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BOT APPROVES VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT LIFE
By Sarah Potter EDITOR IN CHIEF When Director of Human Resources Connie Bellows hauls out the binder which holds the findings of the search committee for the vice president of student life, you know that hiring a Calvin vice president is a very involved process. The 10-inch thick binder holds 40-some resumes for the position, which was opened up last summer when Jinny De Jong stepped down after serving 12 years as vice president. On February 19, the long search ended when the Calvin College Board of Trustees approved recommendation of the search committee -- to appoint Shirley Vogelzang Hoogstra as the new vice president. Hoogstra, who will be leaving a 13-year career as an attorney, will begin this summer. The Vice President of Student Life supervises a staff of 55 and a budget of $17 million. Departments that report to the Student Life vice president include the Dean of Student Development, the Dean of Residence Life, the Director of Campus Safety, the Director of the Broene Counseling Center, the Director of the Health Center and the Chaplain. Other areas include the Service-Learning Center, the Multicultural Student Development office, Student Activities, the Job Transportation Service and the resident directors in the residence halls and Knollcrest East apartments. David Hoekema, who has been serving as the acting vice president of student life while a permanent person was being sought, describes the job as a supportive role for the students. “We try to make sure that students are in a position where they can learn to their fullest potential,” said Hoekema, who said the job was more interesting than he had anticipated. Hoogstra, who is making a major career change and uprooting her family from the East Coast, feels she was called to this position. “The Student Life Division at Calvin College fulfills an important role; it plays a big part in making Calvin meaningful for our students,” said Hoogstra, who has also served on the Calvin Board of Trustees (BOT) since 1995. Hoogstra is a Holland Christian High School and Calvin College graduate. After leaving Calvin with an education degree in 1978, Hoogstra taught junior high English and physical education in New Jersey. She graduated from the University of Connecticut Law School in Hartford, Conn. with honors in 1986. Since then, she has practiced in areas of family law and personal injury litigation in New Haven, Conn. She has been a partner at the firm since 1994. One of the concerns of the 13-member search committee (and undoubtedly others at Calvin) is that Hoogstra has no prior experience in higher education. The committee did not receive many applications from those with experience in student life at other Christian colleges, despite the fact that they sent letters to all the colleges in the Coalition for Christian Colleges and Universities, according to Bellows.
The search committee, which was headed by Vice President of Enrollment and External Relations Tom McWhertor, found that Hoogstra’s experience in law and with the BOT means that she brings many “transferrable skills” to the position. “I think one of the advantages of Shirley in the position is the nature of the experience she brings,” said McWhertor, who cited her skills in mediation and family issues. “She’s a very strong woman,” he said. “I am very confident in her abilities; she will be a real advocate for the division.” Dean of Residence Life Jane Hendriksma, who will work closely with Hoogstra, agrees. “She is a leader that understands people,” said Hendriksma, who also served on the search committee. “She is also warm but tough and a great thinker,” she added. Hoogstra herself also thinks her experience as a lawyer and as a teacher will be valuable to the Student Life Office. “Because of my family practice [experience], I would like to share my observations and marriage and what makes it successful and not successful,” Hoogstra said. “I’ve got experience in getting people with different points of view to the same place for resolution. I have a lot of experience in conflict resolution and problem solving. I thought I could use these skills for the college in this position.” Hoekema, who is currently acting in the student life vice president role, couldn’t agree more. “Shirley’s experience in untangling complex decisions will make her an asset to this department,” he said. Also, because Hoogstra has served on the Board of Trustees since 1995, she is coming in with a lot of knowledge about the issues facing Calvin. “For three and a half years I have been informed about each of the college’s divisions and so am not coming in cold as to the workings of the college,” Hoogstra said. “I am familiar with the vision of the college and its strategic plan.”
“[Hiring Hoogstra] will help with the gender balance,” said Bellows, “but we didn’t hire her just because she is a woman.” When asked whether she thought Calvin shies away from hiring women, Hoogstra replied: “I know from my Board work and my Campaign for Calvin College work that the administration is attuned to the gender mix. I know Calvin always looks for the best possible candidates. ... I do think we need to constantly encourage women to prepare themselves for leadership positions and then encourage them to apply. “I would love to mentor to men and women at the college who want to deepen their leadership skills. I do think that having a woman VP for this position would be positive because of how things look can be a good reflection of intent.” Hoogstra’s skills as a lawyer are also helpful in the issue of women in leadership positions. “In the legal profession out East, we value very highly the importance of gender and racial mix when putting a team together for representation of clients,” she said. “The more varied experience and view point you can get to a problem or when a vision is casting, the better the outcome.” Hoogstra also has many ideas about challenges the college faces in the coming years. “Keeping Calvin affordable and at the cutting edge is a tension,” said Hoogstra. In addition, “having an authentic Christian community is always a challenge,” she said. “Helping students balance Christian liberty with living as ambassadors for Jesus Christ is necessary. I have thought a lot about being a Christian in a secular setting and how one’s life is scrutinized by non-Christian friends co-workers once they know you are a Christ follower,” Hoogstra said. One of Hoogstra’s goals is working closely with students and faculty to understand their needs. “I want to learn about the students and what they feel are the issues facing them,” she said. “I want to continue to develop a diverse and global student population and study how we bring people with similar and dissimilar experiences together.” Acting Vice President for Student Life Hoekema also expressed a need to be connected to the students. He has been leading Late Night in the dorms and set up a project that connected students with Board of Trustee members. Hoekema, who delayed his sabbatical for a year to stand in as vice president, may be involved in several research projects next year, including one about campus life and the moral maturity of college students. After that, the former academic dean will teach in the philosophy department. “I really enjoyed the year and I learned a lot,” said Hoekema, who also said that his year in Student Life will make him a better teacher. “I have been very impressed with the professionalism of the Student Life staff,” he said, adding that many decisions are made as a team. Hoogstra agrees. On her campus interview in January, she was impressed with the deans and directors she will be working with. “The division is doing interesting things and I thought if I was going to make a career change and relocate, I would want to do it with these people.” The search committee consisted of representatives from every division and two students. After they received the applications, they sent out questions for several of the applicants to answer. These questions included ones about the applicant’s experience with college age students, how their faith influences their work and the connection between the academic and student life divisions of a college. The year without a permanent vice president has been “a good transition,” according Hendriksma, who said that the Student Life put many projects on the back burner until a permanent vice president took over. “I really miss Jinny [the former vice president of Student Life] and her perception and wisdom; she could put everything in context,” she said. But despite the changes, Hendriksma is looking forward to Hoogstra’s appointment. “The year off has made us more ready to embrace her.” “I think that she is going to be a real agent of change,” said Hendriksma. Ironically, Hoogstra was approached to apply for the Student Life Vice President position when it was available 13 years ago. “It was very nice to be asked, but I was just finishing my last semester at law school and had a job with the firm I an currently with in New Haven,” she said. “And I knew a person who would be great for the job -- Jinny De Jong. ... She ultimately came and did a wonderful job.” |
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