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North Park University Professors Teach Chinese Business Students
Dr. Al Kamienski taught classes in strategic management this summer during his second teaching visit to China.
Two professors visit Chinese university as part of exchange agreement
CHICAGO (July 17, 2012) — Two North Park University professors each spent one month in China this summer teaching university business students and professors. Dr. Al Kamienski taught classes in strategic management and Dr. Catherine Marsh taught organizational behavior and ethics during their residencies at Anhui University of Finance and Economics in Bengbu City.
North Park University maintains bilateral cooperation agreements with five Chinese universities, including Anhui University. Those agreements established cross-cultural learning and research opportunities for students and faculty, and promote student and faculty exchange.
"I am very pleased that our relationship with Anhui University continues each year," said Dr. Wesley E. Lindahl, dean of the University's School of Business and Nonprofit Management (SBNM) and Nils Axelson Professor of Nonprofit Management. "Having both Dr. Marsh and Dr. Kamienski teaching at Anhui this summer demonstrates the strength of our relationship. We also are planning to welcome two additional professors from Anhui this coming academic year, following the two professors that were a part of our community last year."
Marsh was in China from May 23 until she returned June 26. Chinese culture is very exam-driven, she said, and it's important that students and teachers develop critical reasoning skills to compete in the global marketplace. That's one of the reasons why the Chinese government is promoting exchanges of U.S. and Chinese faculty, said Marsh, SBNM associate professor of business and nonprofit management. "If the Chinese are going to compete, they have to do more than copy and repeat things," she said. "They have to learn to argue and think critically. They want us there to help reeducate some of the faculty to help develop a different kind of learning for the students."
Dr. Catherine Marsh was honored at a closing ceremony at Anhui University when she concluded her teaching residency.
Marsh, who lived in Japan earlier in her life, said the Chinese culture was quite different. Communication in English was not always easy, she said. "I think that the Chinese are very patient with us because they want to learn from us, Marsh said. "They know we can work together." Marsh hopes to return to Anhui University next year to teach, and wants to spend more time talking with professors and students about mutual research interests.
Kamienski, SBNM associate professor of finance, taught classes in China last year. He returned to teach for a month beginning May 14. Based on what he learned in his first experience, Kamienski said he structured his course to include more group-based activities, presentations, and simulations. "This year was much more of a group dynamic and feel," he said. "I thought it worked much better in terms of fostering student engagement, and they really seemed to thrive with that." Kamienski also lectured at a university in Shanghai while he was there, and would like to return someday.
Like many, the Chinese are committed to the next generation "having it better than they did," he said. Multiple generations of one family often live in the same household, Kamienski said, and hospitality is important. "They really take hospitality of foreigners seriously," he said. "The Chinese are always concerned about where you're at, what you're doing, who you're with, and how they can help."
Both North Park University professors want other colleagues to have the opportunity to work in China as they have had.
"I would love to see all of us do it," Marsh said. "While I was there, it became much clearer to me who I am and what I value." Especially valuable, she said, are opportunities to meet people one-on-one, and to meet them in their homes.
"This has been transforming and life-shaping for me in several ways. For any of our professors and staff, fantastic gains of friendship and culture can take place with such an experience," Kamienski said.
North Park University Graduate to Begin Two-Year Journey Across Africa
Amy Russell leads the 'Africa Walk" beginning Jan. 18.
Amy Russell and team to call for clean water, project fundraising
CHICAGO (January 12, 2012) – A 2010 North Park University graduate, along with two companions, will leave the United States next week to start a two-year, 7,000-mile journey from southern Africa to its northern coast. Amy Russell is leading the journey to call attention to the need for clean water to help reduce extreme poverty, and to work toward a fundraising goal of $8 million to raise funds for water projects worldwide.
Russell, 23, who earned a bachelor's degree in business with a concentration in nonprofit management, said the decision to begin the "Africa Walk" is a calling inspired by God. The journey culminates some learnings about poverty while she was a North Park student. Russell was president of the University's chapter of International Justice Mission, a Washington-based human rights agency, and took a class to learn more about human trafficking.
"I wrote some papers on this subject, and it became abundantly clear to me that one of the root causes of human trafficking and human suffering in the world is poverty," Russell said in an interview. Among other things, she also learned that "clean water is a first step in ending extreme poverty." Russell founded "Walk4Water" while she was a University student, an organization that calls attention to clean water needs, and raises funds for water projects. Walk4Water provides the funds to charity:water, New York, which sends 100 percent of its funds for water projects in developing nations.
Russell has walked in the United States, raising attention and funds for clean water. Last summer, she walked through her home state of Connecticut, and she walked 500 miles through California to raise attention for clean water. Walk4Water encourages groups and individuals to arrange similar fundraising experiences.
Russell will leave Newark, N.J., Jan. 18 and fly to Cape Town, South Africa. Two colleagues, Aaron Tharp, and Marty Yoder, will join her. The three will secure a support vehicle and collect supplies for their journey. They are expected to follow some of the eastern coastline of Africa, then travel north along the Nile River through Cairo, Egypt, and to their goal, the Mediterranean Sea. Others from Walk4Water will travel with the trio for selected portions of the trip. Though she has never been to Africa before, Russell and her colleagues have consulted people who have spent time there. Sub-Saharan Africa, she said, is one of the places where clean water needs are greatest. The three expect to "connect with many people, organizations, missionaries and orphanages along the way," she said. They will camp or stay with people during the journey, and volunteer with organizations already working in Africa.
Helping the trio is a U.S.-based team. Matt Vickers, Chicago, support team coordinator, led a team which developed a marketing and fundraising plan for the trip. Vickers got to know Russell on mission trips while they were both University students. He earned a bachelor's degree in advertising and nonprofit management certificate in 2011. Vickers and Russell have talked about the idea of walking through Africa since 2009, he said. His team is also providing prayer support for Russell and the trio in Africa.
Russell, seen here as she began a walk across Connecticut in 2011, has done many long walks in the United States to call attention to the need for clean water.
Marketing and advertising will be aimed primarily at college students, church groups and others with an interest in the topic, Vickers said. They'll use the Web, social media tools, email, letter-writing and other tactics to spread their messages, raise funds and offer prayer support. At the end of the trip, the Walk4Water team plans to produce materials from the journey, and members will go on a speaking tour in the United States and United Kingdom.
"(This is) a huge goal I know Amy is capable of upholding," said Vickers. "She has a heart for it and strength for it. We've talked about the risks. She's done tons of research and will put herself into it. She's talked with many people who've been missionaries there."
Some North Park University faculty and staff are aware of Russell's dream to do something tangible to bring clean water to people in need. One is Dr. Scot McKnight, Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies, a widely-recognized authority on the New Testament, early Christianity, and the historical Jesus. When Russell told him of the Africa journey, McKnight said he was concerned initially about the group's safety during such a trip.
"I had just returned from South Africa and a few had regaled me with stories of violence, and so her decision concerned me. She said they thought God would protect them (Theology 101 in my face)," he said.
"I have watched Amy and her friends grow and become solidified in this noble pursuit of justice for the poorest of the poor in our world," said McKnight, echoing the University's mission of preparing students for lives of significance and service through education. "I consider it a great privilege to say I was one of Amy's teachers," he added.
Also supporting Russell and her colleagues are members of Trinity Covenant Church, an Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) congregation in Manchester, Conn., the congregation where Russell grew up. She has spoken there about her clean water work, and the congregation's youth group is providing offerings for the Africa Walk. North Park University is affiliated with the ECC.
The most difficult part of preparing for the Africa Walk has been assuring family and friends, Russell said. "My parents are supportive, though it took them a while to adjust to this idea," she said. Russell has one sibling, a sister, 19.
"This is definitely about God telling me to do this. I believe in the cause of clean water. I hope this inspires people to think bigger about the world, and believe in bigger things," she said.
Walk4Water's nonprofit partner organization is Global Outreach, Bramwell, W.V.
With Help, North Park University Moms Persevere, Balance School, Home Lives
Adina Kaplan will graduate May 12, and hopes to be working as a labor and delivery nurse this fall.
Keys are support systems, focus and organization, they say
CHICAGO (May 11, 2012) – The end of the academic year for two North Park University women means graduation and a degree for one, while the other sets her sights on graduation in May 2013. Adina Kaplan and Felicia Patton are also mothers of young children, experiencing the full-time challenges of balancing family and student responsibilities at the same time. Focusing on their goals has kept them going.
This Mother's Day, May 14, Kaplan said she plans to sleep in, relax and enjoy the day — without studying in the library for the first time in a while. Patton said she plans to spend time with her mother and her mother-in law. Both will be out of school and at home with family for the summer, before resuming busy work and school schedules this fall.
Kaplan will graduate from the University May 12 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She is the mother of three children – a girl, aged six; a three-year-old boy and a boy aged five months, born while she was in school full-time last fall. Some urged her to take the fall semester off, but for Kaplan, that was not an option. "I wanted to be in it 100 percent. I knew I had to go full-time. When I'm in school mode, it helps me to keep going," she said. Meanwhile, Kaplan's daughter started first grade, her older son is in a pre-school program, and a babysitter cared for the youngest at home.
With the help of her husband, Aaron, a commercial real estate broker, her in-laws, and a focus on keeping organized, Kaplan balanced school and family while completing her degree. The family support system was significant, she said.
Earning her nursing degree fulfills a dream Kaplan has had since she was very young. Before she came to North Park to be a full-time student in 2010, she attended Hebrew Theological College, Skokie, Ill., for three years as a part-time student, where she had started work on a bachelor's degree in education.
"I think anybody can do anything they put their mind to – if it's a passion of yours, I think you can do it," Kaplan said. "I'm a big believer in that. It's also a good thing for kids to see their parents in school, working hard and learning just as they are."
Kaplan plans to seek work this fall as a labor and delivery nurse, and said she is thinking about an eventual return to school to be a midwife.
Felicia Patton expects to earn a bachelor's degree in music in worship in 2013.
Patton is working toward a Bachelor's Degree in Music in Worship. She is the mother of two 8-year-old daughters, one of whom is adopted. Her husband, Marcus, is an office worker in a downtown Chicago firm. She came to North Park as a full-time student in 2009 after two years at a Chicago-area community college, and a brief stint in the U.S. Army after high school.
"As a musician, I'm always overloaded," she said. Her typical day begins at 5:30 a.m., getting her daughters up and ready for school. After she drops them off, Patton attends University classes, reads and does assignments during breaks in rehearsals or while she's having lunch, and picks up her daughters from school in the afternoon. She takes her daughters to an after-school sitter, cooks dinner for the family when she can, and often returns to school to attend night classes or attend choir practice. Marcus picks up the children from the sitter when he comes home. "By the time I get home the girls are asleep," she said. It's not unusual for Patton to get to bed at 1 a.m.
Beside classes, Patton participates in several music ensembles, including the University's gospel and jazz choirs. She is learning multiple instruments, and is a member of a student worship team. With so much happening in her life, Patton said staying focused is her motivation. "You have to know what the purpose is," she said. "The whole reason for being in school is that you achieve your goals. It's a gift to be a parent, but you have to grow up. It's fun, and it's rough at the same time. You have to focus. If you lean on your family, you'll be fine."
"Nobody in my family has gone to college. My husband is very supportive of me going to school, and he doesn't want me to drop out," she said. Marcus and the children attend Patton's concerts, and the children come to some rehearsals, she said. After college, Patton wants to work in a church setting as a choir director and worship leader. She sings now in various congregations, and substitutes for choir and worship leaders.
In addition to their families, Kaplan and Patton both say that faculty and friends at North Park University have been supportive. "Faculty were so accommodating, Kaplan said. "They worked with me on finding clinical sites, and tried to place me closer to my house so I could pick up my kids up from school. When I had my baby, they were super-accommodating, and so were my classmates."
"The faculty at North Park has been so supportive," Patton said. "They have helped me when I have family emergencies, or if my kids are sick. Most of the (music) faculty know my kids."
North Park University Announces Campus Theme Lectures for 2012-2013 Academic Year
Sir Peter Crane presents the first Campus Theme Lecture Sept. 17 at North Park University.
Speakers to address, 'What Is Nature?'
CHICAGO (August 27, 2012) — North Park University will host four prominent speakers in its annual Campus Theme Lecture Series, a series of public discussions reflecting a common theme throughout the academic year. For 2012–2013, speakers will address the theme, "What Is Nature?"
The lectures focus the University academic community on one question fundamental to human experience, said Dr. Karl Clifton-Soderstrom, assistant professor of philosophy as well as the director of general education and the Campus Theme Lecture Series. "The meaning, purpose, and interaction with the natural environment, in many ways, is one of the definitive questions with which a culture or historical age must wrestle, he said. "We chose the theme not only for its present cultural import but because it explicitly brings the sciences into dialogue with wider campus commitments to the arts, justice, multiculturalism, and the Christian faith."
Beginning with Sir Peter Crane's lecture Sept. 17, the speaker lineup is representative of the overall mission of North Park as a Christian liberal arts university, Clifton-Soderstrom said. "Each of our speakers has an impressive resume, is widely respected globally, and has also has sought to answer this question is truly interdisciplinary ways," he added.
All lectures will be held at North Park University's Anderson Chapel, 3225 W. Foster Ave., Chicago.
Dr. Crane has had a distinguished and diverse career in the biological sciences. He is currently dean of the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, Conn. For many years, he was director of England’s renowned Royal Botanical Gardens (KEW), was director of the Field Museum, Chicago, for four years, and was a professor for seven years at the University of Chicago's Geophysical Science program. He is the author of seven books, more than 200 articles in both scientific and popular journals, and was knighted in 2004 for his conservation work.
Best-selling and award-winning author Barry Lopez is widely recognized as one of this generation's best nature writers. His is author of Arctic Dreams, for which he received the National Book Award; Of Wolves and Men, a National Book Award finalist for which he received the John Burroughs and Christopher medals; and eight works of fiction, including Light Action in the Caribbean, Field Notes, and Resistance. His essays are collected in two books, Crossing Open Ground and About This Life. He contributes regularly to Granta, The Georgia Review, Orion, Outside, The Paris Review, Manoa and other publications in the United States and abroad. His writings have appeared in dozens of anthologies, including Best American Essays, Best Spiritual Writing, and "best" collections from National Geographic, Outside, The Georgia Review, The Paris Review, and other periodicals. His more recent publications include The Future of Nature.
Named by Forbes in 2010 as one of the most influential women in the world today, Dr. Shiva is a distinguished physicist and environmental activist from India. She is best known for her work on environmentally sound food production that honors both the earth and human rights, with particular attention paid to the rights of women in the agriculture systems within developing countries. Among her many awards, she was granted the 2010 Sydney Peace Prize, the Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Republic, Calgary Peace Prize, and the Thomas Merton Award
Dr. Wiseman is an astronomer and director of the Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion for the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is the senior project scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, where she previously headed the Laboratory for Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics. Wiseman received a bachelor’s degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctorate in astronomy from Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. She has been active in the dialogue on Christian faith and science over the years, and she has been featured on several broadcasts devoted to these topics.
North Park University Group Visits China, Meets Business and Education Leaders
During their visit, the North Park University group toured an equipment assembly building at Baiyun Power Group, Guangzhou. (Photo provided by Jimmie Alford)
Spring break trip promotes 2011 agreements with Chinese universities
CHICAGO (March 30, 2012) – A group representing North Park University's School of Business and Nonprofit Management (SBNM) visited China this month to observe its rapidly growing economy, and to further the University's partnership agreements with one of five Chinese universities. The 15 University students, faculty, and alumni who made the 10-day trip learned first-hand about the country's emerging nonprofit sector, rapid business growth in the country, and China's culture.
The trip provided some surprises for the University group. Fran Caan, Evanston, Ill., said she was surprised by "the incredible wealth in major cities." Hong Kong was "gi-normous," said MBA student Gerardo Soto. "There were high rises all over the place. I didn't see one single-family home. There's a great deal of wealth. High-fashion was available there more than in Paris," he said, noting that most signs were in English as well as Mandarin.
An eye-opener for Caan, executive director of an educational foundation, was the realization that the United States is not the "center of the universe," and that U.S. global power has a strong competitor in China. Both she and Soto were impressed by the friendliness and kindness of the Chinese people.
"I wanted to see first-hand what it was all about. It was an eye-opening experience and it puts everything else in perspective," said Soto, who will graduate this year with a double degree, human resource management and a master of business administration.
Dr. Wesley E. Lindahl, SBNM professor and dean, and Dr. Chris Nicholson, director of graduate admissions and SBNM adjunct instructor, led the North Park delegation. The China trip was significant because the country represents a huge part of the world economy, Lindahl said. "Here are 1.3 billion people in China and the gross domestic product has grown at around 10 percent annually over the past decade. The economy may surpass the U.S. economy in the coming years. Further, the emergence of the voluntary (non-government) sector is something that our nonprofit students and faculty are very interested in. We may be at the start of great change in China’s civil society."
"Getting off the plane and seeing a huge billboard indicating 'The 21st Century is the Asian Century' helps put into perspective the growing prominence of Asia as the center for global business," said Nicholson. Another take-away from the China trip was "learning how Hong Kong markets itself to attract business and investment, and the keen competition among cities/regions in Asia to attract economic investment," Nicholson added.
The group visited Hong Kong for the first five days and then went to Guangzhou for the remainder of the visit. Visits in Hong Kong included sessions with the Bank of Montreal (BMO) branch office, InvestHK, HarbourVest Partners Ltd., and United Airlines branch office. The visits in Guangzhou included Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Guangxin Holdings Group, Ltd., Healthy Household Limited, Baiyun Power Group, and Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Lindahl said.
At the Guangdong Guangxin Holdings Group, Li Cheng, board chair, spoke about the firm's business strategy, Lindahl said. The group was listed 146th among China’s Fortune 500 in 2011 and ranked 12th of Top 500 Enterprise of Guangdong Province.
The Baiyun Power Group visit included a factory tour of the equipment assembly building. Baiyun’s history started in 1960 as the Hu family blacksmith business. Today it is an example of a private firm that has grown to be in the Top 500 in the China manufacturing sector. Xie Xiao Hua, vice president, spoke to the group and answered questions about what it is like to be in business in China.
At a lunch provided by Jainjun Sun, dean of the MBA program at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, the North Park delegation met with MBA students from the school.
In 2011, the North Park University leaders signed bilateral cooperation agreements with leaders of five Chinese universities. The agreements are with Beijing Union University (College of Arts and Sciences), Beijing; Jianwen University, Yantai; Anhui University of Finance and Economics, Bengbu City; Guangdong University of Foreign Studies; and Leshan Normal University, Leshan. The agreements established cross-cultural learning and research opportunities for students and faculty of the universities. They also promote student and faculty exchange. Lindahl said he would like to have further exchange of faculty with the Chinese schools, and to have Chinese students study at North Park University.
North Park University Names New Faculty, Staff for 2012–2013 Academic Year
Employees welcomed at 'Gathering Day'
CHICAGO (August 22, 2012) — North Park University welcomed new full-time faculty and staff to the University as the 2012–2013 academic year began. The new employees were introduced to the University community August 21 at North Park's annual Gathering Day activities, held in Anderson Chapel.
New Faculty
Cheri Coakley, visiting assistant professor of nursing
North Park University Hosts 54 International Students in American Studies Program
Four participants in the University's Summer ESL American Studies Program are, from left to right, Yoa Jung Cho, Hyun Jung Park and Jong Pil Park, all from Seoul, South Korea, and Chien Chih Kao, Taipei, Taiwan.
Program combines ESL classes with cultural learning, field trips
CHICAGO (July 3, 2012) — On July 4, nearly all of the international students in an English language immersion program this summer at North Park University, Chicago, will experience for the first time what an American Independence Day is about. That is one piece of their immersion as participants in the University's Summer ESL American Studies program, combining English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction, cultural exploration and field trips throughout the Chicago area.
"We're studying English through the vehicle of Chicago," said Dr. Kristin Lems, the program's director. "It's an academic program, and it's built on the cultural piece of Chicago — what the city offers in the summer, Chicago's history, and how the values and lifestyle of Chicago reflect American values and lifestyle."
The 54 students, mostly college-age, are from seven countries, plus three immigrant students who live in the Chicago area. Becoming more proficient in speaking English and learning about U.S. culture are the reasons why they are in the University's ESL American Studies program.
"People in Korea think English is very important, and I thought I wanted to study English in Chicago," said Jong Pil Park, Seoul, South Korea, one of 24 South Korean students in the program. Jong is an oriental philosophy major at Sungkyunkwan (SKKU) University, Seoul, which maintains a bilateral exchange program with North Park University.
"I came here because I want to learn 'live' English," said Hyun Jung Park, also a student in oriental philosophy at SKKU. "Koreans tend to learn English only by reading." Hyun said she is interested in Chicago's diverse culture, and learning about the differences between Eastern and Western philosophy. She added that she is grateful for the education offered through the North Park University program.
Chien Chih Kao, Taipiei, Taiwan, wants to improve his English speaking ability and make friends from different countries. He's a fan of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) system and its convenience. "This city is like a 'small America.' You can feel the diverse culture here, and see the beautiful scenery and the modern buildings," he said. "Everybody's kind, and they say hello, even if we have not met before." Chien is a physics major at National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
North Park University students Saada Hilts, left, and Brian Gatheru are program assistants with the Summer ESL program.
During the intensive five-week program, the students will take 12 field trips, all on CTA transportation, and visit Chicago cultural attractions, such as museums, ethnic festivals and neighborhoods, and a Fourth of July parade. New to the program this year are community service projects, and spending time with Chicago-area host families. One service project was at the Albany Park Community Center, where the students cleaned up classrooms and planted a garden.
Lems explained that the community service projects are significant grassroots experiences, in which the international students witness a community working together for the common good. The host families home visit idea came about through Lems' own international experiences. "I remember that when I lived abroad, and when other people talk about living abroad, the most precious experiences are the ones when you're inside the home of someone from that country, not just shopping or being at a restaurant or being in a museum -— it's being in someone's home," she said. At least 35 North Park University faculty and staff families are hosting students for Sunday meals, Lems said.
Working with Lems are two North Park University students, Saada Hilts and Brian Gatheru, and Kennan Daoudi, a student at Hamline University, St. Paul, Minn. Hilts was born in Ethiopia, and Gatheru comes from Kenya. Both are resident advisors at the University.
The University's ESL American Studies program was founded by Dr. Dennis Bricault, professor of Spanish and director of the University's ESL program. This summer, students in the American Studies program are from South Korea, Mexico, China, Spain, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and the United States.
Interdisciplinary Forum on the Bible and Health Set for October 30
Dr. James Bruckner's recent book is the focus of the October forum at North Park University.
Seminary, School of Nursing sponsor Chicago forum
CHICAGO (October 19, 2012) — A North Park University professor and a panel of health professionals and pastors will address topics related to the Bible, human health, and healthy relationships in an October 30 forum, "The Bible and Health: An Interdisciplinary Forum." The event features Dr. James Bruckner, professor of Old Testament with the University's North Park Theological Seminary, who will present from his recently published book, Healthy Human Life: A Biblical Witness.
The two-hour forum is free to attendees and begins at 3:30 pm in Olsson Lounge at North Park Theological Seminary. Event sponsors are the Seminary and the North Park University School of Nursing.
Healthy Human Life "is the result of 10 years of conversation about understanding and practicing human health — conversations between a biblical scholar and health care professionals," Bruckner said in an interview. "The book unpacks the biblical text to address questions which are foundational to health care as well as biblical theology." The book includes content for patients, families, health care professionals, counselors, and pastors dealing with health or end-of-life issues, and could be used as a text in professional schools.
Dr. James Bruckner
Panelists who will respond to Bruckner are Dr. Linda Duncan, dean of the School of Nursing and holder of the Gretchen Carlson Memorial Endowed Chair in Nursing; C. Louise Brown, vicepresident of health ministries, Progressive National Baptist Convention, and former director of public health for the City of Evanston, Ill.; and Rev. Philip Staurseth, pastor of Ravenswood Covenant Church, Chicago.
"There is tremendous interest in the church's role in promoting health with their members and communities as evidenced by the wide variety of health ministries in which churches are engaged," says Dr. Mary Chase-Ziolek, RN, Seminary and University professor of health ministries and nursing. "It is important for these ministries to be biblically and theologically informed as well as sound from a health perspective." Healthy Human Life "provides a much-needed biblical perspective" for Christian health professionals, congregations with health ministry teams or faith community (parish) nurses, and medical researchers, she added.
In addition, the Seminary offers a 12-credit interdisciplinary Certificate in Faith and Health in collaboration with the School of Nursing, as well as continuing education workshops for ministry and health professionals.
North Park Theological Seminary Announces Urban Ministry Certificate
Applications for first cohort accepted through March 31
CHICAGO (February 10, 2012) – North Park Theological Seminary is accepting applications for a new, two-year graduate educational program leading to a Certificate in Urban Ministry. The 15-credit certificate program is intended for Christian ministers and lay leaders who want to learn more about engaging in effective ministry in urban settings.
The Seminary is part of North Park University, a higher education institution with a Christian, multicultural, and urban identity. Those core values, combined with the cultural and Christian diversity represented in Chicago, position the Seminary to offer a rich educational experience to students, said Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, program director. Rah is Milton B. Engebretson Associate Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism for the Seminary, and a former urban pastor himself.
"Chicago is part of the classroom we're offering," he said in an interview. "Being in Chicago is a tremendous advantage. It is a center for community development, community organizing, for ethnic diversity, and with diverse neighborhoods."
Offering a certificate program in urban ministry is part of a larger trend of urbanization and the growing influences of urban culture, Rah said. Both the University and Seminary are affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), which is planting new congregations in urban areas, Rah said. Urban pastors and urban lay workers could benefit greatly from the certificate program, Rah said. "We hope it will strengthen and undergird their urban ministry," he said. The program can also introduce people to urban ministry who want to learn more.
The urban environment is complex, constantly changing, and always challenging, Rah said. The certificate program will emphasize deeper theological and spiritual engagement, as well as practical ideas for enhancing urban ministry. "We do this ministry as followers of Jesus. Anytime we can deepen the theology, it is a good thing. Also important are spiritual formation and discipleship. All of these serve to strengthen our work in the city," he said.
Students who complete the program will earn 15 credit hours in just over two years. Plans call for the first cohort to meet Aug. 13–17 in Chicago, followed by online coursework beginning in October. The cohort will meet in Chicago for another week in August 2013, followed by online coursework. A final week-long gathering in Chicago is planned for August 2014. Rah said an ideal size for the urban ministry cohort is about 15 to 20 people.
"There is great enthusiasm in this Seminary and in this denomination for this certificate program," said Rah. "It represents a wonderful convergence of what North Park University is all about, and what the Evangelical Covenant Church is excited about."
Applications and supporting materials must be submitted to North Park Theological Seminary by March 31, said E. Kirsten Burdick, director of Seminary admissions. All applications will be considered at the same time in April, she said.
CHICAGO (November 13, 2012) — The North Park University board of trustees participated in groundbreaking ceremonies for the Nancy and G. Timothy Johnson Center for Science and Community Life, and heard updates on other University projects and initiatives during its fall meeting here October 26–27. Dr. David Parkyn, University president, also welcomed seven new trustees, each of whom will serve five-year terms:
Thomas Bagley, Chicago, founder and senior managing director, Pfingsten Partners, LLC
Grant Clay, Clay Center, Kan., lead pastor, Clay Center Covenant Church
Gail Dahlstrom, Etna, N.H., vice president for facilities management, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, N.H.
Dawn Helwig, Chicago, actuary, Milliman, Inc.
Stephen Johnson, Warrenville, Ill., executive vice president, field operations, Imagine Solutions, Dallas
Michael L. Jordan, Kerman, Calif., pastor, La Viña Covenant Church
Albert Tizon, Upper Darby, Pa., associate professor of evangelical and holistic ministry, Palmer Theological Seminary, King of Prussia, Pa.
Johnson Center highlighted
The Nancy and G. Timothy Johnson Center for Science and Community Life is expected to be completed for the start of the 2014 academic year. Board members and University leaders thanked Tim Johnson and David Helwig, board chair, for their leadership of Campaign North Park, which is raising funds for the Johnson Center and other University initiatives. The building project is essential for student learning and growth, Johnson told the trustees, adding that he and Nancy were "deeply honored" to have the building named in their honor. The Johnsons are North Park alumni, and both have served the institution in a variety of ways over several years.
Undergraduate enrollment efforts enhanced
The University is enhancing efforts to increase undergraduate enrollment for 2013 in response to changes in enrollment and in the market for higher education, President Parkyn said in his report to the board.
North Park's board of trustees met at the Chicago campus October 26–27.
He cited several market conditions that have affected enrollment at North Park: a greater reluctance to borrow funds to pay tuition costs; a need for great convenience in academic program delivery; the competitive Chicagoland market; and increases in competition from schools in other regions of the country.
The North Park University president and Nate Mouttet, vice president for enrollment and marketing, told the trustees the University conducted an external and internal review of admissions procedures with representatives of Noel-Levitz, a higher education consulting firm. In addition, University faculty and staff participated in community gatherings, discussing enrollment data, recruiting of students, and ideas to address student recruitment in future years. As a result of these discussions, the University is instituting several steps to increase undergraduate enrollment, they reported:
Adopt more personal connections with prospective students
Increase the size of special events to attract students
Increase the number of prospective student visits to the campus
Target increased financial aid
Expand communication flow to students, particularly for applicants and admitted students
Reinstate the University’s brand awareness campaign with focus on the Chicagoland region
Set priorities so recruiters focus personal attention on those students most likely to enroll
The next meeting of the North Park University board of trustees is February 8–9, 2013.
Author tomgabrysiakPosted on Categories Stories
