Newberg & George Fox

At least 1 out of every 6 Newberg residents is a George Fox student, employee, donor, parent, alumnus or spouse. Visit a local business and it’s quite possible a George Fox logo can be found on a car in the parking lot or on clothing worn by a customer. But even when invisible, George Fox is contributing to the community and economy. The university’s presence ripples through the community. Newberg wouldn’t be Newberg without George Fox, and George Fox wouldn’t be George Fox without Newberg. Together, each makes the other stronger.

“I’ve lived in two college towns and people were always happy to see the students go home in the summer. Not here. George Fox students are great kids.

“We do a lot of business with the school and their students. We even have parents of students coming in. We had one dad from Atlanta who came in to research us to make sure he could trust us with his little girl’s automotive needs. She’s about to go to an internship in Boston and he wishes we could follow her to her next adventure.”

Larry Birtcher, Store Manager
Newberg Tire Factory / Point S

Brittani Johnson, Co-owner
Critter Cabana

“Before we started Critter Cabana, my husband and I were both pet hobbyists. As students at George Fox, we snuck a bunch of animals into campus housing. We decided to open our first store in Newberg because we really liked the community and especially this building. We now have about 30 employees in two stores.”

Dennis Lewis, President
Lewis Audio Video

“We’ve done work with George Fox for about 15 years. We provide a good percentage of their campus video displays, and we installed the projection systems in George Fox’s Bauman Auditorium. It was one of two major projects that shored up our business during the recession of 2008.”

Maureen Rogers, Co-owner
Chapters Books and Coffee

“Probably about half of our business and 100 percent of our employees come from George Fox.

“I’ve had people come in and see all the young people and say ‘Uh-oh, you must have issues.’ On the contrary, George Fox students are so nice.”

What's a College Worth to a Town?

In dollars and cents, it’s worth millions to Newberg. A recent economic impact study showed George Fox University’s students, visitors and employees annually contribute more than $100 million to the surrounding community. That big of a number is hard to comprehend without considering the many almost-hidden ways George Fox brings value to the city.

Student money from outside the community flows into Newberg even before classes start. More than 5,500 prospective students, family and friends annually come to Newberg to tour campus. Of those, more than 1,000 prospective undergraduate students annually spend the night on campus in Newberg. Two out of every three prospective students come from beyond 50 miles from campus, meaning many family and friends book a hotel room and eat meals nearby.

George Fox enrolled 4,140 students this past fall at four sites in Oregon. More than 2,700 are taking classes in Newberg. Their year-after-year effect on the local economy adds up. Undergraduate students annually spend nearly $5,200 each on retail, food, recreation, real estate and other services.

Students are not the only ones supporting Newberg businesses. Alumni, parents and other family and friends often show up multiple times a year, making visits for Family Weekend, Homecoming, extracurricular events and eventually for graduation. They come for sporting events, as do thousands of opposing fans and family members. George Fox home football games averaged 2,400 fans last fall. Restaurants, hotels and retailers all benefit from the traffic.

After graduation, it’s not uncommon for out-of-town students to settle down in town. More than 1,200 of George Fox’s 27,000 alumni live in Newberg’s 97132 ZIP code. Friendsview Retirement Community has found that having George Fox next door is a big selling point. More than 200 of their residents are directly connected to George Fox as alumni, former employees or as spouses.

Even in the summer, the Newberg campus remains a magnet for visitors. More than 30,000 summer guests come to campus for conferences, camps and other events.

Additionally, George Fox employees receive more than $45 million in taxable salaries and benefits. More than 460 current and former George Fox employees live in Newberg, and many are homeowners who pay property taxes to support city services.

Even in the summer, the Newberg campus remains a magnet for visitors. More than 30,000 summer guests come to campus for conferences, camps and other events.

“The George Fox community played a big role in the creation of Newberg Bakery. I’d wanted to start a bakery for a long time, but I only got serious after I saw a market research project by George Fox students that showed it could work downtown. I actually quit my job at George Fox to start the bakery and more than half my employees are connected with the university. I’d estimate about half my business is from George Fox people, maybe more.”

Brenda Burg, owner
Newberg Bakery

Frank Engle, director of marketing
Friendsview Retirement Community

“Having George Fox in Newberg is a selling point for people considering joining our community. They can walk on the George Fox track, attend sports and musical events or even take classes. A university in town is a big draw that’s contributed to our growth. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship.”

Jessica Brittell, co-owner
Velour

“I moved to Newberg to study art and design at George Fox. I stayed, we started a family and opened Velour. It wasn’t my plan, but we really like being part of the renaissance of downtown Newberg.”

Jeff Lane, President
Newberg Steel & Fabrication

“George Fox has been a good customer for Newberg Steel. We’ve done their football scoreboard, the supports for their bleachers, their baseball stadium, a remodel of a dorm and several other projects with their engineering, theatre and maintenance departments.”

Economic Impact on the Local Community, 2014

Click to read the full study

Local Annual Income

Total Local Annual Income Generated: $140,065,887
- Direct Contribution: $110,596,239
- Indirect Contribution: $29,469,648

Student Spending

Average Annual Spending: $5,177
Average by Industry:
- Retail: $1,540
- Food: $789
- Recreation: $134
- Real Estate: $2,616
- Other Services: $98
- Students Residing in the Local Area, 2014: 2,461

Jobs

Total Employment: 1,588 Full-Time Jobs
- Direct Employment: 509 Full-Time Jobs
  - As well as 1,367 student workers & 494 part-time
- Indirect Employment: 1,079 Full-Time Jobs

“George Fox has had a hugely positive influence in my life. My wife and I both attended there, and we made Newberg our home after graduation. After working in a corporate setting for five years, I was really happy to open my practice in downtown Newberg where we can be a part of this great community.”

Dr. Michael Owen
Owen Eye Care

Mark and Betty Vergets, Owners
Newberg Ace Hardware

“We’ve had a great relationship with George Fox since we got here in the 1960s. The university carpenters, plumbers and grounds crew are all regular customers. It’s nice to have a university in Newberg that understands the importance of supporting local businesses and that we truly can call a neighbor.”

Rob Molzahn, Principal Broker
Berkshire Hathaway

“George Fox certainly has a positive impact on property values in Newberg. We work with incoming faculty and students looking for homes and quite a few current employees looking to invest in rental properties. The university is important to my business, and I appreciate that their employees are investing in Newberg.”

Michael Wagy, General Manager
Sales, CalPortland

“When CalPortland opened its Newberg plant we put a George Fox logo on one of our concrete mixer trucks to celebrate being part of the community. They’ve been a good customer for us. We provided concrete and aggregates for George Fox’s new dining hall, football field scoreboard and new baseball field.”

Giving back to Newberg

Community Service

George Fox students and employees volunteer more than 250,000 hours per year in the community.

Serve Day
Every fall, George Fox closes campus for a day and sends more than 2,000 George Fox students and employees into the community to volunteer at about 100 service sites throughout Newberg and the region.

Volunteer Internships
Numerous students - many from the psychology, sociology or social work departments - have volunteer internships in local agencies and nonprofit organizations.

America Reads/America Counts
Using student-employee funds, George Fox students work with the America Reads and America Counts programs at Newberg public schools.

Mr. Bruin Pageant
George Fox students annually hold a male "beauty" pageant to raise money for a local charity. Pageants have raised about $5,000 each year.

Little Bruin
George Fox's students manage a big brother/big sister program that pairs students with at-risk and low-income children in the community.

Edwards Elementary After-School Program
Students in the university's elementary education major teach after-school classes at Edwards Elementary School in Newberg. The George Fox students create curriculum and teaching reading and language arts to students.

SMART (Start Making a Reader Today) Program
Working through the SMART program George Fox language students visit local elementary schools and assist children by reading to them in Spanish or English on a weekly basis.

Bruin Sports Day
Each August, the university invites more than 200 second- through eighth-grade boys and girls to campus to participate in free sports clinics facilitated by members of its athletic teams and coaching staff. Instruction is offered in a variety of sports, including football, soccer, baseball, golf and tennis.

Health and Wellness Week
The university’s physical therapy program annually offers a week of free services to the community, including clinics and classes on nutrition, back care, coping skills, and exercise. More than 200 local citizens participated in 2017. A Pool-a-Palooza is held to provide a fun safe time for kids with special needs to swim and play at the aquatic center.

Behavioral Health Clinic
The Graduate School of Clinical Psychology offers mental health therapy to low-income or uninsured Yamhill County residents who otherwise would have difficulty getting care.

Physical Therapy Community Clinic
This clinic is staffed with clinicians trained to address all orthopedic conditions, from over-use wear and tear to after-surgery cases. The staff is also available to provide therapy for children, rehabilitation for those who have experienced a cardiac event or who have had cardiac-related surgery, and educational sessions on nutrition, exercise, pain and stress management, and smoking cessation.

Mental Health Consultation
Staff and graduate students in the Doctor of Clinical Psychology program provide 24-hour coverage, seven days per week in the emergency department at Providence Newberg Hospital. They provide consultations on all patients with mental health concerns. In a recent calendar year, 59 PsyD students provided a total of 50,000 hours of free services to children and adults in 20 clinic, health and community settings.

Red Cross Blood Drives
George Fox University has hosted more than 70 Red Cross blood drives. Faculty, staff and students have donated more than 1,500 gallons of blood, averaging more than 70 gallons per year since 2000.

Discounted Tuition for Senior Citizens
George Fox allows senior citizens over 62 years of age to take many traditional undergraduate classes – as space allows - at a significant discount.

School Visits
George Fox science professors travel to about 35 elementary, middle, and high schools a year to judge science fairs, make presentations, and assist in outdoor schools.

Youth Science Classes
Science classes are taught by George Fox University undergraduate students in a laboratory setting. These classes are popular with, but not restricted to, home-schooling families.

Interschool Equipment Loan Program
George Fox University loans science equipment to public and private school teachers, home-school parents, and members of the greater George Fox University community.

Laboratory and Facility Outreach
Many high-school groups studying human anatomy use the university's laboratories, equipment and resources to augment their classroom lessons.

Star Lab
The Star Lab is a portable planetarium available to school groups.

Facilities

Meeting Space
The Newberg School District, church groups and other organizations use the campus auditorium, gymnasium and other facilities throughout the year, particularly during the summer months. George Fox also provides meeting facilities for the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Oregon School Activities Association, the Chehalem Park and Recreation District and numerous other groups.

Field Use
Chehalem Park and Recreation District uses George Fox fields for summer park programs, such as softball tournaments. Local high schools and churches used fields for practice and games.

Tennis Court/Track Use
George Fox's tennis courts and track are available to the public for use free of charge.

Library
The George Fox Murdock Learning Resource Center and Portland Center library are open to the public and share their volumes and journals with several consortiums of academic and public libraries.

Cultural Contributions

Cultural Events
George Fox offers hundreds of free or inexpensive theatrical, musical, artistic, educational, and sporting events to the public.

Chehalem Symphony
George Fox provides staff and facilities for the Chehalem Symphony, an orchestra made up of local residents, faculty and students.

Art
George Fox professors and students annually volunteer help on art projects for nonprofits including the Portland Youth Philharmonic.

Art Exhibit Judging
George Fox art professors regularly serve as judges for local art exhibitions, including the Newberg Harvest Festival.

ArtReach
George Fox art students annually teach summer arts camps for local children. The camps are provided at cost.

Oregon Symphony
George Fox provides Bauman Auditorium for an Austin Family-sponsored Newberg performance of the Oregon Symphony as a gift to the Newberg community. Tickets are distributed free to community residents.

Summer Camp and Conference
More than 30,000 visitors come to George Fox annually for camps and conferences. Many eat, shop and stay in the community, contributing to the local economy.

Sports Camps
George Fox coaches and alumni host low-cost youth sports camps on campus and volunteer with youth athletics programs in the community.

Green Space
Much of George Fox's 108-acre campus – including the campus quad and trails in Hess Creek Canyon - is open to the public.

Supporting Downtown
George Fox sends its freshmen downtown to patronize local businesses during orientation weekend and is the largest annual financial sponsor of the Newberg Downtown Coalition.

George Fox gives $500,000 to new pool

George Fox University will donate $500,000 to help cover construction costs for the new Chehalem Aquatic and Fitness Center.

Because some construction bids came in higher than expected on the Chehalem Park and Recreation District project, some proposed features were delayed or trimmed to cut costs. The university’s contribution will help CPRD cover some of the projected deficit in construction costs.

“George Fox University has been a part of Newberg for more than 125 years, and we want to continue to be a partner in the development of Newberg,” said George Fox President Robin Baker. “It is a privilege to help financially support a project that will benefit our students and advance our community as well.”

Not a bunch of rich kids:

34% of George Fox undergraduate students have a family income less than $40,000.

Sidebar Graph

The Ripple Effect

George Fox University’s impact on Newberg goes well beyond educational opportunities, a pretty campus and football games