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鈥檚 global reach and outlook.
After 125 years, we鈥檝e learned how to streamline the process of helping qualified applicants seek admission to North Park and find affordable ways to attend. If you don鈥檛 see what you鈥檙e looking for on our website, please contact us directly!
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鈥檚 mission and alumni needs.
Carl Wistrom honored for 35 years of service in Physical Plant, following the legacy of his forebears
Carl Wistrom honored for 35 years of service in Physical Plant, following his聽father and grandfather
CHICAGO (February 27, 2017) 鈥� Carl Wistrom has served in Physical Plant since 1981, first as assistant director and then as director. Physical Plant is responsible for all of the behind-the-scenes work keeping North Park’s spaces functioning. Winter after winter, Carl oversees snow removal. Summer after summer, Carl’s led his team in the maintenance of campus buildings in preparation for the new school year. For 35 years and counting.
But the Wistrom family legacy at North Park stretches further back still: three generations of Wistroms have served North Park by supporting its campus. Carl Wistrom came to North Park just three years before his father, Ivar, retired from his role as campus engineer, a position similar to Carl’s. Ivar’s tenure began in 1947, shortly after his own father, Carl Wistrom (the elder), retired from that same role.
The elder Carl Wistrom, janitor and campus engineer at North Park between 1910 and 1945
Carl does have fond memories of his own father, who trained him in his work at North Park. “My dad was the master. He taught me a lot and had know-how that I don鈥檛 have.” More than knowledge, though, Ivar had a “great passion for North Park.” Indeed, this passion was hereditary. Carl notes that he has been truly blessed by the people he works with, and he remembers how his “dad had great people working with him” too.
Ivar Wistrom, chief engineer and physical plant manager from 1947鈥�1984
At an all-staff gathering last month, President David L. Parkyn acknowledged that “as we celebrate Carl鈥檚 35 years at North Park, we simultaneously want to recognize and honor the nearly century of service extended to North Park by each of these three men, Carl, Ivar, and Carl.”
In honor of the Wistrom family, Dr. Parkyn presented a plaque to Carl, which will be located near the entrance to the Physical Plant building.
The plaque reads:
Carl said that he was humbled to have his family honored in this way.
The authentic Jewish Torah scroll was generously gifted to the University on February 9 during a dedication and celebration event in Anderson Chapel.
The authentic Jewish Torah was generously gifted during a February 9 dedication and celebration.
CHICAGO (February 22, 2017) 鈥� Ken and Barbara Larson are a warm couple who have been married for 52 years, having spent the past two in ministry gifting scrolls to Christian institutions. The Larson鈥檚 story centers around 鈥渟aying yes to God.鈥�
Mr. Larson, who is the founder of Slumberland Furniture, says that the couple had been told during a prayer meeting years earlier that they鈥檇 do ministry together. When they were invited by Josh McDowell鈥攖he Christian apologist鈥攖o Tajikistan to help with a program, they said “yes” to God, thinking that this could be their ministry together. Though that trip was canceled, they continued to say “yes” to God, landing them in South Korea with the apologist. There, McDowell shared about how he had recently purchased a Torah scroll and how it was the most impactful tool he鈥檇 experienced in more than 50 years of ministry. Not long after the trip to South Korea, the Larsons traveled to Israel with their family鈥�35 members including children and grandchildren. When they returned to the States, they visited a seminary with Dr. Scott Carroll, an expert manuscript researcher.
There, Mr. Larson asked the Hebrew professors if they鈥檇 ever read from a Torah scroll. They all said that they鈥檇 never had the opportunity.
This was the turning point. Ken and Barbara looked at each other and knew that this was going to be their ministry together. As they had done so many times before, they said 鈥測es鈥� to God. They bought a collection of Torah scrolls and, since March of 2014, have given 32 to institutions around the world.
North Park is the 32nd recipient.
Barb Larson was happy to give the scroll to North Park because she鈥檚 a Chicagoan herself. 鈥淲e feel right at home here.鈥� She reminisced about her childhood, growing up living in an apartment on Montrose and Broadway. She attended Senn High School, which was, at the time, primarily Jewish. It was there that her love for Jewish people began. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so thrilling to be back here and feel the energy that Chicagoland has.鈥� Barb and Ken are most interested, though, in giving scrolls to institutions that have a respect for the word of God.
North Park鈥攂eing Chicago-centered, intercultural, and rooted in faith鈥攚as a perfect match.
The Larsons have another special connection to North Park. 鈥淲e love the Covenant church,鈥� Barbara聽mentioned,聽because Ken attended Minnehaha Academy, a ministry affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church. The Larson鈥檚 five children went to Minnehaha and now they have grandchildren there. One grandson even attended North Park. 鈥淪o, we feel a deep connection to the Covenant church.鈥�
North Park鈥檚 Office of Advancement and the Seminary expressed gratitude for the gift with an elaborate and inspiring ceremony, featuring a traditional Jewish Torah Service liturgy, including readings and cantillations.
Dr. Rajkumar Boaz Johnson, professor of biblical and theological studies, and Skokie-based Rabbi Jeffrey Weill led the liturgy. Dr. Johnson sang the聽Shema聽before he and Rabbi Weill processed the scroll through the chapel. Dr. Johnson coached participants to, as the Torah passed them, touch their program to it and then kiss the program. This, he said, was an act of gratitude to God for his word.
Rabbi Weill聽lained聽the Torah text, the Song of the Sea.听Laining聽is melodious chanting of the scripture portion. The rabbi commented upon the exceptional beauty of the ornate scroll. Dr. James Bruckner, professor of biblical interpretation, presented the聽顿鈥檙补蝉丑, an exposition of the text, in which he considered how the bones of Joseph were carried with the Israelites as a remembrance representing the story of God.
This, of course, is also true of the North Park-Larson scroll, a relic stewarded by God鈥檚 people as a remembrance of the story of God.
Seminary Dean Rev. Dr. David Kersten remarked that North Park has a heritage of gathering around the text. Receiving the scroll, he emphasized, is a reminder of North Park鈥檚 鈥渙ngoing call to read the sacred text and to repair our own lives and to repair the world through the reading of the text.鈥�
Dr. Kristine Strand, chair of the Board of Trustees, explained in a letter to the Larsons that North Park is 鈥渁n educational institution of deep Christian identity鈥� and that it鈥檚 devoted to giving students opportunities to enrich their understanding of the Bible. The trustees are grateful that the North Park-Larson scroll will offer these opportunities for enrichment.
The scroll itself is decommissioned鈥攏o longer used in Jewish liturgical settings鈥攁nd can now be used for exhibit, display, and teaching.听It鈥檚 from the late 18th century with聽Ashkenazi origins, most likely from Poland. It has unusually beautiful orthography and unique decorative features adorning its letters. Dr. Carrol聽concluded that the scroll was a great labor of love for the scribe who produced it, and it was likely a point of pride for its original congregation.
It is now a point of pride for North Park, which is honored to be a part of this scroll鈥檚 rich history, a history that includes surviving the Holocaust.
The scroll will be housed in either the Brandel Library or the Seminary, kept within its handcrafted聽ark. The design of the ark鈥攃rafted by Dr. Johnson鈥檚 friend, Chris Olofson鈥攚as intended to be rugged to reflect the age of the scroll. It鈥檚 made of solid cypress, a wood indigenous to the Holy Land, and the vertical planking is intended to reflect the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. The Ark is supported by a maple plywood laminate base in the favored style of modern Swedish furniture. This reflects the support of the Swedish community鈥攆rom which North Park was founded鈥攆or the Jewish community.
Dr. David Parkyn, president of 萝莉社, expressed gratitude to the Larsons and closed the ceremony with a prayer noting that the study of the holy scriptures has been central to North Park since its founding 125 years ago. The gift, he said, marks the school鈥檚 new level of commitment to the scriptures.
Recognized for the third time, North Park has current Fulbright students in Macedonia, Mexico, and Peru.
Recognized for the third time, North Park has current Fulbright students in Macedonia, Mexico, and Peru.
CHICAGO (February 21, 2017) 鈥� 萝莉社, Chicago’s intercultural, Christian university, has been named a for the third year. The U.S. Department of State鈥檚 Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced the U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2016鈥�2017 Fulbright U.S. Students. North Park was named alongside two other Illinois institutions, University of Chicago and Northwestern University. The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government鈥檚 flagship international educational exchange program. Top-producing institutions are highlighted annually in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Three students from 萝莉社 won Fulbright awards for 2016-2017: Katie Bast, Bethany Joseph, and Elizabeth Wallace. .
North Park also has four semi-finalists for the 2017鈥�2018 academic year, who are awaiting their final status from the respective countries.
鈥淚 am so very proud of our students and our Fulbright Committee,鈥� said Dr. Linda Parkyn, professor of Spanish, who spearheads North Park鈥檚 efforts around Fulbright awards, serving as mentor and encourager to student applicants. She has been a Fulbright Scholar and twice a Fulbright Senior Specialist, and readily admits to having 鈥淔ulbrightis.鈥� Good candidates, Dr. Parkyn says, have stellar grades, a keen interest in some other part of the world, involvement with immigrants and/or refugees at home, and knowledge of another language. 鈥淔ulbright is a prestigious award,鈥� says Dr. Parkyn. 鈥淏ut to have this experience early in your life, to give back your first year out of college and become an American ambassador sharing language and culture, it will affect your career choices for the rest of your life鈥攁nd affect change for good in our world!鈥�
Dr. Linda Parkyn expressed deep pride and joy over the honor of North Park being named a Top Producer of U.S. Fulbright Students three times. Since 2008, the school has produced 19 Fulbright Student awards and leads its category鈥擬aster’s Institution鈥� in Fulbright Student award winners.
Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 370,000 participants鈥攃hosen for their academic merit and leadership potential鈥攚ith the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. Over 1,900 U.S. students, artists, and young professionals in more than 100 different fields of study are offered Fulbright Program grants to study, teach English, and conduct research annually. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program operates in over 140 countries throughout the world. Lists of Fulbright recipients are available at聽.
The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the United States Congress to the Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support.
In the United States, the Institute of International Education administers and coordinates the activities relevant to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program on behalf of the Department of State, including conducting an annual competition for the scholarships.The Fulbright Program also awards grants to U.S. scholars, teachers and faculty to conduct research and teach overseas. In addition, some 4,000 new foreign Fulbright students and scholars come to the United States annually to study for graduate degrees, conduct research and teach foreign languages.
The Fulbright Program also awards grants to U.S. scholars, teachers and faculty to conduct research and teach overseas. In addition, some 4,000 new foreign Fulbright students and scholars come to the United States annually to study for graduate degrees, conduct research and teach foreign languages.
For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit .
ABOUT聽NORTH PARK UNIVERSITY
萝莉社聽is Chicago’s intercultural, Christian University.
A Message from Board Chair Dr. Kristine Strand and ECC President Gary Walter.
A Message from Board Chair Dr. Kristine Strand and ECC President Gary Walter
Dr. David Parkyn, president of 萝莉社 since 2006, has announced his retirement to follow the completion of this 2016鈥�17 academic year. 萝莉社 is the university of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC).
鈥淲ith gratitude and respect, the Board of Trustees congratulates Dr. Parkyn on the success of 萝莉社 during his 11 years as President. The Board wishes to express our heartfelt thanks for his service and leadership to North Park,鈥� commented Kristine Strand, chair of the Board of Trustees for the University.
During President Parkyn鈥檚 tenure, North Park saw advances on many fronts. Dr. Parkyn presided over Campaign North Park, the largest fundraising effort in the university鈥檚 history raising over $63 million in financial commitments which resulted in the completion of the state of the art G. Timothy and Nancy Johnson Center for Science and Community Life. Under his direction, 萝莉社 has been recognized for its leadership in 鈥渇irst family member to college鈥� student enrollment and retention, as well as the ethnic and socio-economic diversity of the student body. Further, nineteen students have received Fulbright awards, making North Park 鈥渁 top producer鈥� of Fulbright recipients.
鈥淭he Board of Trustees also expresses deep appreciation to Dr. Linda Parkyn, Professor of Spanish, who capably led North Park鈥檚 Honors Congress,鈥� Dr. Strand continued. 鈥淗er leadership of the program was instrumental in the development of Fulbright award winners to date.鈥�
In a letter to the campus community, President Parkyn wrote, 鈥淭he past 11 years at North Park have been personally and professionally fulfilling for both Linda and me. We have come to deeply love this institution as well as its students, faculty, and staff. Together we have made good (perhaps on occasion even great!) strides toward important objectives. Now is a good time for someone else to step into leadership and guide the school into the coming years.鈥�
The 萝莉社 Board of Trustees will announce interim leadership for the university following its meetings, February 17鈥�18. Also, the Board looks forward to leading the process to identify a nominee for the next university president who will guide the North Park community in its aspiration to be the nation鈥檚 leading city-centered Christian university. The candidate will be called formally to the position by the Covenant Annual Meeting anticipated in June 2018.
Plans will be announced for an appreciation event for the Parkyns later this spring.
Gary Walter, President of the ECC, stated that 鈥淧resident Parkyn鈥檚 ethos is for the flourishing of each student. It has been his driving hope that at North Park students would know that each of their lives makes a difference. 萝莉社鈥檚 mission as an intentionally Christian university, is to prepare students for lives of significance and service. Dr. Parkyn has given himself unreservedly to that aim.鈥�
鈥淲e wish President and Dr. Linda Parkyn the very best in their retirement as they look forward to more time with family and other pursuits,鈥� said Dr. Strand.
As each school year begins, we welcome new undergraduates to our campus at a celebration we call 鈥淭hreshold鈥濃�攁 symbolic crossing from one place or time or period of life to another. At commencement we usher graduates across another threshold, this time leading away from their years at North Park toward another season in life鈥攏ow directed as a life of significance and service.
I鈥檓 writing today to inform you that Linda and I have decided to cross a special threshold of our own this year. Last week I confirmed with our Board of Trustees my intent to retire as university president, and Linda as a professor, at the end of the current academic year.
This past September we joined with alumni and friends to celebrate North Park鈥檚 125th anniversary. As I considered the story of the University over these many years I also reflected on my own, more limited, years on our campus. I found this to be a valuable exercise which prompted some larger questions for Linda and me.
In my inauguration address, I spoke about the unique voice each individual brings to life. Then I asked whether an institution might also have a voice. I commented: 鈥淢ight 萝莉社 have a voice? Might North Park have a particular syntax and diction, punctuation and grammar that are uniquely its own?”
As a campus community, we have worked together over the past 11 years to build upon the school鈥檚 legacy commitments by advancing learning on our campus today in ways that are particular to North Park. This is the voice I hear at North Park today:
Out of a commitment to inclusion and student success, together we have cultivated a campus-wide spirit of hospitality to welcome all to North Park; we 鈥渃ontribute to the needs of the saints (and)聽extend hospitality to strangers.鈥�
We have advanced in impressive ways the Board鈥檚 1995 objective to significantly increase diversity at North Park, accomplished in a pronounced way in student enrollment; 鈥減eople (are coming)聽from east and west, north and south, to eat at the kingdom of God鈥� on this campus.
We are actively leveraging our location in a global city as we embrace Chicago as our classroom; today we 鈥渟eek the welfare of the city.”
With the deep generosity of friends from across the country鈥斺�渓ike trees . . . which yield their fruit in its season鈥濃�攚e successfully completed Campaign North Park, leading to the design and construction of the Johnson Center to advance learning in the classroom and far beyond.
This is an exceptional voice in the higher education landscape. We have much to celebrate!
Linda likewise has been part of the campus community during our years here. She has taught side-by-side with dear colleagues who love Spanish as much as she does. Beyond this, she has shaped learning at North Park by designing and teaching in the Honors Congress. Most significant, perhaps, has been her mentorship with a small number of students each year applying for Fulbright awards. We have achieved 10 consecutive years of successful student applications and in multiple years the University has been named a 鈥淔ulbright Top Producer.鈥�
Our decision to retire is set in these contexts. The past 11 years at North Park have been personally and professionally fulfilling for both of us. We have come to deeply love this institution, its students, and each of you. Together with you, we have made good (perhaps on occasion even great!) strides toward important objectives. Now is a good time for someone else to step into leadership and guide the school into the coming years. You鈥檒l have the great privilege of being part of this transition to a new leader, remaining constant in faith, learning, and service at North Park.
This has been a special community for Linda and me. Consider this: over these past 11 years, you have mourned with us the passing of our four parents, and you have celebrated with us the birth of our six grandchildren! Thank you for welcoming us when we came in 2006, and to all who have joined the University since that time please know of the joy you brought to us in your own choice to be part of North Park. Linda and I have been honored to be your colleagues.
Linda reminds me often that in Spanish the verb 鈥渢o retire鈥� is 鈥渏ubilarse,鈥� literally translated as 鈥渢o make oneself jubilant!鈥� Our plans for personal life after transitioning from North Park remain fluid. We will return to the east coast to be close to children and grandchildren, and we鈥檙e confident further plans will come into focus in due time.
Most certainly we look forward to being together with you during the remaining weeks of the academic year. We鈥檒l celebrate as our graduates cross their threshold from North Park, and Linda and I will follow soon after as we greet the next season of our own life.
With fondness for each of you,
David L. Parkyn (and of course, Linda as well)
President
Pastors receive financial management and leadership training through School of Business and Nonprofit Management, Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management, and the Seminary.
Pastors receive financial management and leadership training through School of Business and Nonprofit Management, Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management, and the Seminary.
Published by PR Newswire
CHICAGO (February 14, 2017) 鈥� Lilly Endowment’s National Initiative to Address Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders awarded 萝莉社 with a $750,000 grant to provide specialized curriculum and programming geared for pastors and church leaders. To lead financially strong congregations, pastoral leaders need to be well versed in accounting, finance, human resources, and operations. As such, the seasoned educators from 萝莉社’s School of Business and Nonprofit Management (SBNM) and the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management (Axelson Center) will work with North Park Theological Seminary (NPTS) to readily offer pastors financial management and leadership training.
North Park joins other higher education grant recipients Northwestern, Villanova, and Seton Hall universities, as well as magazine and online publication Christianity Today. Rev. Dr. David Kersten, dean of North Park Theological Seminary and vice president of church relations remarks, “I hope this national effort will form a closer relationship between business schools and seminaries.”
With North Park’s existing dual master degree program in seminary and business, the University is well-positioned to provide immediate instruction to pastoral leaders. In courses from both the business and nonprofit management school and seminary, students acquire the business skills they need to run financially strong congregations, in conjunction with their calling to serve the church.
Coursework includes language and content unique to churches, pastors, and church leadership. Several flexible learning options featuring the dual focus in business and church leadership, include:
Master’s degree in church administration
Doctoral degree in Church leadership
Joint MDiv and MBA or MNA programs (dual degree program in seminary and business/nonprofit management)
School of Business and Nonprofit Management five-course certificate program in
Church administration
Human resource management
Nonprofit financial management
Nonprofit marketing analysis and consumer behavior
Principles of church administration
Nonprofit board governance and volunteer management
Non-credit options include:
Custom-designed workshops for specific organizations and/or groups
Annual conference
BootCamp and workshops
“We encourage pastors and lay leaders to consider our offerings as they are further developed over the coming three-year period. We will offer a continuum of educational opportunities, both credit and non-credit, to strengthen financial and leadership capacity,” says Wesley E. Lindahl, North Park’s Dean of the School of Business and Nonprofit Management.
Resources at North Park:聽School of Business and Nonprofit Management (SBNM), North Park Theological Seminary (NPTS), and the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management (Axelson Center)
Another resource within SBNM is the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management (Axelson Center). Founded in 1999, the Axelson Center offers expertise in teaching a wide range of management and leadership topics on a non-credit basis. That expertise has often been directed towards faith-based nonprofit organizations and will be joined with that of SBNM and NPTS to ensure the provision of a wide range of opportunities for faith leaders through this new initiative supported by the Lilly Endowment.
Scholarships Available
In concert with North Park’s philosophy of offering access to quality higher education, participants are eligible to receive 50 percent scholarships towards certificates and custom workshops.
萝莉社 celebrates Black History Month with series of concerts, poetry readings, lectures, and art exhibits
萝莉社 celebrates Black History Month with series of concerts, poetry readings, lectures, and art exhibits
Published in PR Newswire
CHICAGO (February 2, 2017) 鈥� 萝莉社, Chicago’s urban, intercultural, Christian university, is hosting events centered around the ultimate question of the human experience. Surrounding the campus theme, What is Beauty?, are聽a variety of聽events聽which are open to the public and run February 3 through April 5 on North Park’s campus in Chicago.
North Park invites the community to experience these expressions of words, songs, and art, while recognizing Black History Month with performances by GRAMMY-nominated gospel singer聽Jonathan McReynolds and poet Jackie Perry.
Dr. Reggie Williams, Assistant Professor of Christian Ethics, McCormick Seminary speaking on how the revolution in conventions of beauty were integral to the social changes that occurred in the Harlem Renaissance.
Performance by GRAMMY-nominated gospel singer聽Jonathan McReynolds聽headlines this concert sponsored by the Office of Diversity. Poet聽Jackie Perry聽will also perform along with other artists and musicians from across Chicago.
Tickets are $20 (discounted for North Park students and faculty).
All proceeds go to North Park’s Office of Diversity.
Purchase tickets online.
Aaron Cohen, author of Amazing Grace, explores the making of Aretha Franklin’s double platinum 1972 gospel album Amazing Grace. This event includes a Gospel Choir concert.
Immigrant, refugee, undocumented, Dreamer, Muslim: You are welcome at North Park.
As a Christian university we acclaim鈥攕hout loudly from the cupola of Old Main鈥攐ur enduring welcome. Immigrant, refugee, undocumented, Dreamer, Muslim: our campus is yours; our classroom doors are flung wide open for you to enter. You are invited to learn with us. You are welcome at North Park.
President David L. Parkyn
CHICAGO (January 31, 2017) 鈥� On Saturday afternoon, I attended a memorial service for Professor Frank Steinhart. Others from North Park joined me, including a group of students and many of our faculty and staff. Frank was our teacher, colleague, and friend. Dr. Steinhart began teaching at 萝莉社 in 1973. He planned to retire this summer after more than four decades of service as a sociology faculty member, registrar, and assistant dean. Professor Steinhart loved North Park, completely.
Yet there is something more. I learned at this service that Frank was born in Latvia. When he was six months old his mother (along with his aunt, grandmother, and great-aunt) fled with Frank from their home, reaching Hamburg, Germany. For several years, little Frank and his mother lived in camps for displaced persons. They were refugees who eventually settled in Chicago when Frank was eight years old.
Is it any surprise that Professor Steinhart鈥檚 doctoral work at Loyola University Chicago focused on immigrant single mothers with children?
I now know why Frank loved North Park so completely. He saw himself reflected in the lives of so many of his students; his story as a refugee immigrant to America alone with his mother was also their story.
Professor Frank Steinhart
In a twist of irony, on the same weekend as Frank鈥檚 memorial service, our nation imposed an indefinite halt of immigration for citizens from Syria, a 90-day suspension of immigration for citizens from seven countries, and a 120-day suspension of refugees from anywhere in the world. While sitting in the service on Saturday afternoon, hearing these stories about Frank, I was struck clearly: if eight-year-old Frank and his mother, refugees immigrating to America, landed at O鈥橦are Airport today, they would be turned away, sent back, not welcomed in our country. Any potential little Frank held for teaching students at North Park for 44 consecutive years would be crushed, forsaken, quashed.
As students and educators at North Park, we have little immediate influence over executive orders issued in Washington, D.C. What we can do, and must do, is ensure that North Park continues to be a place of welcome to all who desire to study with us.
Recent changes in our national policy and practice relative to those who come to America from other countries raise real and significant concerns for some students on our campus today. This is true for international students who study with us for one or more semesters. It is disproportionately true for students recently new to America, those who have come with their families over the past decade or two. Documented or not, they face increased uncertainty about the level of welcome they can expect from America. It is also true for Muslim students whose religious commitment has been so mistakenly and despicably caricatured as inherently violent and terroristic.
As a Christian university we acclaim鈥攕hout loudly from the cupola of Old Main鈥攐ur enduring welcome. Immigrant, refugee, undocumented, Dreamer, Muslim: our campus is yours; our classroom doors are flung wide open for you to enter. You are invited to learn with us. You are welcome at North Park.
It is for this reason that some weeks ago I signed a letter, along with presidents of 600 other colleges and universities across the country, to affirm our support for the continuation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program, and in support of our undocumented immigrant students.
We must do more than acclaim, however. We must turn our rhetoric into reality by actually receiving and welcoming all who study at North Park and whose residency in our country may be uncertain. Though meaningful, a signed letter is far from a sufficient institutional response. More significant is the daily care we extend to each other on campus. As president, I鈥檓 calling on all of us at North Park to be especially alert to the uncertainty and fear that now unsettles and disrupts the lives of some who study with us this year. We must care for each other.
Later this week I鈥檒l be meeting with students who have expressed interest in having North Park declared as a 鈥渟anctuary campus.鈥� Some colleges and universities across the country have already identified themselves in this manner, others have considered it and opted for alternative ways to support students, and many others are actively considering the potential for responding in this or other ways. I鈥檓 grateful for the initiative of our students to prompt this topic for discussion by our campus; certainly, it merits careful deliberation both for its real and symbolic value. Perhaps other students (as well as faculty and staff) will want to add their voice to that of these students as our campus discussion unfolds. In doing so we may also find other ways to stand by those students who are personally unsettled today.
Why should North Park care in this way? Perhaps because if Frank Steinhart were here he would be a champion of refugees, both documented and otherwise. Or perhaps because David Nyvall, the founding president of our school, deeply believed that at North Park 鈥渉ospitality should be especially insisted upon.鈥� Both are good reasons.
Yet there is a deeper reason for loving the stranger among us鈥攖he immigrant, displaced person, refugee, Dreamer, or person of a faith different from my own. Simply this: Jesus calls us to love God and love our neighbor.
Who is our neighbor? Our neighbor is the person in need within our reach. This commitment to the care for others is a common thread in Scripture.
鈥淭he alien who resides with you in your land . . . shall be to you as the citizen among you.鈥�
鈥淚 was a stranger and you welcomed me.鈥�
鈥淒o not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.鈥�
鈥淐ontribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.鈥�
This week, this semester鈥攍et鈥檚 love God and welcome our neighbors as Jesus taught us to do. May God鈥檚 light, enkindled through our lives, shine brightly along Foster Avenue.
New award recognizes leader in restorative justice
New award recognizes leader in restorative justice
CHICAGO (January 26, 2017) 鈥� At 萝莉社鈥檚 January 16 Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, called 鈥淭he Movement Continues,鈥� Dr. Mary Trujillo was honored with the University鈥檚 inaugural MLKJ Award.
Dr. Trujillo says she鈥檚 “deeply honored to have my work mentioned in the same sentence with Dr. Martin Luther King,” as she’s been greatly influenced by the work, life, and teachings of Dr. King.
Dr. Trujillo is a communication arts professor, focusing on intercultural communication and conflict transformation. Preparing students to examine the idea of community in the context of urban, religious, and international conflict, she’s committed to restorative justice and nonviolence. She teaches students to identify their own approaches to conflict transformation and to apply their strategies to bring peace to Chicago.
“I pray that Dr. King’s commitment to social justice will always be the standard to which North Park aspires,” she added.
The honoree, who has been at North Park since 2002, is currently training to become a certified Kingian nonviolence trainer and practitioner. In 2014, she was selected to attend the James Lawson Institute, where she studied nonviolence with Rev. Lawson, a strategist for Martin Luther King Jr. and leader of desegregation sit-ins in Nashville during the civil rights movement.
Jacqueline Strapp C’08 created the MLKJ Award shortly after joining the staff in fall 2016 to lead the Office of Diversity. She says that she wanted to highlight people on campus and recognize those who are doing exceptional work in the area of restorative justice and racial reconciliation.
Also at the event, Rev. Neichelle Guidry offered a keynote address that reclaimed the prominent role of women in the civil rights movement. Recording artist Corey Barksdale brought inspiration with two songs, and film director and alumna Tanika Carpenter delivered a call to hope after sharing a preview of her documentary film, Farewell Obama.
萝莉社’s Office of Diversity seeks to sustain a campus community that appreciates diversity and embraces differences as well as similarities. It maintains a climate that values diversity through programming, outreach, and support for all members.
How the Univerity is cultivating an intercultural learning environment through student support
How the University is cultivating an intercultural learning environment through student support
CHICAGO (January 25, 2017)鈥擶alking alongside students鈥攁cademically, emotionally, and spiritually鈥攖his defines 萝莉社. The faculty and staff at North Park are guided by a core principle: exemplary student support and access, which improve a student’s experience and create a sense of persistence toward graduation. Support comes in many forms, from cohorts to affiliations with nonprofits like One Goal, Bottom Line, Noble Network of Charter Schools, and the Associated Colleges of Illinois. The end goal is simple, says Vice President for Student Engagement Jodi Koslow Martin, 鈥淲e are contributing towards ensuring all students have access to a college education.鈥�
What Support Looks Like
North Park’s professors and advisors take cues from students to understand pathways to success and respond to specific areas of need. In this 鈥榬esponsive model鈥� support can look different from student-to-student. For some, it comes in the form of scholarships, for others, it鈥檚 about embracing the relationships North Park has formed with nonprofits and community partners, and for others, who benefit from a close network, there are on-campus cohort groups like COMPASS which align skills, abilities, and interests.
Lucia Tejada, North Park senior and biology major, spent nine days just prior to her freshman year in the University鈥檚 COMPASS program. 鈥淪upport is there from the beginning and advisors want you to succeed as a person,鈥� says Tejada. Those first nine days created a long-term sense of community for Tejada where she has grown from being a participant to now serving as a mentor in the program.
Taking a Stand for Our DACA Students
President David L. Parkyn
The core commitment behind all these support efforts鈥攇ranting personalized pathways for each student鈥攑rompted North Park鈥檚 President David L. Parkyn to sign a . This statement, spearheaded by Pomona University in California, has already collected over 600 signatures from college and university presidents from an array of institutions including private, public, faith-based, and community colleges in 44 states and the District of Columbia.
Vice President for Student Engagement Jodi Koslow Martin
鈥淒ACA has become a higher education issue, especially as the doors to higher education have widened,鈥� says Koslow Martin. At North Park, deep learning comes from being in an intercultural environment formed by students from many backgrounds. 鈥淚n the spirit of generosity and hospitality, supporting DACA aligns with our mission and Christian approach to advancing efforts in accessing higher education,鈥� adds Koslow Martin.
Tejada, also a DACA student, says the North Park community has been there for her throughout her college journey, 鈥淚鈥檝e received support from the very beginning.鈥� Tejada adds, 鈥淭here are people at North Park who are there for you and help you no matter what.鈥�
Committed to granting higher education to a diverse student population, President Parkyn states, 鈥淣orth Park signed the Statement in Support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program and our Undocumented Immigrant Students to influence the continuation of DACA and encourage our government leaders to keep DACA in place.鈥� This action is well received on campus. Sophomore psychology major and president of the Latin American Student Organization (LASO) Genesis Rivera-Lucero expresses her appreciation towards President Parkyn signing the letter, 鈥淚 am grateful President Parkyn has chosen to show his support.鈥�
Ensuring DACA Student Success
North Park plays an active role in positioning all students for success with academic preparedness and transition programs, and providing necessary pathways where DACA students have the same access to earning their college degrees. The campus community, including faculty, staff, and student peers remain fully committed to welcoming and supporting DACA students. 鈥淣orth Park鈥檚 faculty and staff are well-prepared to work with students who are undocumented and meet the criteria of DACA,鈥� reassures President Parkyn.
Tejada, who鈥檚 been in Chicago since 2011 and was 10 years old when she came to the United States, encourages all her classmates to know the resources available to them. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good to use the teachers and staff as much as you need them because they will be there for you,鈥� says Tejada.
Partnering with the Community to Support DACA Students
While the application for admission to North Park neither solicits nor requires notification of DACA status, the University has programs in place that address academic preparedness for higher education coursework. And for those DACA prospects who do declare their status, North Park works alongside community partners to remove financial barriers that undocumented students often face when attending college.
When Tejada was just a day away from paying for her tuition at a local community college in Skokie, she received a call from North Park saying that she was being offered a scholarship. 鈥淣orth Park is willing to take DACA students and help financially which made a difference in my whole college career,鈥� says Tejada.
Specifically designed to serve the undocumented student population interested in earning a college degree, North Park partners with Noble Network of Charter Schools through Pritzker Access Scholarships. In this collaborative program designed to help meet financial needs, students attending and graduating from Noble Network of Charter Schools are eligible to qualify for the Pritzker Access Scholarship. In this way, 萝莉社 enrolls students who receive scholarships from the Pritzker foundation, which account for the financial aid that would have come from Pell federal grant dollars and state MAP grants. With this nearly full-ride scholarship, students must maintain a minimum of a 2.5 GPA in college. This kind of partnership with local high schools comes naturally to North Park as it reflects the University鈥檚 desire to attract and retain students from the city of Chicago.
Students Standing by their Fellow Classmates
Rivera-Lucero says learning the stories of DACA students has moved her. 鈥淜nowing what my friends and classmates have experienced has made me want to stand up for change.鈥� And having relationships with student advisors who keep their doors 鈥榓lways open鈥� to discuss their thoughts together, helps Rivera-Lucero to keep going as she leads the Latin American Student Organization. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much we can do with our voices as part of the student community,鈥� says Rivera-Lucero. She adds, 鈥淚 am grateful to collaborate with faculty and staff.鈥�
For Further Support
Cities like Chicago are deeply rooted in immigrant communities, which contribute to North Park鈥檚 vibrant student body. North Park DACA students, alongside their peers, represent the University core values as Christian, City-centered, and Intercultural. Rivera-Lucero agrees, 鈥淭o uphold the urban and diverse as part of North Park鈥檚 core pillars is to keep our DACA students part of our community,鈥� asserts Rivera-Lucero. And, getting to graduation all starts with making a college education accessible鈥攊t鈥檚 about providing the pathways to higher education. 鈥淭he fact I was able to go to college at a private school was huge,鈥� says Tejada.
For some students, this pathway starts much before the first day on campus and for others, it鈥檚 having support services available once already enrolled. Just months away from graduating, North Park鈥檚 soon-to-be-alumna Tejada is interested in being a marine biologist and is starting to think about graduate school. Her first stop is North Park鈥檚 career development office, where she鈥檒l be working on getting her resume ready for the next stage in her career.
Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Blog, Stories
During President Parkyn鈥檚 tenure, North Park saw advances on many fronts. Dr. Parkyn presided over Campaign North Park, the largest fundraising effort in the university鈥檚 history raising over $63 million in financial commitments which resulted in the completion of the state of the art G. Timothy and Nancy Johnson Center for Science and Community Life. Under his direction, 萝莉社 has been recognized for its leadership in 鈥渇irst family member to college鈥� student enrollment and retention, as well as the ethnic and socio-economic diversity of the student body. Further, nineteen students have received Fulbright awards, making North Park 鈥渁 top producer鈥� of Fulbright recipients.
CHICAGO (January 26, 2017) 鈥� At 萝莉社鈥檚 January 16 Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, called 鈥淭he Movement Continues,鈥� Dr. Mary Trujillo was honored with the University鈥檚 inaugural MLKJ Award.
