Daniel Raver, MBA, associate professor of business, has earned emeritus status after retiring from his 46 years of dedicated service at Geneva College. Throughout his nearly five decades at Geneva, he has contributed to the College as a student, a professor, and through various administrative capacities. Two emphases emerge clearly in his work, both of which are foundational to the mission of Geneva: A pursuit of excellence in one’s field as a way to testify about Christ, and interacting with others in a way that is consistent with their God-given value.

Attending Geneva as a student and returning as an instructor just a few years later were two decisions that had not been in Raver’s own plans, but he now sees them as part of God’s calling. As a high school student, Raver knew he wanted to be a certified public accountant (CPA) — an active license that he maintains to this day — but did not know what college to attend. He first heard of Geneva in a meeting with his guidance counselor, and then again from his pastor.

“I thought that if the Lord is telling me that twice, I better at least look into it.” Raver graduated from Geneva in 1978 with a BSBA in accounting, business, and data processing. He began working in public accounting with Deloitte, Haskins & Sells. Shortly thereafter, Raver’s wife, Geneva grad Connie (Scheel) ‘77, was visiting campus when business faculty member John Mitchell asked her if Dan would ever consider teaching at Geneva.

“We had a good laugh about that when she got back. But about a week later, Dr. Stuart Lee, chair of the department, asked if I’d want to come up and talk about it. It turned into an interview day, and I was offered the position.”

As a condition of accepting the job, Raver enrolled in a master’s program. He joined the faculty of the College in 1980 and graduated with an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh in 1985.

Throughout his years of teaching, Raver has taught over 20 different courses, focusing primarily in finance and strategic management. He has taught at both the undergraduate and masters levels as part of Geneva’s MBA and Business Scholars 3+1 program, which allows students to complete a BSBA and an MBA in just four years.

One of the more demanding and rewarding classes Raver has enjoyed teaching is strategic management, a capstone course for all students in the business department regardless of their particular focus. Students work in teams of three to run a simulated commuter airline, culminating in faculty-led, mock board meetings.

“You really get to know what your students in the capstone course are thinking. It’s a great experience in terms of interacting closely, with about three hours of one-on-three time. Students have fun, but they feel the pressure too when you start asking pointed questions. Those meetings are a highlight — it takes a lot of time, it wears down your energy, and it’s very worthwhile.”

Raver cherishes these kinds of interactions with students and their input. In seeking to make his classes high-quality and engaging, he maintains the goal of learning alongside his students. “Of course, it’s part of my job to come prepared and to deliver the course material well. But I appreciate when students come up with different experiences or questions that they’re going through. It’s wonderful to have someone who is working and brings up a situation related to what we’re talking about in class and we get the chance to discuss it. I have picked up a lot of examples and different ways to look at things from my students.”

In fact, Raver appreciates that a large part of his job as a faculty member is to continuously learn, both from his students and from the texts that he utilizes for his courses. “I reread every book every time I teach. It’s not scripture, but there is some element of parallel. You read scripture, and God reveals things to you that you know and you’ve read before, but didn’t see there or didn’t focus on.”

The importance Raver places on continual improvement showcases his own dedication to the pursuit of excellence impressed on his students. Geneva equips students for fruitful service to God and neighbor not only through the liberal arts core, which is a crucial part of learning, but through professional preparation for those called into the business area.

Raver shares the most fulfilling aspect of his career to be witnessing how alumni honor the Lord in their lives post-graduation. “Seeing what the Lord is doing in the lives of graduates, where He’s placed our grads, and the successes that they’ve had... it’s an honor to have had a small part in their preparation and in how the Lord is working. It’s through them that we as faculty can feel that God has given us purpose, and I’m thankful for that.”

Raver has held several administrative roles at various times, including chair of the business department, faculty senate, faculty personnel committee, and faculty policy and development committee. Outside of teaching, he was influential in developing the MBA program at Geneva and in making extensive curricular changes to receive program accreditation from the Accreditation Council of Business Schools and Programs. Beyond making the program more rigorous by professional standards, Raver has also taken seriously the College’s integration of faith and learning in the classroom.

“One of the biggest parts of biblical integration in business is keeping at the core the fact that all human beings are created in God’s image. In business, we think of money and numbers, and those are important because they symbolize resources to steward and to produce with. But the funny thing is, everyone says, ‘People are our most important resource.’ But where do accountants put us on the balance sheet? While there’s nothing wrong with a lot of our accounting concepts, they can change the way you look at people. If God created us all in His own image, then the persons that I enjoy working with are very valuable, and the persons that I have the most trouble in acknowledging or dealing with still have value in God’s eyes.”

As he enters retirement, Raver will miss engaging with students in and out of the classroom, although he will continue to teach in a limited capacity. He plans to spend more time with his six grandchildren and add to his sports memorabilia collection.

“I have no doubt in my mind that while I didn’t plan on being here, it was a calling from the Lord to be in this position.” Raver shares a parting word of encouragement to faculty, students, and alumni: “When things get tough, remember your calling. When things are going extremely well, don’t forget your calling. Stay connected to the one who placed you here.”