Academic excellence also means more experiential learning opportunities such as the service and learning course that takes students and faculty to Tanzania each year. It means finding ways to further embed in our curriculum distinct commitments of the Lutheran intellectual tradition such as free inquiry, diversity and tolerance, vocation and service, care for the earth, global citizenship, and social justice. It requires innovation in the content and delivery of our general education curriculum to ensure that every Finlandia graduate is prepared not only for a career, but for a meaningful life.

Finlandia matters because of the mission and identity she embodies. There are plenty of small universities and colleges around the country. There is, however, no other that embodies Finlandia’s distinct history, heritage, and mission. For Finlandia to flourish these distinctions must not be abandoned. Rather, these distinctions can be explored in fresh ways to inspire and shape new initiatives.

The second core competency is financial stability. I suspect this is not normally considered a core university competency; it would be a ‘given,’ if you will. Yet, I choose it because financial stability is an acute challenge for all small, private, enrollment-dependent liberal arts-based institutions of higher learning. Of the twenty-eight universities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, there are six with enrollments under one thousand. Each of them, including Finlandia, faces chronic financial challenges. Building this core competency requires a stubborn commitment to balance our checkbook, expand our donor base, strengthen enrollment strategies, aggressively develop and market new on-line programs, consistently align planning with resources, and maximize Finlandia’s most valuable resource: human capital.

Meaningful community is the third core competency I want to achieve at Finlandia. This competency is about how Finlandia’s students, faculty, administration, and staff live and work together. Doing community well requires, for example, developing a more consistent mentoring program for all faculty and staff, creating a deeper sense of shared purpose and vision, and enhancing collegiality.

It also means investment in common spaces on campus that create gathering spots to encourage community life. It means creating timetables, schedules, and calendars that not only allow for, but encourage, community-wide activities and programming. Further, it requires that we find creative ways to build community for our large commuter student population. It also means encouraging additional participation at athletic events to consistently bring Finlandia students, faculty and staff together, engendering a sense of community and identity. Finally, it urges Finlandia to explore ever-fresh ways to be neighborly, to find shared solutions that can ensure a shared future with the city of Hancock, and other Copper Country communities.

There is a difference between workplace and community. I desire Finlandia to be the latter. Poet and novelist Paula Gunn Allen writes of the fundamental reality of community: “Snowflakes, leaves, humans, plants, raindrops, stars, molecules, microscopic entities all come in communities. The singular cannot in reality exist.” Finlandia comes as community, a learning community.

Missional integrity, financial stability, meaningful community. These are the core competencies that allow Finlandia to produce a quality product in higher education. It has become my litany during the past months. It will be my guiding vision for the coming years as I serve Finlandia as president.

Finlandia University Presidential Inauguration September 20
An all day public event to celebrate the inauguration of newly elected Finlandia University President Philip Johnson will take place on the university’s campus Thursday, September 20, 2007.

A formal installation ceremony for President Johnson will begin at 3:00 p.m. at the university’s Paavo Nurmi Center, followed by a reception at Finlandia Hall.

Additional events throughout the day will include campus tours, classroom visits, and other opportunities to learn about Finlandia’s degree programs and see the university’s students, faculty and staff in action.

The celebration will conclude with a Finnish film and a dance. All are welcome to attend any and all of the inauguration events. Additional details will be announced closer to the date of the event.

Please call the President’s Office at 906-487-7201 or visit the Inaugural Celebration Page  for additional information.

Finlandia University welcomes Philip Johnson, Ph.D. as its new president July 1, 2007
The Finlandia University Board of Trustees and Finlandia faculty and staff are pleased to welcome Philip Johnson, Ph.D. as the university’s 16th president effective July 1, 2007. Johnson succeeds Robert Ubbelohde, Ph.D., who held the position since 1991.

An inauguration ceremony to officially install Dr. Johnson as Finlandia’s president will take place Thursday, September 20, 2007. Additional details will follow.

Philip Johnson came to Finlandia University in January 2006 as campus pastor and assistant to the president. From August 2006 until the present, he served as campus pastor and associate dean of Finlandia’s Suomi College of Arts and Sciences.

President Johnson is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) with 18 years of leadership experience in church-related contexts including congregational ministry, teaching, and administration. He has lived and worked in the United States, Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia.

From 1999-2005 he taught at the Mekane Yesus Theological Seminary and the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He served as the seminary’s dean of the Theology Department from 2001-2003. From 1992-1996 Dr. Johnson supervised the Nairobi Lutheran Parish of the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church. Prior to this, from 1988-1991, he was associate pastor at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Circle Pines, Minnesota.

Johnson completed his M.Div. and Ph.D. at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. He is married to René Johnson, the interim campus pastor and director of servant leadership at Finlandia. The Johnsons have two high school-age children, Simon and Neal. They are active members of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Hancock. Johnson serves on the Copper Country United Way Board.

Johnson Accepts Finlandia University Presidency - March 23, 2007
The Finlandia University Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that Rev. Philip Johnson, Ph.D., has accepted the position of university president effective July 1, 2007.
Johnson succeeds Robert Ubbelohde, Ph.D., Finlandia’s 15th president. Ubbelohde has held the position since 1991.

“By virtue of his training and experience, Philip understands the importance of both private liberal arts education and the university’s Lutheran affiliation,” notes Rev. Dr. Dale Skogman, chairman of the Finlandia University Board of Trustees. “He articulates a vision that will appeal to prospective students and benefactors of Finlandia University.”

“In the process of interviewing for the presidency at Finlandia University, Philip evidenced great self awareness. He was candid in sharing the strengths and weaknesses he’ll bring to the position,” says Skogman. “Good leaders build on their strengths and surround themselves with skilled associates. Philip will bring a collaborative style of leadership to his presidency at Finlandia University.”

As the primary editor and writer of a recent 200-page ‘self-study’ report prepared for a visit of the Higher Learning Commission North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC-NCA), Skogman says Johnson had the opportunity to work closely with Finlandia’s leadership, grasp the depth and breadth of Finlandia’s operations, and reflect on its opportunities and challenges for the future.

“In this capacity Philip is in a position to know the university well. We’re delighted that he’s willing to assume the presidency of Finlandia,” Skogman adds.

“The Finlandia Board of Trustees is glad that Philip has accepted the position of president,” confirms Mike Lahti, vice chairman of the Finlandia Board and Michigan Representative for the 110th District. “I think he is an excellent match for Finlandia.”
Mrs. Iola Vanstrom, a 12-year member of the Finlandia Board of Trustees, is excited about Johnson’s acceptance of the university’s presidency. She feels he has a good rapport with students and the people he works with.

Vanstrom, chairman of the Board’s Human Resources and Facilities Committee, has also served with Johnson on the Church Relations Committee. She is impressed with his vision and planning for Campus Ministry, his understanding of the university, and his leadership in the preparation of the HLC-NCA self-study report.

Philip Johnson came to Finlandia University in January 2006 as campus pastor and assistant to the president. Since August 2006, he has served as campus pastor and associate dean of Finlandia’s Suomi College of Arts and Sciences.

He is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) with 18 years of leadership experience in church-related contexts including congregational ministry, teaching, and administration. He has lived and worked in the United States, Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia.

From 1999-2005 he taught at the Mekane Yesus Theological Seminary and the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He served as the seminary’s dean of the Theology Department from 2001-2003. From 1992-1996 Dr. Johnson supervised the Nairobi Lutheran Parish of the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church. Prior to this, from 1988-1991, he was associate pastor at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Circle Pines, Minnesota.

Johnson completed his M.Div. and Ph.D. at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is married to René Johnson, the director of servant leadership at Finlandia. The Johnsons have two high school-age children, Simon and Neal. They are active members of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Hancock. Johnson serves on the Copper Country United Way Board.

Biographical Sketch: Philip Johnson

Rev. Dr. Philip Johnson came to Finlandia University in January 2006 as campus pastor and assistant to the president. From August 2006 until June 2007, he served as campus pastor and associate dean of Finlandia's Suomi College of Arts and Sciences.

President Johnson is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) with 18 years of leadership experience in church-related contexts including congregational ministry, teaching, and administration. He has lived and worked in the United States, Tanzania, Kenya, and Ethiopia.

From 1999 to 2005, Johnson taught at the Mekane Yesus Theological Seminary and the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He served as the seminary's dean of the Theology Department from 2001 to 2003. From 1992 to 1996 Johnson supervised the Nairobi Lutheran Parish of the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church. Prior to this, from 1988 to 1991, he was associate pastor at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Circle Pines, Minnesota.

President Johnson completed his M.Div. and Ph.D. at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is married to René Johnson, Finlandia's interim campus pastor and director of servant leadership. The Johnsons have two high school-age children, Simon and Neal. They are active members of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Hancock. President Johnson is a member of the Copper Country United Way Board.

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