Be Known at Oregon's Christian University

2012-2013 Academic Catalog and Handbook

Academic Centers

Center for Global Studies

This program is jointly housed with the Center for Peace and Justice (described below). Its goal is to deepen students' understanding of global issues through on-campus and off-campus experiences.

Among the programs either sponsored by the center or coordinated with the center are these:
  • Semester-long programs of study in various parts of the world and in the United States
  • Cooperative programs with various international universities
  • Global service forum in the spring semester
  • Events that inform students about global issues
  • Information about internships and careers dealing with global issues

Center for Peace and Justice

This program is the successor to the Center for Peace Learning, established in 1984. Housed in the same location as the Center for Global Studies, it has some of the same goals of enhancing students' understanding about global reconciliation.

The Center for Peace Learning was in part inspired by a concern raised by then U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield that George Fox become more actively committed to issues of peacemaking and reconciliation. These issues had become a substantial part of Senator Hatfield's work in the Senate. Among other achievements, he had much to do with the establishment and funding of the U.S. Institute of Peace. After retiring, Senator Hatfield joined the George Fox faculty and teaches courses in political science and history.

The director of the Center for Peace and Justice coordinates such efforts as:
  • The minor in peace studies
  • The certificate program in conflict management
  • The John Woolman Forum, at which the annual Woolman Peacemaking Award is presented
  • Information to students about graduate work in peace studies and careers in peacemaking and reconciliation
  • Informational events dealing with peace and justice

Friends Center

In conjunction with George Fox University, Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends has established a Friends Center serving the leadership preparation needs of Friends in the Northwest and beyond. The mission of this center is to recruit, promote, and coordinate the leadership preparation ventures of Friends at George Fox University as a means of furthering the central mission of the university and Northwest Yearly Meeting in fostering Christ-centered faith and practice. The activities of the center are administered by a director, who reports to a board of directors, consisting of Northwest Yearly Meeting, university, and at-large members. While the work of the Friends Center will be especially concerned with the seminary and the undergraduate programs, its contribution should be seen as extending to other programs as well. The Friends Center, therefore, is intended to assist George Fox University in accomplishing its Christ-centered and Quaker mission in any ways that would be serviceable.

Northwest Center for Play Therapy Studies

The Graduate Department of Counseling is pleased to be the home of the Northwest Center for Play Therapy Studies, established in 2003. Under the direction of Dr. Daniel Sweeney, the NWCPTS is the only university-based center focused on the study and promotion of play therapy in the northwest United States.

Mission

The mission of the Northwest Center for Play Therapy Studies is to promote the healthy development and welfare of children and families through the process of play and filial therapy. In support of the relational, psychological, and spiritual wholeness of children and families, the center seeks to fulfill this objective through the provision of play therapy, training, supervision, and learning resources for students and mental health professionals in the community.

Classes

The center's primary focus is the provision of high-quality play therapy training. This is accomplished through graduate courses here at George Fox University and sponsored workshops. It hosts graduate courses in play therapy, filial therapy, sandtray therapy, and special topics courses (e.g., group play therapy).

Workshops

The NWCPTS also sponsors a one-day conference every November and a five-day play therapy summer institute in June. These cover a wide variety of play therapy topics, including introductory and advanced workshops on such topics as sandtray therapy, play therapy with traumatized children, art in play therapy, and neurobiological issues in the play therapy process.
 
These workshops have attracted presenters and participants from across the nation. Some of the internationally acclaimed presenters brought in by the NWCPTS include: Dr. Garry Landreth, Dr. Eliana Gil, Dr. John Allan, Dr. Terry Kottman, Dr. Risë VanFleet, and Dr. Kevin O'Connor.
 
The web site for the NWCPTS is www.nwplaytherapy.org, and the center can be reached at playtherapy@georgefox.edu.

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