CU President Joe Stowell held an open forum on Monday, April 14, to interact with the student body. He hopes to understand the campus community and combine students’ ideas with his vision. He addressed topics such as tuition, chapel and athletics, with an eagerness to listen to the students.

“My wife and I can’t believe God’s led us here, and we’re thrilled to be a part of Corner-stone,” Stowell said. “Anything you have to tell me, I’m all ears.”

Many students would like to have a building specifically designated for chapel, and Stowell agreed.

“I keep walking around campus wondering where the chapel is,” he said. “In my mind, if we’re a Christian University, then a chapel is the signature that God is worshipped in this place. I already have the place picked out!

“I think it’s very important. Chapel is where the whole community worships God, together. I plan to be actually involved in the chapel program. We’ll have special chapels set aside, so I can share my heart.”

Stowell also discussed student finances. He is known for raising money, which may eventually help lower tuition prices, but at this point, he was realistic.

“One of the huge struggles of a Christian university is debt,” he said. “I’m truly sorry about it. Educational debt is a huge problem. I wish we could lower the price point way down the pike.

“The reality is it costs a lot of money to run a Christian university. I sense the pain. We’re working on keeping it down, and I think we have some really great ideas. We will work on the price of Cornerstone.”

Stowell explained his four-part plan to lead Cornerstone University to a successful future. 1) He wants the CU community to be spiritually contagious. 2) CU will pursue academic excellence. 3) The university will be financially stable. And 4) People want to be a part of the environment.

“We have the ability to be one of the leading colleges, if not in America, in the Midwest for sure,” he said. “And we’ll be watching that over the next few years.”

Stowell will also be watching over the athletic department. School spirit is important to him.

“I hear we don’t have tons of fans, and I’m not sure why,” he said. “A campus has to have a big sense of community. Athletics can get us fired up for CU community. It would be great to see 11 guys without shirts spelling Cornerstone and people with their faces painted all in the stands! I would hope somehow we can get there.”

Stowell is known as an authentic leader.

“He’s one of those sincere people,” said Simeon Brace, CU’s student body president. “If he says something, he means it. He’s not going to base his statements on who was there and what they’re feelings and opinions are. He’s going to do it with truth.

“He’s willing to go above and beyond his job as president to listen to students and faculty and make sure their voices are heard.”

Stowell hopes to improve communication.

“There’s not much that I mind telling you,” he said. “I have to be wise, but we’re working on it. And I hope by next year we’ll have some fun things for you.”

He has been impressed with the people at Cornerstone so far.

“Human capital is the most important capital,” Stowell said. “So to go to a place with really good people, you can get something done. That’s been the most encouraging thing to meet them and realize how good of people they are.”

He is also encouraged by the Christian education.

“The glory of it all is that we have a Creator, and hopefully all our education will take us back to Him,” Stowell said. “Our name’s Cornerstone – how cool is that? We’re into Jesus here.”

Stowell brings his enthusiastic personality to Cornerstone and hopes to help students succeed.

“I just don’t want you to survive, I want you to thrive,” he said. “We’re still designing, thinking and planning what we can do on this campus to create a thriving atmosphere. I’m not sure exactly how we will get there as a campus, but I’m telling you right now, it’s big in my book.