萝莉社

North Park Next will develop and implement a new strategic plan that will map the University鈥檚 next several years. Through North Park Next, we are examining and optimizing our entire academic portfolio for mission fit and market awareness; right sizing our administration and facilities; and improving our current co-curricular programs and operational practices. We are working to secure a strong financial future and the healthy margin we need to advance our mission, reward innovation, and improve compensation and support.

Through North Park Next, we are intensifying our commitment to equitable learning and to the success of every single one of our students, with new assessment strategies鈥攁nd we are developing a truly intercultural campus community ethos, through a powerful and measurable diversity, equity, and inclusion framework. This adaptation of the Evangelical Covenant Church鈥檚 Six-Fold Test has the potential to be a model for Christian higher education in America.

In the process, we have undertaken the deepest data-dive in University history. We are intentionally turning away from qualitative, anecdotal planning鈥攁nd turning toward disciplined, quantitative, data-informed decision making. We are embracing continuous improvement and the pursuit of excellence in everything we do. And we are holding ourselves and each other accountable at a higher level than ever before.

Through North Park Next, our University will elevate its unique combination of three distinctives鈥擟hristian, city-centered and intercultural鈥攁nd emerge as a singularly compelling model for Christian higher education in 21^st Century America.

Absolutely! Credo and North Park believe in rich and ongoing campus community engagement, and Credo looks forward to bringing our voices into the conversation as we advance North Park Next.聽Regular communications, including Community Days to which students, faculty and staff will be invited, will provide interaction, collaboration, and transparency as key attributes of North Park Next. And you can always send feedback or questions to next@northpark.edu.

Yes. Credo is a higher education consulting firm focused on independent colleges and universities, with a particular focus on the Christian college market. Credo has worked with 92 institutions of higher learning that are members of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).

Yes. Credo鈥檚 Jennifer deCoste, who will lead North Park鈥檚 strategic planning and implementation work, has extensive experience in DEI. She served as Assistant Chancellor聽for Institutional Strategy, Planning, and Diversity at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Before that she was a faculty member and Associate Vice President for Institutional Diversity Initiatives at Clarkson University. She holds a dual-title Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction and Women鈥檚 Studies from Penn State University. With experience in fundraising, human resources, student affairs, faculty climate, and community engagement, Jennifer brings a holistic yet realistic approach to strategic planning and diversity and inclusion practices.

Firms like Credo have tremendous and specialized expertise 鈥� and streamlined systems and processes already in place and honed through 100s of projects. Credo, for example, has served more than 460 independent colleges since 1995. A consulting partner can also facilitate campus discussions objectively, without special interests, and is accountable to a timeline with deliverables. Those of us who work at North Park already have full-time jobs, and consulting partners bring the 鈥渂andwidth鈥� needed to undertake a project like this and complete it in a timely way.

The purpose of the Academic Program Review and Enhancement work is to make sure our academic portfolio is true to mission, compelling to prospective students, relevant to employers, and financially sustainable.

All of higher education is navigating strong headwinds.聽 Demographic shifts and a decline in the number of high school graduates over the next decade; increased competition from alternatives to the traditional college campus experience; the pandemic鈥檚 impact on students and families already concerned about college affordability鈥攁ll these require universities to plan strategically for the future.

Tuition-dependent universities like North Park who DON鈥橳 do this are risking their long-term viability. We at North Park are not going to do that. Instead, we are doing this work through North Park Next in order to dramatically improve the North Park experience and student success, and secure a strong financial future鈥攁nd the healthy margin we need to invest in our mission, reward innovation, and improve compensation and support for our community.

Through North Park Next, we are moving the university from merely surviving to thriving.

The recommendations were developed by deans and faculty representing every academic unit, and they are based on the deepest data analysis in the university鈥檚 history. There is a strong rationale for every decision.

Yes. The Academic Program Review is just one part of North Park Next, which includes an evaluation of our administrative operating structures, our co-curricular programs, our buildings and grounds鈥攁nd a broad-based strategic planning process with our planning partner Credo鈥攁 process that invites everyone鈥檚 participation.

What do I do if my program was discontinued? Can I complete my degree?
Yes! You will complete your degree in the program you chose. We will 鈥渢each out鈥� every North Park student currently enrolled in the affected programs.

What if my major just got changed to a minor? Is that still my major?
Yes, it is. It is still a major for you. You will complete your degree in the program you chose.

Do I need to transfer my credits in this program to another college or university?
No, no need. These changes don鈥檛 have any effect at all on your progress to the completion of your program and your degree here at North Park.

What effect will the change in my program have on my financial aid?
These changes have no effect on your financial aid! Your status as a highly valued student at North Park does not change at all as a result of this program review.

Who do I talk to if I have a question about the status of my program?
If you have immediate questions, get in touch with the Office of the Provost: provost@northpark.edu.

How will Christian Studies for undergraduates be enhanced?
The Christian Studies Department will be discontinued in the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, and reimagined and redesigned within North Park Theological Seminary 鈥� providing undergraduate students with religious educational opportunities that take full advantage of our Seminary鈥檚 exceptional faculty, programmatic resources, and missional ethos. The Seminary is known for its innovative programs and pedagogy and this change has been discussed at North Park for many years. An enhanced undergraduate theology curriculum taught in our Seminary should become a highly visible and high-impact aspect of our emergence as a singularly compelling model for Christian higher education in 21st Century America.

I鈥檓 not a Theatre major, but I love theater. Can I still get involved?
Yes, absolutely! Theatre is still here, it鈥檚 just a minor, not a major. North Park students have long enjoyed excellent and memorable exposure to Theatre as a vibrant co-curricular experience鈥攁nd the University will continue to invest in this robust involvement from students across campus.

I saw that Scandinavian Studies has gone from a major to a minor. Will North Park continue to express its commitment to its Swedish heritage?
North Park鈥檚 Swedish heritage and founding identity continue in the minor, and in the Center for Scandinavian Studies (CSS). Endowed by the Hugo A. Anderson Chair in Scandinavian Studies in 1982 and created in 1984, the Center will continue as a major focal point for Scandinavian academic and cultural interests in Chicago. The CSS sponsors visiting professors, lectures, concerts, and exhibits, bringing many talented and accomplished Scandinavians to the city of Chicago. North Park鈥檚 strong commitment to study abroad programs in Scandinavia will also be maintained, including the Group Exchange program with S枚dra V盲tterbygdens Folkh枚gskola (SVF) in J枚nk枚ping, Sweden.

Will the value of my degree be affected by the discontinuation of my program?
In a positive way, yes! The changes we are making will strengthen the University overall, and help us thrive far into the future. We are doing this work so that every 萝莉社 degree will increase in value year in and year out, for many years to come.