Bethel’s First ‘Day of Scholarship’ Showcases Faculty Research

More than 40 faculty members from across the university shared research and publications with the community on October 25.

By Monique Kleinhuizen '08, GS'16, contributing writer

November 17, 2023 | 11 a.m.

President Ross Allen with faculty and board members at Bethel’s first Day of Scholarship

President Ross Allen with faculty and board members at Bethel’s first Day of Scholarship

Bethel professors are known not only for their compassion for students, but also their deep commitment to their academic fields—including ongoing research and publications in scholarly journals. Until recently, this part of their role—and their particular research interests and connections—were known best by those in their classrooms and departments.  

October 25 was designated as Bethel’s first Day of Scholarship, with an interactive poster session designed to give the community intentional time and space to explore the scholarly work and academic partnerships of Bethel faculty. 

Posters and projects from the day are cataloged on the SPARK online repository, which was launched in 2021 by the Bethel University Library. It “contains the Scholarship, Publishing, Arts, Research, and Knowledge of departments, programs, and centers across the university” and has had 200,000 downloads—and counting—since its inception. Its real-time traffic map shows where global visitors are located, and which publications they’re reading.

Facts about the SPARK repository

The SPARK online repository brings together Bethel faculty papers in one convenient spot—for the benefit of learners all over the world. The Day of Scholarship did the same for Bethel’s campus community—with staff, faculty, and students from different disciplines learning from one another, face-to-face.

“Faculty at Bethel are outstanding instructors, and part of being an outstanding university professor is ongoing scholarship in one's field. The poster session was a time when faculty could see each others' work, appreciating the variety of ways that scholarship happens—and hearing from others who are passionate about contributing to human understanding of God's world.”

— University Provost Robyn Rylaarsdam

Browse papers and publications by Bethel faculty.

The SPARK online repository showcases the Scholarship, Publishing, Arts, Research, and Knowledge of Bethel departments, programs, and centers.

Visit SPARK