Andringa, Friesen to address class of 2006
FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Huntington, Ind. "Huntington University will hold its 108th commencement exercises on Saturday, May 13, 2006. Dr. Norris Friesen, Huntington University vice president and dean, will deliver the baccalaureate address to graduates and their parents at 10:30 a.m., in the Zurcher Auditorium of the Merillat Centre for the Arts. The annual commencement address, held on the campus front lawn at 3 p.m., will be given by Dr. Robert C. Andringa, president of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). The public is invited to attend the commencement service. Dr. Robert C. Andringa
A nationally recognized leader, Dr. Robert C. Andringa resides in Vienna, Va., and has a distinguished record of service in both public policy and higher education. As current president of the CCCU, located in Washington, D.C., Andringa heads an association of 105 member colleges and universities, plus 71 affiliated institutions of higher education located in 24 countries.
Andringa will retire from the CCCU presidency this summer. He will be succeeded by Dr. Paul Corts, who currently serves as assistant attorney general for administration for the U.S. Department of Justice.
Andringa holds three degrees from Michigan State University, including a B.A. in marketing, an M.A. in college student personnel and a Ph.D. in higher education, which he completed in 1967. In addition, he holds three honorary doctorates from various institutions.
From 1965-1967, Andringa served as assistant director of the Honors College at Michigan State. Following his service at MSU, Andringa fulfilled his Army ROTC commission as a faculty member of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C. By the end of his service in 1969, he had earned the rank of captain and was awarded the Joint Services Commendation Medal.
Andringa was then appointed by Albert H. Quie, a Minnesota congressman, to the staff of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor. Andringa served for seven years as the republican staff director and became a recognized national leader in the area of higher education policy development. In 1977, Congressman Quie decided to run for governor of Minnesota, asking Andringa to manage his campaign. After Quie's election, Andringa served in Minnesota for two years as director of policy research in the governor's office.
From 1980-1985, Andringa served as the CEO of the Education Commission of the States, serving the nation's governors, legislators, state boards of education and other state leaders. From 1985-1994, he was a full-time consultant specializing in services to nonprofit corporation boards and chief executives. He has trained CEOs and board leaders in more than 500 international, national and local organizations. In addition, he has spoken to, trained or facilitated more than 1500 business and professional groups.
Andringa has also served on several governing boards and numerous national advisory groups. In 1992, he founded CEO Dialogues, Inc., a nonprofit organization which helps chief executives pursue biblical excellence in nonprofit service. He was appointed by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education to chair the National Advisory Council on Institutional Quality and Integrity from 2001-2005. The council oversees the nation's higher education accrediting agencies. In February 2005, Andringa was elected to the board of the American Council on Education.
Andringa's publications include The Nonprofit Board Answer Book and Presidential Transitions in Private Colleges.
Dr. Norris Friesen
As vice president and dean, Dr. Norris Friesen is the chief academic officer of Huntington University. He supervises the faculty, assistant and associate deans, the RichLyn Library, academic registration, and adult and graduate education.
In addition to that role, Friesen has taught beginning and intermediate German through a four-semester sequence since 1993. A veteran of the Huntington administration, Friesen became dean of student services in 1985, then was named vice president for student development in 1993. He accepted his current role in 2002.
Friesen earned a bachelor's degree in German from Tabor College, a master's degree in Higher Education Administration from Kansas State University, and a Ph.D. in Counseling and Student Affairs Administration from Purdue University.
His repertoire of presentations includes the following: Are Your Campus Politics Showing? at the 2001 Association of Christians in Student Development (ACSD) National Conference, a book discussion on The Tipping Point at the 2001 ACSD National Conference, How to Submit Articles for Publication at the 2002 ACSD National Conference, How to Jump Start Assessment at the 2004 Higher Learning Commission Annual Conference, and Surprised by Quality at the 2005 Higher Learning Commission Annual Conference.
Friesen served as president of the Association of Christians in Student Development and also sat on the editorial board for that organization. He is a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, the American College Personnel Association, and Evangelicals for Social Action.
Community involvements include Huntington County Habitat for Humanity of which Friesen is treasurer and a past president, the Education for Conflict Resolution Board of Directors, and College Park United Brethren in Christ Church.
For information about the 2006 honorary degree recipients, log on to http://www.huntington.edu/news/0506/honorary-degree-recipients.htm.
