Momentum, with a Mission

Newcomers to Dordt’s campus this fall felt the energy: classrooms buzzing with conversation, construction fences giving way to new spaces, a record number of students pouring into dorms and dining halls.

In a moment when many colleges are shrinking or closing their doors, Dordt is experiencing the opposite: momentum.

Vice President for Enrollment Greg Van Dyke ('02) explains Dordt’s momentum through what he calls the “four P’s”: perspective, programs, progress, and people. The framework “connects back to Dordt’s mission and reminds us that all of this growth is about preparing effective Kingdom citizens,” he adds.

With 1,655 undergraduates this fall—the largest enrollment in Dordt’s history—Van Dyke sees the P’s as “a way to celebrate the unique work that God is doing here while also pointing ahead to where Dordt is going.”

Perspective

One reason Dordt is growing is because of its shared perspective, articulated in the Task and Educational Framework of Dordt University.

“The Task and Educational Framework is not just another internal report or mission statement,” says Dr. Ryan Zonnefeld ('97), co-chair of the refresh committee. “It articulates the theological and philosophical foundations on which Dordt stands. It gives us a shared language and structure for how we view our work as educators, staff, and community members.”

Recently revised to combine The Task and The Framework into one unified document, The Task and Educational Framework introduces new emphases such as “No Religious Neutrality” and “Cultivating a Christian Imagination.”

Donald Roth ('07), professor of business and criminal justice and the document’s primary author, says the process required careful theology and collaboration. “We weren’t just editing a document. We were naming the posture and calling of Dordt as an institution. That meant thinking about how things sound to people across disciplines and roles—and to those beyond our campus.”

He also emphasized the importance of including imagination in the framework, as it “shapes how we see the world and what we think is possible. Cultivating a Christian imagination is a way of helping students not just to know and to do, but to hope, to envision, to live into God’s kingdom more fully.”

The process itself was collaborative and joyful. “There were long meetings where we spent an hour on a single word or punctuation mark,” Zonnefeld says. Co-chair Dr. Teresa Ter Haar adds that the framework is meant to be “a living document—something we can return to often, helping new professors teach from a distinctly Christian perspective.”

Zonnefeld says visitors frequently notice Dordt’s unity of vision. “People often say, ‘You all seem to speak the same language, but not in a canned or rehearsed way.’ That’s The Task and Educational Framework at work; it gives us a shared foundation.”

That foundation, he says, is vital. “In a time when so many small Christian colleges have lost their Christ-centered focus or even closed their doors, we believe Dordt is thriving because we know who we are.”

Roth agrees: “The Task and Educational Framework is both an anchor and an invitation—an anchor that keeps us grounded and an invitation to continue pursuing faithful learning, teaching, and living until God makes all things new.”

Programs

Dordt’s academic and co-curricular programs continue to grow in strength and reputation.

In the past five years, Dordt’s nursing program has more than doubled. “We have 100% NCLEX pass rates, and our grads are in high demand,” says Dr. Debbie Bomgaars, professor of nursing and director of the program.

To accommodate the growth, Dordt recently expanded its nursing skills lab. “We offer two-hour weekly labs beginning sophomore year, totaling 180 hours of practice in the nursing skills lab. With the increasing number of nursing students, we now have additional lab space to ensure every student has access to critical practice time.”

Athletics have also flourished. “Dordt’s cross country team has about 90 student-athletes this fall, which is bigger than some schools’ football teams,” says Van Dyke. Cross country is a harbinger of the popularity of Dordt athletics in general. Since 2018, Dordt has seen a 56% increase in the number of students participating in athletics, with nearly half of the student body competing in sports.

“Unlike many schools where 70% or more of students are athletes, Dordt’s growth has been balanced across athletics, music, and other areas,” Van Dyke explains. “That’s important to us, because it shows students are coming for community and purpose, not just for one activity.”

That momentum is reflected in recent updates to the Rozenboom Family Athletic Center—refreshed practice rooms, a renovated indoor track, and a switch from blue-and-white to Dordt’s signature gold-and-black colors.

“Our athletics program continues to grow—not just in numbers, but in depth of character, competition, and community,” says Athletics Director Darin Keizer ('10). “Renovating the Rozenboom Family Athletic Center reflects our long-term commitment to excellence in every area.”

Progress

“Dordt University is rooted in a community that, for a long time, has riffed on the concept of ‘progress through cooperation,’” says Dr. Brandon Huisman ('10), vice president for advancement and marketing.

That spirit is evident in local partnerships such as the American State Bank Sports Complex, an indoor turf facility jointly developed by Dordt and the City of Sioux Center that draws 20,000 visitors each year. Likewise, Open Space Park, home to the football stadium and baseball field, exists thanks to collaboration between Dordt, the city, and the Sioux Center school district.

That same momentum is visible on campus, where new housing and dining spaces are reshaping student life.

The new dining commons, The Atrium, features soaring glass walls, panoramic campus views, and an array of meal options for students. Upstairs, The Overlook serves as a banquet and event space, connected to The Atrium by a curved walkway linking the Performing Arts Center and Campus Center—another thoughtful addition for students during Iowa’s cold winters.

Nearby, a new set of cottages offer modern housing with porches and community spaces strung with hammocks and twinkle lights.

“All of it,” says Vice President for Operations Fred Verwoerd ('85), “is designed to enhance student life—providing room to gather, learn, and grow together in community.”

People

“Every single day, our faculty and staff come to campus to work together, to help students grow,” says Van Dyke. “We are a community of believers who are dedicated to making things better—whether it’s improving the classroom experience, caring for campus facilities, helping students acclimate to life at college, or creating a better dining experience. Each person here is making an impact.”

Dean of Chapel Rev. Dr. Justin Bailey reminded faculty and staff of this calling during the August All-Campus Meeting, referencing Reformed theologian Calvin Seerveld’s words from a Dordt Press essay: “The good news from Psalm 19 is that the whole world of rocks and dirt, wind and seas is a chorus of praise to the Almighty Lord of heaven and earth.”

Bailey reflected on why he makes this essay required reading for his theology students, including lines like, “’No follower of Jesus Christ need be uneasy about whether the study of biology, psychology, or aesthetics is full-time Kingdom service for the Lord.” Bailey emphasized that Dordt faculty and staff “can add your own area of work in too, when you think of ‘full-time Kingdom service for the Lord.’”

Later in the week, President Erik Hoekstra echoed that message at the Welcoming Ceremony, greeting more than 500 new students and their families. He read from Romans 12:1-2 NIV and MSG translations: “Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.”

“One of our main goals at Dordt is to sharpen your vision, to understand and own a world and life view which is built on biblical truth and is pervasively Christ-centered. My friends, the world will tell you religion and church life is cute—that you’re supposed to keep it off in a private corner of your life. But in Scripture, we see a different way to live: we should bring everything to the foot of the cross.”

“Every aspect of life is permeated with biblical truth,” Hoekstra continued. “That’s why Dordt exists—to equip you as followers of Jesus Christ to see the world differently through a Christ-centered worldview.”

From Dordt’s mission and programs to its people and spaces, the university is stepping boldly into the future.

“As we celebrate Dordt’s largest undergraduate enrollment in history, we do so with gratitude and anticipation, preparing 1,655 effective Kingdom citizens to serve Christ and His Kingdom in every corner of the world,” says Van Dyke.

About Dordt University

As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.