Articles

From The Alumni Director
Summer On Campus
By Robby Larson, Director of Alumni Relations
This time of year, I often get questions about what summer is like on the George Fox campus. “Is it really quiet?” “Is there anyone around?” “Do you even work during the summer?” The answer to all of these questions is, in large part, yes. The campus is more peaceful than usual, there are people around, and the majority of the university employees, including me, do work during the summer. More...

News

President Baker Visits China
This past year George Fox University began a new initiative to further its efforts to connect our students to the world. One of the first projects in this initiative was to bring Chinese students to study at George Fox University. The initial group of Chinese students recently completed their first year on campus. In order to expand this program, President Robin Baker, along with Vice President of Enrollment Services Dale Seipp and Assistant Professor Thomas Peng, visited southern and eastern China from May 10-24 to continue building relationships with consulates, universities, and schools. President Baker kept an online journal chronicling each step of the journey. To read about the group’s experiences, and to see photos, click here.

New School of Education Dean Named
Linda Samek, provost of Corban College in Salem, Ore., is returning to George Fox University as dean of the School of Education. Samek will begin July 1. She replaces Jim Worthington, who will remain at the university as professor of education and coordinator of the reading endorsement program in the school’s Educational Foundations and Leadership Department. The hiring marks a return to George Fox for Samek, who taught at the university from 1996 to 2000 and was chair of the Department of Education from 1997 to 2000. To learn more about Dean Samek, click here.

School of Education Receives National Accreditation
George Fox University’s School of Education gained national accreditation this spring by meeting performance-oriented standards of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). George Fox is now one of just six NCATE-accredited Oregon institutions out of the state’s 21 institutions that prepare educators for Oregon licensure. The school began educator preparation programs in 1966 and is also accredited by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission, Oregon’s teacher accrediting body. The NCATE designation indicates an institution has met more rigorous standards than those established by the state’s accrediting body. To learn more about George Fox University’s NCATE accreditation, click here.

Nursing Department Receives National Accreditation, Graduates First Class
George Fox University’s Department of Nursing was granted full accreditation of its baccalaureate degree program by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education’s Board of Commissioners this spring. The accreditation was granted for a term of five years, extending to June 30, 2012. George Fox is one of four CCNE-accredited schools in Oregon. For George Fox, the recognition is the culmination of three years of planning and work by the nursing department’s faculty and staff, according to department chair Ron Mitchell. The announcement coincides with the graduation of the first class of 35 nursing majors from the university in April. To read more, click here.

Two Professors Selected as George Fox Teachers of the Year
In early May, mathematics and physics professor Neal Ninteman received the 2008 George Fox University Faculty Achievement Award for Undergraduate Teaching. He teaches courses in engineering fundamentals, mathematics, and general physics. His expertise lies in general mathematics education, spiritual and personal mentoring of college students, cross-cultural ministry, development of student ministry groups, and contemporary concerns of Russian youth. To read more about Professor Ninteman, click here.

Additionally, Daniel Brunner, Christian history and formation professor at George Fox Evangelical Seminary, received the university’s 2008 Faculty Achievement Award for Graduate Teaching. Brunner has been a professor at the George Fox Evangelical Seminary since 1996. He teaches theology and earthkeeping, spirituality and social justice, Christian history and theology, pastoral ministry, and spiritual life. To read more about Professor Brunner, click here.

Brendlinger Named Researcher of the Year
Professor of religion Irv Brendlinger is the recipient of the 2008 George Fox University Faculty Achievement Award for Research and Scholarship. Brendlinger recently wrote two books on the antislavery movement: To Be Silent Would Be Criminal: The Antislavery Influence and Writings of Anthony Benezet (2006) and Social Justice Through the Eyes of Wesley, John Wesley’s Theological Challenge to Slavery (2007). He also has published articles on John Wesley and his antislavery preaching and activism, and has published and presented on John Wesley’s understanding of how being a Christian transforms an individual. He has given lectures in the Bahamas, Manchester, England, and Sterling, Scotland. To read more, click here.

Millage Selected as Volunteer of the Year
For more than a quarter century, employees in the George Fox University financial affairs office always knew when the men’s basketball team had a home game. They only had to watch their boss, Don Millage. Since 1975, Millage has been the program’s volunteer scorekeeper, occupying a seat at midcourt in four decades – more than 300 games in all. Even after retiring as vice president for finance in 2001, he continued to serve. That dedication recently earned him the title of 2008 George Fox University Volunteer of the Year. To read more, click here.

George Fox University Golf Tournament
On Thursday, July 17, George Fox University will host its fifth annual golf tournament at The Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club in Aloha, Ore., in support of student scholarships. Last year, almost $40,000 was raised. For more information about the tournament or to register, go to golf.georgefox.edu.

Motorcycle Rally
Make plans to join us on Saturday, Aug. 16, for the third annual motorcycle rally departing from the Newberg campus. If you are a street motorcycle rider, we want to hear from you so we can send you an invitation. This year there will once again be three rides to choose from: two longer rides (200-250 miles) to the Columbia River Gorge or Oregon Coast Range, and a short ride (100 miles) through Yamhill County wine country. Please contact us by June 15 to let us know of your interest at alumni@georgefox.edu or 503-554-2131.

Ministry in Contemporary Culture Seminar
On Friday, Sept. 26, George Fox Evangelical Seminary will host the Ministry in Contemporary Culture Seminar featuring author, professor and philosopher Dallas Willard.

The title of Willard's talk is "Knowing Christ: The Hope of Moral Knowledge." Willard is a professor in the School of Philosophy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He also lectures and publishes books on religion. Renovation of the Heart was published in May 2002 and received Christianity Today's 2003 Book Award in the category of spirituality. The Divine Conspiracy was released in 1998 and selected Christianity Today's "Book of the Year" for 1999.

For more information and to register, go to: georgefox.edu/church/events/culture.html. Questions can be directed to Jean Borgman, executive assistant for the seminary, at jborgman@georgefox.edu.

Selah 2008
The fifth annual Selah women’s seminar will take place on Saturday, Sept. 27, on the Newberg campus. We often find ourselves distracted and running off course and in need of realignment with the Spirit of God. Immerse yourself in God through worship and conversation at Selah 2008 and experience the fresh focus of the Spirit in your life. As Selah women we aim not on perfecting ourselves, but on setting our compass on Jesus Christ – our True North – the direction by which we align ourselves, our families, our work, and our friendships. For more information, go to: selah.georgefox.edu.

Announcing Homecoming 2009
Initial preparations are being made for Homecoming 2009, and we want you to make sure that you save the dates, Feb. 20-21, 2009. This celebration will include reunions for the classes of 1939, 1949, 1969, 1979, 1984, 1989, and 1999. Additionally, Homecoming 2009 will feature two special affinity reunions: one for all graduates of George Fox business programs (both at the undergraduate and graduate levels), and another for all alumni associated with George Fox football.

Planning committees are currently being formed for both affinity reunions and for the 10-, 25-, and 40-year class reunions. If you are interested in serving on any of these committees, please contact Robby Larson at rlarson@georgefox.edu or 503-554-2130.

Announcements

How Do You Live Out Kingdom Values
Early this spring, several alumni were asked to share the ways in which they live out Kingdom values in their families, relationships, and vocations. Their responses were inspiring examples of the many ways George Fox alumni are impacting their communities and the world. The stories were so impactful that we want to hear from more alumni. Kingdom values include being peacemakers, following Jesus regardless of the costs, forgiving others, taking risks, serving others, and serving globally, along with many more. We would love to hear your philosophy for why and how you do these things along with some examples. Would you be willing to share?  Here are some questions to prompt your thinking:

1) How do you bring Kingdom values into your relationships? How are you learning to love like Jesus loves?

2) How do you bring Kingdom values into your work place? How do you articulate your faith to others?

3) How have your values impacted your family and your church?

Please consider blessing others by sharing your journey. Responses can be sent to alumni@georgefox.edu.

Alumni Board Seeks Applicants for Seminary and School of Education Positions
The Alumni Board currently has open seats for a seminary representative and for a School of Education representative. Service on the alumni board is a valuable way to give back to and stay connected with the George Fox community. If you are interested in applying for one of these positions, please fill out the alumni board application form online by June 20.

Nominate Someone for an Honored Alumni Award
Each year, the Alumni Board selects five deserving recipients for our Honored Alumni Awards, which are presented during homecoming. The process of selecting these worthy recipients begins with nominations from our alumni. We encourage you to complete the online nomination form for any alumnus whom you feel is deserving of one of the awards. Nominations for the 2009 Honored Alumni Awards must be submitted by July 15, 2008. You can see a listing of past recipients and the specific criteria for the awards here.

Career Services Offers ‘Optimal Resume’
Doing a job search? Want to be a step ahead of your competition and make a better first impression? By joining Optimal Resume, a new fee-based service launched this past spring, alumni have one year of access to a top-notch resume builder, cover letter builder, interviewing practice, skills assessment, e-portfolio, and website builder in one system. The system is entirely online and fits your own schedule. It also makes it easy to send your work to Career Services for a critique. Sign up for an account at: georgefox.optimalresume.com or go to Bruindata, click on “My Data,” and click on “Optimal Resume.” If you have questions, please contact Career Services at careers@georgefox.edu or call 503-554-2330.

School of Professional Studies Launches New Master's Program in Strategic Leadership
George Fox University is now offering a new masters program: the Master of Strategic Leadership (MSL). The 36-hour MSL program will be offered through the School of Professional Studies using an adult-learning instructional and a dynamic "hybrid" delivery format. Students will meet face-to-face for four long-weekend meetings; the rest of the learning will be done in an interactive Internet setting, supplemented with a few live chats and/or conference calls. The hybrid format allows students living anywhere in the country to enroll in the program. The MSL will differ from many online programs, however, in that it will be taught using the cohort model that George Fox uses in many of its graduate programs.

The MSL program provides knowledge and expertise designed to develop leaders for strategy-focused organizations. Students will learn to develop dynamic teams and communities, improve their strategic insight and ability, increase organizational effectiveness, lead organizational change, and strengthen their self-leadership skills. The MSL focuses on leadership from an interdisciplinary organizational approach. The program also includes study of how to create an ethical climate in organizations and the dimensions of spirituality in leadership.

The first cohort is scheduled to begin at the Portland Center in January 2009. Cohorts are scheduled to begin each January and August. For more information and an application, click here, or contact Dean Carol Green at cgreen@georgefox.edu.

If you were a student on the Newberg campus at any time in the last 50 years, you have probably seen the small pond donated by the class of 1958. Even if you are merely an occasional visitor to the campus, there is a good chance you have seen it. The pond, located inside the Bruin Den in the Student Union Building, has been a campus fixture for more than 50 years, thanks to this year’s Classic Bruin 50-year reunion class. Although thousands of students, staff, alumni, and visitors have seen the pond, very few know the story behind it.

In the late 1950s, a gift from the family of 1958 graduate Dick Mott, along with an increase in student body fees, allowed George Fox College to construct its first Student Union Building. Located near the old dining hall and fine arts building, the new SUB was a boon to the campus community. As President Milo Ross later indicated, the SUB “has done more than any one thing to raise morale, elicit community support, and produce a situation of satisfaction.” Additionally, Ross reported that at the time, George Fox was the smallest college in the United States with a full-fledged student union.

The original building, which opened during the 1957-1958 academic year, was U-shaped with a central courtyard which opened onto what is today the campus quad. The courtyard had flowers and manicured lawns. As graduation approached for the class of 1958, the decision was made by the men of the senior class (led by Quentin Nordyke, John Lyda, Dick Mott, Herb Sargent, and Bill Hopper) to add a pond to the courtyard as a class gift. Plans were drawn up, and the work began. In the end, a last-minute push was needed during finals week to complete the project before graduation. As a result, much of the work took place in between the seniors’ last college exams.

The pond remained a fixture of the Student Union Building courtyard, even after the Heacock Commons (today’s Klages Dining Room and Cap and Gown Rooms) was added to the original SUB in 1968. When the courtyard eventually became an enclosed addition to the building in the mid-1970s, some discussion took place to determine the fate of the pond. In the end, the choice was made to keep the pond as a permanent feature of the expanded building. A class gift from the class of 1987 added a fountainscape and foliage to the project, enhancing the class gift from three decades earlier.