Caldwells moving on to Iraq

By Heather Lowhorn

This spring Dr. Carl Caldwell BA ’66 and his wife, Carolyn Falls Caldwell BA ’64, both retired from Anderson University after more than 13 years of service. Carl served as the vice president of academic affairs and dean and taught medieval European history. Carolyn was an adjunct professor and instructor of accounting in the Falls School of Business. In the fall they will both travel to northern Iraq to fill teaching positions at the American University of Iraq/Sulaimani (AUIS).

Both Carl and Carolyn have family ties to Anderson University that stretch through generations. Carolyn’s father is R. Glenn Falls, the namesake of the Falls School of Business, and Carl’s father was connected to Warner Press.

When Carl was nominated for the position in the office of academic affairs at Anderson, the Caldwells returned. The Caldwells have been very dedicated to their jobs during their time here. They could often be found at extracurricular activities showing their support, enjoying time with both students and faculty.

“I’m very fortunate because I work in the Falls School of Business, and I think the staff is just an amazing group of people,” says Carolyn. “We don’t always agree with each other, but as large as the group is there is never any real discord. We are all there for the same bigger goal.” Carolyn says her goal in working with her students goes beyond simply teaching them the subject matter, although that is still very important. “My goal is to help students discover themselves and learn how to learn.” She believes that helping her students learn how to solve problems is part of a strong overriding academic program.

Carl enjoys teaching and working with the students, but the majority of his work is with the faculty, and he considers that to be where he had the most impact on Anderson University. “My work with faculty was the most leveraging kind of work I ever did,” he says. In attracting qualified faculty members to the university, he had a very important indirect impact on the students. “A strong faculty creates a strong student body, which creates strong programs. Together, then, we become what we ought to become, [which] is to serve the church well by having a truly great university.”

While the Caldwells may be retiring, they certainly won’t be slowing down. They have both accepted teaching positions at AUIS in northern Iraq. AUIS is a new university serving the mainly Kurdish population of northern Iraq. “Their mission is to provide growth, professional education, and liberal education to young Iraqis to help the new Iraq become a stable democratic state … from within,” says Carl.

The whole adventure came together very quickly. President Edwards had received word that AUIS was looking for faculty members, and he passed the word on to Carl knowing of his deep interest in the Middle East. Carl e-mailed his résumé that evening, and the next morning he had a message asking him to come to Washington, D.C., to interview that Monday. He went to D.C. for the interview, and Carolyn interviewed by telephone because classes kept her home. By Wednesday the university was asking them to sign contracts. Within a week of hearing about the school, the Caldwells had decided to take the positions.

The Caldwells feel the region where they will be living and working is a safe one. “That’s the very first question most people have,” says Carolyn. “Is it safe? It’s safe because of where it is and the nature of Kurdish society. You don’t have the same problems there that you have in Baghdad. … There isn’t a military presence.”

Carl adds, “The Kurds are very proud that not one coalition force member has been killed in northern Iraq — that says a lot about safety.”

All the instruction at the university is in English, and the university is providing housing for the Caldwells. The university will also be providing the Caldwells with drivers to take them where they need to go during their time in Iraq. “They do not want us driving,” says Carolyn. “It’s very undisciplined traffic, going in all directions,” adds Carl.

The Caldwells have committed to staying for one academic year in Iraq. During that time they will stay in touch with family and friends through technology. “Because they don’t have a decent postal service, we are going to get by Skyping our family and e-mailing,” says Carolyn. “We’re hoping some of them can actually come to see us.” They also plan to set up a blog so friends can follow their experiences. You can learn more about AUIS at www. AUIS.org.