what may.

I am increasingly optimistic about the future of Biola at this milestone.  As we look ahead, I have been encouraged by the dedication and expertise of those who make up this community.

As we are now midway through the second semester, and the Easter break is behind us, I wanted to write with an update on our strategic planning efforts.  When I wrote to the campus community last fall, I mentioned setting in motion a planning process for the 2007/2008 year, with the expectation that I present to the Board of Trustees a refreshed Strategic Plan by September of 2008.  I am pleased to report that we are making good progress toward this goal.

As I mentioned before, it is important to me that we develop these plans with broad input from Biola’s various constituents.  So far, we have made progress as we’ve been in a position of listening and processing with key constituents.  I will gather feedback from even more people in our community in the months ahead and provide the agenda and the schedule to move Biola forward into our second century.  While recently we have focused on gathering ideas and drafting possible future initiatives and goals, in the coming weeks we will focus on sharing these ideas and gaining feedback from our various internal and external constituents regarding reaching our priorities and overcoming our challenges.

In a broad sense, I see our plan addressing three themes:

  1. affirmation of our convictions,
  2. assessment of the realities of the challenges before us, and
  3. projection of the courageous steps we will need to take in the months and years ahead.

In recent months, much of the plan’s drafting work has been done by representative members of the University Planning Group.  To gain additional feedback on these ideas, I will be presenting the drafted plan over the next two months.  That will allow for each of you to provide input.

In addition to giving input to the strategic plan, we will soon be hosting six lunch presentations covering topics addressed in the Centennial Papers.  Just as a reminder, faculty members were assigned the task to write a defense and to dream anew on each of the following topics:

  1. biblical fidelity,
  2. educational excellence, national and international,
  3. intentional diversity,
  4. global awareness/urban involvement,
  5. community vitality, and
  6. spiritual maturity and transformation.

The Provost’s Office has made arrangements for lunch discussions. Attendance and a free lunch will be on a first-come, first-serve basis for the first 100 respondents. We will have copies of these papers at each presentation, or if you wish to have one and are unable to attend, please contact Dr. Gary Miller’s office.

Biola has a marvelous past and a bright future.  It is an exciting time, as we move into our second century, to see how God will direct our paths.  As this plan is put together, I desire that we work together as a community with collaboration, grace, patience, and resolve.

I encourage your ideas and suggestions, so feel free to contact your UPG representatives or the University Planning Group chair, Wes Willmer at ext. 4730, if you desire to discuss the process involved in our planning.  May God continue to encourage you in your work here at Biola University.

Barry. H. Corey
President