George Fox University | Offices and Services | Student Life | Community and Alumni Relations

Community and Alumni Relations

Issues:

• As an institution, George Fox University's community partnerships with the racially diverse agencies, businesses, churches and other organizations are limited.

Recommendations:

• Networking and External Contacts (Exec. Dir. of University Relations and Dir. of Multicultural Svcs.): Make a concerted effort to contact local support organizations, i.e., NAACP, OCHA, Urban League, etc. and learn about their services and programs. The purpose is to include information in campus publications concerning events and opportunities to engage with racially diverse populations and to provide information to agencies about opportunities at George Fox University that they might include in their newsletters. Opportunities to present college programs at ethnically diverse churches and schools should also be considered.
• Partnerships with Churches (Exec. Dir. of University Relations and Dir. of Multicultural Svcs.): Establish contact with pastors of Hispanic, Native American, and African-American churches with an emphasis on partnering with their existing programs to support their efforts and demonstrate Fox's commitment to their community. Specific strategies might include the following:
  • Organize student and faculty groups to work in the projects/opportunities identified by leaders of racially diverse churches. Examples of this include but are not limited to: Serve Day, Serve Trips, and internships where appropriate.
  • Host pastors on campus and recognize them for their contributions to the greater community, particularly during Cultural Celebration Week, Black History Month, Cinco de Mayo, etc.
• Increased Visibility in Minority Communities (Assoc. Dean for Student Leadership and Exec. Dir. of Admissions): Emphasize visibility in local predominately minority communities through college days, mentoring programs (such as Little Bruins) or other existing programs. Specific strategies might include the following:
  • Create a paid time-off program for personnel to teach and mentor in public schools.
  • Continue to run advertising in publications whose target audience is minority groups.