Plans for New Wel­come Cen­ter Un­der­way

MISHAWAKA, IND. -- As of 2019, plans for con­struct­ing a new Wel­come Cen­ter at Bethel will be put into ac­tion. If all goes ac­cord­ing to plan, the Wel­come Cen­ter will be open­ing late fall of next year. It will be built to the west of the Ad­mis­sions Build­ing and con­structed to have a cir­cu­lar ap­pear­ance. The cen­ter will be a “first stop” for in­com­ing prospec­tive stu­dents and their fam­i­lies. They will be able to learn about Bethel as a great spir­i­tual en­vi­ron­ment, a close com­mu­nity and as a fu­ture home.  

Terry Elam, vice pres­i­dent of en­roll­ment man­age­ment, said, “We are re­ally in­ter­ested in tak­ing the unique qual­i­ties of Gen­er­a­tion Z and re­ally help­ing them un­der­stand that we can meet their needs. We know that they want to be in­volved in some­thing im­por­tant and they want to make a dif­fer­ence in the world.” 

Perspective students will be given the chance to hear stories of Bethel alumni and will be challenged to think about, “What would coming to Bethel mean for me?”   The purpose for building the center will be to engage all the senses, so that the student can make a great decision when choosing a college to attend. The Welcome Center will also function as a place where alumni can come and visit.   It is hoped that the center will aid in answering four questions for incoming students: 1. Does Bethel have the program that I am interested in?; 2. Can I afford it?; 3. Will I fit in?; and, 4. Can I get a job after I get a degree?   “[Students] want to make sure that they are getting value for their dollar, so we want to create that experience for them that shows that Bethel understands those concerns and can meet their needs,” Elam said.   One unique element that will give the sense and feeling of home, is that perspective students and their families will be offered fresh baked cookies upon entering the Welcome Center.