Tag Archive: Office of the President

December 5, 2022

Finlandia University raises $50K for student scholarships

Finlandia University alumni and friends donated over $50,000 toward student scholarships during FinnU’s sixth annual Giving Tuesday fundraiser in November. The official total raised was $52,356, including an anonymous contribution of $10,000 kicking off the event.

Finlandia President Tim Pinnow praised the efforts of those who supported the cause, which has become an important FinnU tradition as 100 percent of full-time domestic students currently receive financial aid.

“This incredible response to the Giving Tuesday event will help Finlandia continue to focus on [...]

November 29, 2022

Giving Tuesday: Donate to Student Scholarships!

At Finlandia, Giving Tuesday means giving back to students. Today, all donations received go directly toward Finlandia’s annual scholarship programs to help provide affordable, quality higher education to all.

“When I was a student, I was fortunate to be a recipient of Finlandia scholarships. The academic support and guidance I received, paired with the relief of not having to worry about paying for my education, is what allowed me to freely participate in my classes and activities,” said [...]

November 25, 2022

Finlandia Fridays prepares to give thanks with #GivingTuesday

Kailee Laplander (’12) stopped by Finlandia Fridays this week to discuss an important tradition, #GivingTuesday.

As a 2012 alum now serving as Finlandia’s Executive Assistant to the President & Advancement Office, Laplander shares how #GivingTuesday raises money for Finlandia’s annual scholarship programs and how meaningful the tradition truly is.

“My heart really lies with our low-income and our first-generation students. I come from that perspective,” Laplander said. “As a student, I was a low-income first-generation student, and I spent my first eight [...]

November 16, 2022

#GivingTuesday kicks off with $10,000 donation

Donations are now open for Finlandia University’s annual celebration of generosity, Giving Tuesday!

To help make college affordable for current and future students, Finlandia plans to raise $30,000 this Giving Tuesday season, which will go directly toward Finlandia’s annual scholarship programs. The giving season is off to a great start with a contribution of $10,000 from an anonymous donor.

Officially marked for November 29, we invite our Family and Friends to stay up-to-date as we share updates and stories from students [...]

November 10, 2022

Give thanks with #GivingTuesday

#GivingTuesday has officially kicked off at Finlandia University, with donations now open for the annual celebration of generosity. All donations received will go toward annual scholarship programs to help make Finlandia affordable for current and future students.

“Most people believe that private education can only be received by those who can afford it. Yet, more than 50% of Finlandia students come from homes of financial need,” Finlandia Advancement stated. “Because of donor support, we are able to offer scholarships to 100% [...]

July 19, 2022

Pinnow’s presidency begins

The 17th President of Finlandia University, Tim Pinnow, has spent his first two weeks in office focusing on the things that matter the most – community.

On his first day, Pinnow welcomed University faculty and staff to a morning reception at the Hoover Center.

“One of the things that I would like to base this presidency on is a sense that all of us contribute to the success of Finlandia University,” Pinnow said. “I will be holding open office hours every week [...]

June 30, 2022

Johnson wraps up 15 years as Finlandia president

As 15 years in the president’s office at Finlandia University draw to a close, Dr. Philip Johnson will remember most the times his job took him elsewhere on campus.

“The most rewarding aspects of my work are those that take me away from my desk,” he said, “(such as) having lunch with students and asking them to give me ‘the good, the bad, and the ugly’; sitting with parents and grandparents to cheer on their student … mingling with students, community [...]

Philip Johnson 125th Anniversary Banquet

June 28, 2022

‘Semper Reformanda’: Johnson makes final address at 125th Anniversary celebration

After 15 years in office, Dr. Philip Johnson made his final address as President of Finlandia University on June 23, 2022. In the celebratory conclusion of Finlandia’s 125th Anniversary, patrons gathered in Martha Wiljanen Hall to reflect on FinnU’s past while boldly imagining its future.

“Semper reformanda; always reforming,” Johnson said. “As I think about our 125 years, if there is a single thread that weaves its way through our story here at Suomi College, Finlandia University, it’s this idea of [...]

May 4, 2022

Finlandia University names Tim Pinnow as next president

Finlandia University has elected Tim Pinnow, Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at Colorado Mesa University (CMU), as its 17th president following a unanimous vote by the University’s Board of Trustees. He will assume his presidency on July 1, 2022.

The Board’s selection of Finlandia’s President-elect follows a five-month nationwide search led by the University’s Presidential Search Committee, with professional support from the national executive search firm, Academic Search. The committee, chaired by board member Dr. Michael Nakkula, worked extensively with [...]

October 14, 2021

Johnson to step down after academic year, 16th president in 125 years

On October 6, President Philip Johnson informed the Finlandia University Board of Trustees that he will be stepping down at the end of the current academic year.

In a letter to the trustees, President Johnson wrote, “It has been a profound privilege and deep joy to serve Finlandia’s Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, and students. I am confident new leadership will emerge that is able to lead Finlandia toward a more prosperous future.”

Board President, Julie Badel, said the Board accepted, with [...]