When Diekema came to Calvin College in 1976, he completed the development of the campus master plan and began construction projects to meet growing needs. He also purchased more land for the college to expand further and oversaw the expansion of the curriculum.
In 1976 when Diekema joined Calvin College, he concluded the development of the campus master plan and started building projects to accommodate expanding needs. Additionally, he purchased more land to facilitate further expansion and supervised the enhancement of the academic program.