Calvin in Common is a group of nearly 200 Calvin alumni, family and friends who wish to preserve the healthy and open Reformed spirit of the college that made us who we are today. Our members are widespread, with some of us working at Calvin and others in states across the country. We’re in the Mideast and global south, in Europe and beyond.
Many of us were involved in the protests concerning the college’s invitation of President Bush as the commencement speaker in May 2005. After the commencement, we wanted to stay in touch and continue our conversations. We launched Calvin in Common, which has attracted many additional members and continues to function as an on-line chat group. We have had many lively discussions about our beloved college, world events, and many other topics.
Like everyone else, we were buoyed by the choice of Michael Le Roy as the college’s next president, and also shared the enthusiasm that under his direction the school would be managed in a more democratic and transparent way, with increased faculty freedom of expression and thought.
However, soon after LeRoy took office, we all learned of the massive debt the school had incurred under the previous administration and the subsequent financial crisis that threated the wellbeing of the college. While the fund-raising of the college during the past year-and-a-half has been very successful, faculty and students continue to suffer the economic fallout from the financial management of the previous president..