North Park has served five generations of students and continues to grow in diversity, academic relevance, and Christian commitment. Our Chicago location is a great asset that reflects the School’s global reach and outlook.
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North Park offers more than 40 graduate and undergraduate programs in liberal arts, sciences, and professional studies. Classes average 17 students. 84% of our faculty have terminal degrees. Academics here are rigorous and results-oriented.
North Park Theological Seminary prepares you to answer the call to service through theological study, spiritual development, and the formative experiences of living in a community with others on a similar life path.
The Office of Alumni Engagement fosters lifelong connections by engaging alumni with the university and one another in activities, programs, and services that support the university’s mission and alumni needs.
I Go On Singing: Paul Robeson's Life in His Words & Songs
An Evening with Anthony Brown, Baritone
Thursday, February 13, 7:30 pm
Anderson Chapel, ϳԹ 5159 North Spaulding Avenue
A lost American hero re-discovered through his music and archival video.
As an All-American athlete, recording artist, and star of the stage and screen, Paul Robeson was once the best-known African-American entertainer in the world. After his emergence in the 1930s, Robeson became an early champion of civil rights. He traveled the world promoting peace, but trouble lay ahead, and ultimately he sacrificed his career and everything he’d accomplished by challenging the dominant culture’s status quo.
The story of this all-but-forgotten American hero will come alive on February 13 at ϳԹ in a rousing new 90-minute song-filled presentation, I Go On Singing: Paul Robeson’s Life in His Words & Songs, performed by the gifted American baritone and international promoter of peace, Anthony Brown. Accompanied by faculty member on piano, Mr. Brown will reveal Robeson as an American patriot and towering figure of the 20th century. Told in Robeson’s own words, using many first-hand accounts from his autobiography, Here I Stand, the show traces his humble beginnings as a preacher’s son in Princeton to his international celebrity and as tireless fighter for human rights. The late folk legend Pete Seeger makes three video guest appearances discussing his friendship with Robeson and the music they shared.
I Go On Singing, written by Andrew Flack, delivers equal parts historical documentary with a live concert experience. Musical numbers range from Spirituals to Broadway, and include original arrangements of Robeson favorites like Ol’ Man River, Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child, Shenandoah, Scandalize My Name, It Ain’t Necessarily So, All Through the Night, Joe Hill, Deep River, and many others.
This concert experience is free and open to the public, and is in conjunction with this year's , "What Is Peace?" as well as ϳԹ’s celebration of Black History Month.
About the Artist
Anthony Brown
Internationally acclaimed baritone Anthony Brown is a promoter of peace and goodwill around the world. Anthony uses music to promote peace and reconciliation in countries where peoples’ lives are torn by war and civil strife.
His peace work has taken him to political hot spots such as Bosnia, Northern Ireland, China, Japan, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Uganda, South Korea, Ethiopia, and Colombia. In each venue, Anthony’s stirring performances connected people across race, language, religion, and culture—and helped them focus on how all one in the family of humanity.
In addition to his international peace work, Anthony is one of today’s most dynamic performers who sings a wide range of crowd-pleasing vocal repertoire, from musical theater and African American spirituals, to opera, oratorio, and art song. He is artist in residence at Hesston College, Hesston, Kan., and represents the college at various events across the United States.
Additional Events
In addition to the Thursday evening presentation, Mr. Brown will participate in several other campus events during his visit:
Chapel Service
Wednesday, February 12, 10:30 am
Anderson Chapel
Honoring the Ancestors: Taking the African American Spirituals Around the World
Wednesday, February 12, 7:00 pm
Anderson Chapel
(Workshop with members of the ϳԹ ; open to the public)
Performance and Social Change
Thursday, February 13, 1:30–3:00 pm
(Undergraduate class; open to the public)
For more information, please contact Karen Dickelman via email or by calling (773) 244-5265.
A collaboration among North Park Theological Seminary and partner international schools visited ancient Greek sites in January, including the Greek amphitheater in Epidaurus.
North Park Theological Seminary in Greece
CHICAGO (February 4, 2014) — There are three ideal spots onstage at the Greek amphitheater in Epidaurus. It is one of the best-preserved theaters, built in the fourth century B.C., and its pitch-perfect acoustics have not been able to be replicated with modern technology.
A group of students and faculty traveled to the amphitheater last month and spread out in the audience around circular stone bench seats.
The tour guide asked if anyone wanted to sing, hoping to show off the acoustics of the theater. The class immediately volunteered three people, including Nilwona Nowlin, a North Park Seminary student who will earn her master of arts in Christian formation and master of nonprofit administration in May. Nilwona hesitated as she had a cold, but finally gave in, and stepped to one of the three perfect spots and sang a rendition of “Amazing Grace.”
“Normally when you sing on a stage you have to think about projecting and all of the muscles that go into it,” Nilwona said, “but I didn’t have to force anything and people all the way in the back could hear clearly.”
One of the people in the back was Nilwona’s teacher, , associate professor of New Testament at ϳԹ Theological Seminary. “We were stunned about how advanced they were back then in terms of technology and it made the ancient world that much more real. It made the world of Acts come alive.”
From January 3 through 11, Nilwona and Dr. Lee journeyed to Greece along with 15 students and two additional faculty members from the Seminary for a Greece and Early Christianity course. It was collaboration with IFFEC, the International Federation of Free Evangelical Churches. Joining North Park were 16 international participants from IFFEEC schools in Sweden, Norway, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, China, and Brazil.
“We got to converse with our sister churches, and hear what’s happening in their ministry,” Dr. Lee said. The group gathered at night for worship and prayer led by North Park’s Dr. Carol Noren, Wesley Nelson Professor of Homiletics. “We heard the challenges the churches are having, and had a renewed sense of communion among the diverse group.”
Students prepared for the trip with a series of readings on Greco-Roman history, religion, and culture, as well as study of Acts and Paul's letters to the Corinthians. The Greek Bible Institute in Athens hosted the group, who stayed in dorms and spent the first day in seminars preparing for the week.
But most of the trip was reserved for traveling around to significant sites in early Christianity, including the Roman Forum in Athens, the Parthenon and Acropolis, Epidaurus, Naflplion, Delphi, and Corinth.
One of the first sites the group visited was Areopagus, known to many as Mars Hill, the site where Paul delivered a sermon to the Stoics and Epicureans recorded in Acts 17. , North Park’s Paul W. Brandel Professor of New Testament Studies, had a student read the sermon aloud. They heard the words of Paul, “The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands.” In the background stood the Parthenon, the impressive Greek temple and center of Athenian worship.
“It was a really great moment for all of us when we could see the Parthenon,” Dr. Lee said. “We could see the temple of Nike, and here we could see with our mind's eye Paul pointing directly to the temple and saying: 'God does not live in shrines made by human hands.'”
“Now when I approach the Bible, I have this culture and these sites in mind,” said Nilwona Nowlin, who with the class visited sites including the Roman Forum in Athens, the Parthenon and Acropolis, Corinth, and Erechtheion, a Greek temple (above).
Nilwona added, “Now when I approach the Bible, I have this culture and these sites in mind.” She talked about visiting locations of athletic competitions, and being reminded of Paul’s words of “running the race” and “finishing the course.” Paul used that language to speak directly to the people and their culture. “Seeing this helps not just as I’m studying the Bible, but also how I’m communicating it to other people,” Nilwona said. “I came home asking what are cultural examples I can use as I’m communicating.”
“I didn’t get these kinds of opportunities growing up,” Nilwona said. “Experiencing these kinds of things allows me to take these stories back to my community and encourage young people to want to do these kind of things and want to travel and experience other parts of the world.”
North Park Theological Seminary’s commitment to developing women and men as faithful ministers of the Gospel is enhanced through travel learning. Yearly trips around the world to places like South America, Europe, and the Middle East allow students to experience a variety of cultures and engage scripture and theology from new perspectives.
“A lot of what people experience most of the time in Seminary is very cognitive,” said Dr. Lee, who has been . “They read, they go to class, and that is a tremendous way to learn. But sometimes there are insights born from being there that cannot be born from just being in the classroom.”
University Commemorates Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Rev. Dr. Willie Jennings, associate professor at Duke University, spoke during Monday's worship service.
Rev. Dr. Willie Jennings asserted that living in King's legacy means to unmask and speak truth to power
CHICAGO (January 21, 2014) — Rev. Dr. Willie Jennings, associate professor of theology and black church studies at Duke Divinity School, told an audience in Anderson Chapel on Monday that the world is in desperate need of religious and Christian intellectuals.
“By definition a Christian intellectual is an activist intellectual,” Dr. Jennings said. “It is a person who has the courage to unmask and speak truth to power. Our goal is to change the world because we serve a God who has changed it.”
Dr. Jennings’ message was part of ϳԹ’s annual worship and service day celebrating the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. Jennings admonished the smoothed and polished symbol of Dr. King etched into stone monuments, and told the audience to reclaim the legacy of a man rooted as a “black Baptist preacher of the Church and of the South” who “carved his voice out of suffering and out of pain.”
“If the civil rights movement taught us anything,” Dr. Jennings added, “it is that fear normalizes oppression. It normalizes the absurd. And right now in this country we are normalizing the absurd.” Citing issues of racial injustice, economic disparity, and health deprivation, Dr. Jennings said he can no longer ignore that this country from its founding has been addicted to greed and violence. The only question that remains is whether we are going to challenge that addiction.
A number of voices reflected on Dr. King’s message of justice during Monday’s service, from the North Park Seminary Gospel Choir to a group of young people from Second Baptist Church and Beth Emet The Free Synagogue in Evanston. That group recently journeyed on together, a six-day trip to major Civil Rights sites in the south, reflecting on issues of race and privilege. During Monday’s service the group related their journey to the call of Isaiah 58 to “loose the bonds of injustice.”
Other faculty, students, and area community members shared reflections on what Dr. King means for their vision of justice, including Randa Kuzies, a Muslim leader from . She shared excerpts from Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” emphasizing that time is neutral, and can be used either constructively or destructively.
Later Monday afternoon, , director of the and assistant professor of at ϳԹ, continued the discussion of what Dr. King’s legacy means today with an interfaith and intercultural discussion panel. Members of , Jewish, Christian, and Muslim leaders, along with area youth discussed issues of race, religion, and gender.
Workshops and webinars for nonprofit professionals now open for registration
CHICAGO (January 16, 2014) — Career paths for nonprofit professionals, fundraising to fuel social change, recharging volunteer programs, project management, program evaluation, and budgeting are just a few of the exciting topics to be covered in the upcoming spring workshops and webinars presented by the at ϳԹ.
Workshops and webinars take place between January 29 and April 23, and are a valuable resource for nonprofit professionals in the greater Chicago area. Industry experts, including representatives from Heartland Alliance, LinkedIn, and Silk Road Rising, will present on a variety of timely topics relevant to management and leadership of nonprofit organizations. Past participants have praised Axelson Center workshops for their outstanding, informative and relevant content, as well as their incredible value, calling them “a cost-effective method of staff training” and “a great reminder of what it takes to be successful in this [nonprofit] business.”
Half-day workshop registration fees are $80; full-day fees are $160. Members of YNPN Chicago, Donors Forum, United Way and several other affiliate groups are eligible for registration discounts. ϳԹ students, alumni, and participants affiliated with organizations with budgets under $1 million are also eligible for discounts. Registration closes at noon Central Time the day prior to the event.
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The Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management at ϳԹ is the source for informative and engaging nonprofit professional development in the Chicago region. Through regular workshops, webinars, and an , the Axelson Center delivers a superior educational experience for nonprofit managers, leaders, and frontline staff, covering a vast array of topics from program evaluation to strategic planning, and communications to financial management. The valuable information presented through these programs enhances the impact of both the nonprofit sector and its professional staff. Visit for more information, including a full schedule of upcoming events.
Chemistry Department Receives $17,000 Grant for Two Instruments with Biomedical and Food Applications
“We wanted to give our students the most modern experience possible in the lab and give them the hands-on experience they’ll need for graduate school and jobs in the industry,” said Dr. Anne Vázquez, assistant professor of chemistry, of the new equpiment that will soon arrive for students.
New equipment funded by the Max Goldenberg Foundation will allow students to use advanced analytical techniques in classes and research
CHICAGO (January 3, 2014) — The Max Goldenberg Foundation has awarded a $17,000 grant to the ϳԹ Department for two state-of-the-art instruments that will allow students to use advanced analytical techniques in laboratory work and research, which will better prepare them for future careers in the field.
“We wanted to give our students the most modern experience possible in the lab and give them the hands-on experience they’ll need for graduate school and jobs in the industry,” said , assistant professor of chemistry. “Students will use the equipment multiple times throughout their college career and will integrate the instruments into their undergraduate research experience because we want to give our students the best opportunities available.”
With biomedical applications that include the ability to detect cancer, the Agiltron PeakSeeker Raman Spectrometer is an important instrument in the health sciences. It is used to identify substances, and will enable students to monitor the progress of chemical reactions and observe how these reactions become products. Starting sophomore year, chemistry majors will gain experience with the equipment in a variety of courses, including analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, and physical chemistry, as well as through faculty and student-led research.
The —which is used to measure changes in energy, including calories in foods—will be incorporated into research and several courses as well, including general chemistry, physical chemistry, and others. This equipment is notable for its ability combine both bomb and solution calorimetry and will help faculty to better connect what students are learning in lectures to what they are doing in the lab, Professor Vázquez said.
The Max Goldenberg Foundation has funded other , including Lab Quest hand-held data acquisition PDAs, reflectance spectrometer, flash chromatography system, and a compact NMR spectrometer. “They’ve always been generous and made a difference in our students’ education,” Professor Vázquez said of the foundation, which supports educational, religious, and medical groups.
The department expects to receive and include the $9,000 raman spectrometer and the $8,000 combination calorimeter into classes and research during the spring semester. The equipment will then move to the new , which is scheduled to open in Fall 2014. Ultimately the addition of the instruments will help the chemistry department improve the student lab experience and prepare them for work after graduation.
“A benefit of being at a liberal arts college is that our students get hands-on experience and use the instrumentation themselves, so when they get to graduate school and start a job, they won’t be intimidated by the equipment,” Professor Vázquez said. “That’s something we really value.”
University Awards Degrees to 412 Students at Spring Commencement Ceremonies
Eboo Patel spoke to the graduates May 11 following presentation of the David Nyvall Medallion.
Nyvall Medallion presented to Eboo Patel, outstanding students honored
CHICAGO (May 13, 2013) — ϳԹ awarded degrees May 11 to 412 graduates at three commencement ceremonies, culminating the 2012-2013 academic year. Events were held for students who earned , students who earned graduate degrees and degrees through the , and for graduates of. Combined with the held last December, degrees were presented to 657 ϳԹ graduates this academic year.
Preceding graduation was a baccalaureate service May 10 at , Chicago. In an address,, president of ϳԹ, drew a comparison between the graduates and the words of . "Once you came to North Park, a sapling asking to be planted by the river, to be tended and nourished, to be pruned and watered," he said. "Tomorrow you will leave North Park. Tomorrow you will be uprooted—for this is why you were planted. Tomorrow is the day of your transplanting."
At its undergraduate commencement May 11, the University presented its David Nyvall Medallion to , Chicago, founder and president of the , an organization that promotes interfaith cooperation by motivating young adults through service. Named for the first president of ϳԹ, the medallion is presented for distinguished service to the people of Chicago.
In response, Patel told stories of his own youth as the son of Indian immigrants, and how he learned to build bridges and form relationships with people, instead of building barriers. "We live in a world with people of all different backgrounds," he told the graduates. "As you are yourself in this world—giving expression to the formation you've received in your homes, in your churches, and at this university—are differences going to be opportunities for barriers or bridges?" In encouraging students to build bridges, Patel drew attention to Jesus’s words in the Sermon on the Mount (): "Blessed are the peacemakers."
He reminded the students that leaders build bridges and "carve out" common ground for successful relationships—and that a significant part of their North Park education—focused on lives of significance and service, is about leadership. Patel added that one of the most important gifts of a Christian liberal arts education "is the gift of perspective—a warm, loving perspective on a roiling world."
The University presented 262 bachelor's degrees. The Ahnfeldt Medallion, this year presented to two seniors with the highest grade point averages, went to Waseem Sous, Lincolnwood, Ill., bachelor of science in , and Miranda VanderMey, Mount Vernon, Wash., bachelor of arts in . North Park's 2013 were introduced, Timothy Ahlberg, Perrysburg, Ohio, and Samuel Auger, Chicago.
Several students from the North Park College (now University) class of 1963 were recognized as they celebrated the 50th anniversary of their graduation.
Four graduates addressed the afternoon commencement ceremony for graduate programs and the School of Adult Learning (SAL), sharing the ways in which their University education shaped their lives and careers. Carlina Gonzalez-Allen, Joliet, Ill., an SAL graduate with a bachelor of arts in , told the graduates that having "a vision" helped her keep studying, and made the sacrifices worthwhile. "Vision takes ordinary people and leads them to lives of true significance," Gonzalez-Allen said. Other speakers were Sherida Hudak, Chicago, master of management, ; Toni Poteres, Niles, Ill., master of arts in education, ; and Berrie Anderson-Gwinn, Lake Zurich, Ill., master of science in nursing, .
At the Seminary commencement, which honored 37 graduates, Erik Borggren, Chicago, master of , was presented the Ahnfeldt Medallion for the highest grade point average. In addition, academic awards were presented to several students.
, the Seminary's Wesley W. Nelson Professor of Homeletics, presented the commencement address at the Seminary. She commented on Paul's sermon at Mars Hill in Athens (), pointing out that the first few lines of his sermon were especially memorable. She urged the graduates, who want to begin their church careers well, not to forget "to what end you have been called."
"Do not be deceived into thinking that success or faithfulness can be measured only by your relevance to the surrounding culture, your ability to speak the local dialect, or how quickly opportunities come to you … It is our God who will remain unknown unless we dare proclaim Christ crucified and risen, ascended and coming to judge the quick and the dead," Noren said.
, dean of North Park Theological Seminary, presided at the Seminary commencement. Graduates were also greeted by the University president.
Use @npunews to . For further information or resources, contact John Brooks, Director of Media Relations and News, or at (773) 244-5522. Learn more .
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University Convocation Recognizes Faculty Achievements
More than 40 members of the University faculty and staff were honored for their recent publications, exhibitions, performances, and other scholarly achievements at Monday's Convocation.
ϳԹ celebrates promotions, tenures, publications, and more
CHICAGO (September 17, 2013) — The ϳԹ community gathered in Anderson Chapel Monday, September 16, to honor the achievements of faculty and staff at University Convocation.
“This is a day of grand celebration,” said , University president, as he welcomed colleagues and students to the ceremony. He noted that the annual Convocation recognizes the work that many individuals do in walking alongside students in and out of the classroom, as well as honoring the call to “spread knowledge, discover knowledge, and teach it to others.”
The ceremony announced newly promoted and tenured faculty; recognized faculty and staff who have recently published books, articles, and other scholarly and creative work; and formally installed as the vice president for student engagement.
Under the direction of , the performed an original composition by Thomas W. Jefferson, who accompanied the group on piano. Jefferson is an member in the and was among the recent authors recognized during the ceremony.
Faculty promotions celebrated include:
, professor of education
, associate professor of philosophy
James Dekker, professor of youth ministry studies, tenure
, professor of nonprofit management
, professor of accounting
, professor of ministry
, professor of finance, tenure
, professor of business and nonprofit management, tenure
, associate professor of athletic training, tenure
, associate professor of psychology
, associate professor of education
Traditionally, the University has recognized faculty authors and editors with books published over the previous calendar year. This year’s Convocation expanded this recognition to include faculty and staff who have published books, articles, chapters, plays, reviews, and recordings; and staged exhibitions, art installations, and other creative performances. A full list of these accomplishments is .
Earlier this fall, the University welcomed new faculty and staff at Gathering Day festivities. New faculty welcomed were:
, assistant professor of sports management
Wanda Burns, assistant professor of nursing and coordinator of the
ϳԹ Continues to Be Counted Among Best Midwest Schools
ϳԹ offers undergraduate and graduate programs in a range of fields, preparing students for lives of significance and service no matter their career choices.
U.S. News and World Report college rankings released
CHICAGO (September 10, 2013) — ϳԹ again appeared in the top tier of Midwest regional universities in U.S. News and World Report’s 2014 edition of the annual “” rankings, released on September 10. The University is tied for 53rd among 147 ranked institutions.
“We are pleased to be among the top tier of Midwest universities,” said Nate Mouttet, vice president for enrollment and marketing. “We are in a part of the country with other great schools, and this ranking showcases the excellent programs and unique community that are hallmarks of a ϳԹ education.”
“As a school that strives to , we also strive to grow in ways that will help us fulfill that mission.” Mouttet added. “We’re confident this work and momentum will continue to be reflected in the service and success of our students and alumni, as well as in rankings like the U.S. News and World Report list.”
ϳԹ, founded in 1891, offers more than 40 in the liberal arts, sciences, and pre-professional preparation; options that include nonprofit and programs; and graduate degrees and certificates in , , , , , , and .
U.S. News and World Report designates schools as regional when they provide a full range of undergraduate majors and master’s programs but offer few doctoral programs. These schools, including North Park, are ranked against others by region of the country: North, South, Midwest, and West. Criteria used in these rankings include peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, and alumni giving.
ϳԹ Core Curriculum requirements have been revised for undergraduate students beginning with the fall semester, 2013.
Curriculum revision groups courses in tiers
CHICAGO (April 8, 2013) — The faculty of ϳԹ approved a revised —the University's general education requirements—for new students entering the University this fall. The revision will better align the liberal arts character of the University's , Core Curriculum learning outcomes, and academic requirements, according to a report from a committee that developed the revision.
"We want to communicate to students how valuable their liberal arts and sciences education will be for enriching their lives after college and for preparing them for a variety of careers,” said , assistant professor of and director of general education. "Such an education is essential because, most of the time, complex, real-world problems are not solved by one discipline alone but by people working across disciplines."
The revision consists of 46 semester hours, and groups current Core Curriculum courses into three tiers: Foundations, Explorations, and Capstones. In Foundations, courses will provide literacies, skills, and values basic to a Christian liberal arts education, and are ideally taken in a student's first three semesters, Clifton-Soderstrom said. The signature course in this sequence is "Cornerstone Seminar: A Life of Significance," in which students explore the big questions of "What does it mean to be human?", "Who am I?", and "How does the answer to these questions help me think about what I want out of my advanced education?"
Other Foundations courses include topics such as writing, math, biblical studies, modern languages, and a new global histories course. "Early in a student's career, this history course gives students a global and multicultural perspective on how key themes in human societies can be compared across time and cultures," Clifton-Soderstrom said.
In Explorations, courses are focused in certain disciplines, such as art, theology, the sciences, culture and society, and ethical reasoning. In Capstones, students will take two courses, usually in the junior or senior year. One course, "Capstone Seminar: A Life of Service," brings together different skills and values and applies them to real-world settings. A second capstone is a course, project, or performance that integrates advanced learning to the student's major.
The Core Curriculum revision places greater emphasis on writing and ethics, which, in most cases, can be taken up in a student's major, or in other departments. Faculty report that improved writing is critical for upper-level students, and employers say they want students who possess good writing skills. Ethics-related courses will be available to most students in their majors.
The Cornerstone Seminar and Capstone Seminar cross academic disciplines, engage the perspectives of many cultures, and emphasize writing and critical analysis. The courses are important to the University's Core Curriculum, said , professor of and a committee member. Students should consider the Core Curriculum their "first major," before they move into a specific degree program, he added. "You want to make a living, but you also want to make a life," said Dooley.
Faculty will benefit from a clear set of expectations and ways to achieve desired outcomes in the new Core Curriculum, said , professor of arts, and a committee member. "The revision also provides increased opportunities for faculty collaboration across disciplines. For example, we are already seeing increased opportunities for service-learning courses and synthesis-type courses that engage faculty and students," she said. The revision, developed in collaboration with the faculty, also brings North Park into closer alignment with peer colleges and universities, Trujillo said.
The Core Curriculum revision took more than two years to develop, and involved extensive research into current trends in higher education, post-college employment, and the North Park community’s own academic vision. In September 2011, the University faculty asked for a revised set of common Core Curriculum learning outcomes. A committee was appointed, which proposed changes endorsed by the faculty in April 2012. The faculty asked the committee to determine how to implement the revised curriculum, and secure departmental commitments and funds. The committee's proposal was adopted overwhelmingly at the faculty's February 2013 meeting.
Use @npunews to . For further information or resources, contact John Brooks, Director of Media Relations and News, or at (773) 244-5522. Learn more .
ϳԹ Confers 269 Degrees at 2013 Winter Commencement
Graduates called to continue discovering their dream
For 269 graduates, making it to the commencement stage on Friday, December 13 in the was a dream come true. The hours of planning, saving, and studying finally earned that moment in front of a full house of family and friends.
Bachelor’s degrees were presented to 180 students, representing a wide range of from across the University, including the . Graduate degrees and certificates were awarded to 89 students from the , , , and .
“You’ve made it,” said ϳԹ President , welcoming the crowd from the stage decorated in poinsettias and flags representing the international diversity of graduates. “This is your night!”
But as students are taught throughout their North Park education, their time at the University and the degrees they earned are about much more than individual achievement.
“Serve, North Park proclaims, and in service you’ll begin to discover your dream,” Parkyn said during his charge to graduates. “Continue to serve after you’ve graduated and you’ll continue to discover your dream.”
Dr. Parkyn talked of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous dream, and its echoes throughout the history of Christian faith and Scripture. “Call it service, call it loving your neighbor as Jesus does, call it loving kindness as the Hebrew prophet does—call it anything you like but get ahold of it because discovering your dream starts in serving others—while you’re a student and after you graduate.”
The commencement program included a reading from Proverbs, choral performances by the , a graduation litany, and a presentation of degrees by University deans. Students were led into the gymnasium by a procession of flags of countries and territories in which graduates were born, are citizens, or have been residents. The flags of the United States, the city of Chicago, and ϳԹ led the procession, followed by the flags of Assyria, Brazil, Finland, Ghana, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Serbia, Slovakia, and Sweden.
The commencement ceremony also featured a benediction from , read by graduates in five languages, including Mongolian, French, Finnish, Swedish, and Tagalog.