As we move into the future, we must remain committed to the values on which we were founded.
OUR
VISION
To be the Christian university of choice known for empowering students to achieve exceptional life outcomes.
OUR
MISSION
George Fox University, a Christ-centered community, prepares students spiritually, academically, and professionally to think with clarity, act with integrity, and serve with passion.
OUR
VALUES
- Students First
- Christ in Everything
- Innovation to Improve Outcomes
Each Initiative has short, medium, and long-term goals to achieve. The tactics that are used for the short term are going to be clearer as we prototype and test new concepts in our communities. Long-term tactics are more aspirational and will become more grounded as we move forward.
In June of 2022, GFU leadership met for a two-day retreat to isolate the strategy for the upcoming years. These strategic initiatives are the following:
The Big Picture: Staying True to Mission
A Willingness to Change Has Kept Us Healthy
This isn’t the first time George Fox has been willing to change; innovation is part of who we are. We’ve always embraced the opportunity that comes with challenge in order to do what is right for students.
In the mid-1980s, along with the rest of the nation, George Fox was faced with a severe economic downturn. Instead of reacting with fear, or simply belt-tightening alone, George Fox's leadership leaned into opportunities and made a name for itself in several areas. We ...
- Provided a $1,000 computer to every incoming freshman at a time when few Americans had access to one
- Launched our iconic Juniors Abroad program, giving every junior student the opportunity to take a heavily subsidized three-week study tour abroad
- Created our adult degree-completion program, one of the first universities in the region serving nontraditional student groups
- Heavily invested in graduate programs, designing options to fit the needs of specialized groups of students
Just in the past decade, George Fox boldly stepped out to meet students where we saw the market going. We …
- Reintroduced the football program and added swimming and lacrosse programs
- Launched a graduate program in physical therapy
- Created a great books honors program
- Saw our percentage of students of color rise above 30% for the first time because of initiatives like Act Six and Mosaic Scholars
- Substantially expanded engineering and nursing, and transformed approaches in admissions, data analytics and marketing
- Developed an exercise science program, now one of our largest undergraduate majors
- Added the IDEA center to uniquely pair academic and career planning to effectively prepare graduates for the workplace
We made decisions and acted on them, all while remaining centered on Christ. We have now grown to become the largest Christian university in the Pacific Northwest. Through every change, our bold plans have been grounded in sustainable stewardship of our resources.
Creating significant cash reserves
Establishing excellent liquidity
Choosing carefully when we borrow for capital projects
Retaining one of best “debt-to-asset ratios” in our peer group
Operating within the revenues we have
Achieving the maximum score of 3.0 on the Department of Education’s financial responsibility composite scoring system