GC's Zahniser Institute Awared $775,000 Contract for Wetland Mitigation

The Zahniser Institute for Environmental Studies has been awarded $775,000 to create/restore 130 acres of wetlands along the Missouri River in Chesterfield, MO. The project, sponsored by the Monarch-Chesterfield Levee District, will be implemented on two sites along Route 40 west of St. Louis. Site #1 is a 43-acre site where 26 acres of wetlands will be created, restored or enhanced; Site #2 is a 200-acre site where 104 acres of wetlands are to be developed, primarily through construction and planting of various wetland plant species. The project includes earthwork (excavation and grading) to create the proper water levels for wetlands, and extensive planting of trees, shrubs, and other plants that thrive in wet conditions. Rock trails, boardwalks, and observation decks will be built throughout the two sites. Construction and planting will take up to two years to complete, and the Zahniser Institute will monitor the areas for an additional five years to gauge success of the wetland creation efforts. "Giving our students hands-on experience with conservation work will give them scientific knowledge about natural resource management and teach them the value of service to the community and to the environment," said David Patrick, Institute Director. The Zahniser Institute for Environmental Studies is a co-curricular program of Greenville College. Since its beginning in 1995, the Institute has restored more than 1,000 acres of forests and prairies, and planted over 400,000 trees in Illinois and Missouri.

A representation from the class of 1999 planted nine trees on the front lawn of Hogue Hall this spring as their senior class gift. The new trees symbolize the growth these graduating seniors will experience in the years to come.

New Campus Entrance, "Ganton Circle," to Be Built This Summer

Visitors to Greenville College will get a fresh perspective on the campus starting this summer, as campus planners prepare to throw open the front door, so to speak, like never before. President James Mannoia has announced plans for a new main entrance to campus from the north, off of Beaumont, to be called Ganton Circle. Groundbreaking is scheduled for June 1, 1999, with all work to be completed by the end of summer. Lloyd and Judi Ganton of Spring Arbor, MI, have committed to pay for the entire cost of the project, which is projected to be $150,000-200,000. Lloyd Ganton is a long-time member of the GC Board of Trustees and an alumnus from the class of 1960. The Ganton Circle Entrance will allow for two-lane, two-way traffic from Beaumont Avenue down to Armington Center, following the route that was formerly Spruce Street. It will also provide access to two new asphalt-paved parking lots to be built immediately to the east, just north of H. J. Long Gymnasium. The two lots together will provide spaces for 35 cars. The student residence known as King House that sits north of the gymnasium will be demolished after Spring commencement to make way for Ganton Circle and the new parking lots. According to David Hoag, vice president for college advancement, the Ganton Circle project is designed to make the campus more accessible to visitors. "For a long time Greenville College has needed a main entrance," he said. "This will make it easier for people to get into special events at Armington Center, especially some of our older guests who may have trouble climbing stairs or walking across the gravel parking lot on the back side of Armington." New directional signs and a large campus directory board will also be added to make the campus more "user friendly." Chief architect on the project is Jim Miller of Abris Ltd., Urbana, IL.

Schedule Change, Speakers Announced for Commencement Weekend

Jo Anne Lyon and Jameson Kurasha, 1999
baccalaureate and commencement speakers.

A significant schedule change highlights the activities of commencement weekend coming up May 22-23. Baccalaureate has been moved to Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in the Glen and Maxine Crum Recreation Center. Commencement will be held at its traditional time Sunday afternoon at 2:30. The featured speaker for baccalaureate will be Jo Anne Lyon, executive director and founder of World Hope International, Inc. World Hope International is an agency implementing ministries of compassion for the world by mobilizing individuals and organizations for the purposes of relief, economic and social development. Commencement speaker will be Dr. Jameson Kurasha, Ph.D., visiting professor of philosophy at Houghton College in New York. He is currently in the United States on loan from the University of Zimbabwe in Africa, where he served as university senator and councilor, as well as chairman of the Department of Religious Studies, Classics and Philosophy.

Teacher Education Program Makes the Grade

With about one third of all alumni in the work force employed as teachers, Greenville College has always been known for its strong teacher education program. The recent accreditation site visit by the Illinois State Board of Education reaffirmed that strength and indicated the tradition of excellence is continuing. The college received an exceptionally high ranking, meeting 18 of the 19 standards assessed by the review team. The only negative mark against Greenville was for not having an established policy for the recruitment of minority faculty. According to Dr. Ed Blue, director of teacher education at Greenville, the review team was pleased with the quality of the teacher education faculty, the various technological initiatives currently under way on campus, and the integration of the general education curriculum. "This was the best possible rating we could have received," said Dr. Blue, "because every standard had changed since the last accreditation review in 1993. It really was an excellent visit." The review team was especially impressed with the level of faculty participation. About 40-45 general education faculty attended two voluntary meetings during the site visit to express their support for the teacher education program. "This was a community effort on the part of the whole faculty," said Dr. Blue. "A lot of fine teachers have come out of Greenville College," he continued. "All we're doing is making sure the torch gets passed."

Dr. Jonathan Raymond Accepts Presidency of College in Manitoba

Greenville College's senior vice president for academic affairs, Dr. Jonathan Raymond, will be the next president of William and Catherine Booth College, a small liberal arts college in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is the only college in the world owned by the Salvation Army. The college is closely linked to the University of Manitoba. Dr. Raymond explains, "It was a Bible college for 17 years, and just this year it was reincorporated as a liberal arts college. It is tiny and postured now to be developed." Dr. Raymond has been at GC since January 1994.