For Immediate Release: June 19, 2008
Contact: Pat Walsh, The Ulum Group, (541) 434-7021, pwalsh@ulum.com
NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN TO BEGIN NEW ERA:
The College Becomes a University July 1
EUGENE, Ore.----Since it first opened its doors in 1895, Northwest Christian College has been known by several different names based on the educational opportunities the school offered at the time. After 74 years as Northwest Christian College, this next door neighbor of the University of Oregon will again have a new name to reflect its broadening curriculum when it becomes known as Northwest Christian University (NCU) on July 1.
“This is an exciting time for our students, faculty, staff and alumni,” said David Wilson, Northwest Christian’s president. “Having ‘university’ in its name more accurately reflects the palette of undergraduate and graduate programs Northwest Christian offers its students.”
A ceremony to celebrate the name change will take place on the campus “quad” facing East 11th Avenue beginning at noon on July 1. Wilson will lead the festivities. He will be joined by Greg Strausbaugh, chair of the school’s Board of Trustees; Jenifer Rider, 2008-09 president of Associated Students of Northwest Christian University; Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy; and Springfield Mayor Sid Leiken.
In recent months, staff members have been taking a variety of steps necessary in implementing the name change. For example, they have been busy changing all signage, updating the Web site and all publications, updating the lyrics to the school’s alma mater, ordering new business cards and letterhead, and ordering new bookstore clothing items carrying the NCU name.
“Our brand recognition has been so strong that we kept the logo, fonts and colors the same, and replaced college with university on all of NCU’s collateral materials,” Wilson said. “Alumni can even order replacement diplomas with the new name if they wish.”
The name change is part of an aggressive path the school has taken to better compete for and retain students and faculty. Over the past few years, the school has added bachelor’s degrees in history, English, mathematics, exercise science, and accounting along with a master’s degree in education. Many new faculty, all with impressive credentials, have been hired at the institution. The percentage of full-time faculty with a doctoral degree has risen recently from 43% to 70%. A number of other recent accomplishments are noteworthy: The college’s accounting program has been certified by the Oregon Society of Certified Public Accountants and graduated its first students; a Trustee Lecture Series on Leadership and Ethics has been launched; the college has hosted the Lane County MLK, Jr. Celebration Lecture for the past three years; the school has added 9 sports teams in the past several years and just competed in its first athletic season as a full-fledged member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Cascade Collegiate Conference; students have gone on mission trips all over the world, including Israel and Cambodia just this past month; the college has acquired new property in the past few years, including the former Kappa Sigma and Sigma Nu fraternity houses; and it has added impressive new signage to mark the boundaries of the campus tucked between the University of Oregon and Sacred Heart Medical Center.
A new School of Christian Ministry will be launched on July 1 with a special worship service at 2:00 p.m. in the campus chapel. This past year, the institution purchased the William E. Paul English Bible Collection, comprising over 600 volumes representing a wide range of English Bible translations and paraphrases. This acquisition will complement NCU’s existing collection of rare and facsimile Bibles, and will serve as a hands-on, working research tool for faculty and students and will underscore the significance of the Bible as the “cornerstone” of the NCU curriculum.
According to Wilson, “We want the community to know who we are, what we offer, and where we are located – to know that we are an institution of higher learning with a focus on academic excellence, faith commitment, and the teaching of leadership and ethics. We want students to have an experience that is rich academically with a robust campus life that is positive, fun and interesting. We want our graduates to be well-prepared academically, be able to think critically and broadly and communicate effectively, be strong in character and faith and able to integrate faith with life, be responsible and global citizens with a strong service commitment, be able to work effectively with others while celebrating diversity, be ethical decision-makers and competent leaders, and be ready to make a difference in the world – to make the world a better place in which to live - a more just, loving, peaceful, and humane world.”
NCU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. It offers 16 undergraduate degree programs, four master’s degree programs, and a professional studies program for working adults. For the past four consecutive years, the institution has achieved a top tier ranking by U.S. News and World Report for baccalaureate colleges in the Western Region of the U.S. Affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Northwest Christian University is the school’s fifth name. Originally it was Eugene Divinity School (1895-1908), then Eugene Bible University (1908-1930), Eugene Bible College (1930-1934), and after a merger with Spokane University, Northwest Christian College (1934-2008).
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