George Fox University | Offices and Services | Student Life | Multicultural Services | From the Director

From the Director

George Fox University is an institution where people are growing spiritually, academically, civically, and culturally every day. The Office of Multicultural Services seeks to assist the university in all of these areas. We are excited about what God is doing in the lives of people here as we increase our knowledge and understanding of one another. The goal of Multicultural Services is to enhance the university experience for all students, faculty, and staff and impact the cultural environment of the entire campus community by promoting ethnic and multicultural awareness and diversity. Multicultural Services works in concert with the entire campus to empower all students to participate fully in campus life and achieve personal success in their to university life and beyond.

Burel Ford is in his fourth year as director of George Fox University's Office of Multicultural Services. He has more than 20 years of experience in education and is excited about the opportunity to implement programs, mentor students, and coordinate events that promote diversity on campus and in the community. He is a student-centered, high energy individual, who loves Jesus and is reflected in all areas of his life.

After earning a degree in criminal justice from Michigan State University in 1979, Ford entered the U.S Army as a lieutenant and had a three-year stint on active duty - 13 months of which were spent in the Republic of Korea. He then worked in the criminal justice system until beginning his career in education in 1985, serving as a paraprofessional and assistant boys basketball coach in his hometown of Ann Arbor, Mich. He later had teaching administrative and coaching positions in Eau Claire, Mich., Los Angeles, and Kansas City, Mo.

In 2002, after earning his master's degree in public administration from Park University, he became a counselor in the Comprehensive Studies Program at Penn State University. In that role, he counseled, advised, and guided students through the college process. Burel is an excellent cross-cultural communicator. His ability to teach diversity is a central focus and has become a staple of university life for faculty, students, and staff. Additionally, the breadth of the multicultural department has become far reaching. Burel has developed more robust programs each year.