New Beacons from across the state, the country and from across the Pacific Ocean arrived on campus Sat., Aug. 27, 2016, to begin orientation for the Fall Semester.
Students and their families were greeted in the Quad by the admissions and residence life teams as well as by student orientation leaders. They picked up identification cards and walked to various stations to check in with residence life, financial aid, IT, campus ministry, and other campus service providers.
NCU President Joseph Womack addressed the students and their families during a Chapel Service in the Morse Events Center. He talked about the NCU Idea and the University’s commitment to education grounded in Faith Wisdom Service.
“We are committed to creating an education here that will inspire you to seek [with passion] God’s call for your life AND provide you the knowledge, experience, inspiration and skills necessary to answer that call successfully.
It is our prayer for you that you will not be content with merely gaining technical skill and knowledge, and seek a certificate or pass to career – that you can do almost anywhere.
Make a commitment to DARE to go beyond knowing good and doing good –endeavor to engage your college experience in a manner that allows for the transformative power of Jesus Christ in your life.
For it is my hope for you, that by the time you graduate you will have:
Matured in your love of God and others have grown in knowledge and depth of insight capable of discerning what is truly best, good, beautiful, and virtuous;
Able to hear and pursue [with great enthusiasm] God’s call on your life – his good and perfect will for your service in career, and to family, church, and community;
And be filled with the fruit of righteousness – be found successful in whatever you put your hands to – all to the Glory and Praise of God
My commitment to you is this: that we will do all we can to ensure your experience at NCU is a successful and a deeply rewarding one.
Welcome to NCU! – I LOOK FORWARD TO CHEERING YOU ON AS YOU JOURNEY toward God’s call for you at this special place.” — President Joseph D. Womack
After Chapel Service, students were divided into groups to begin the annual Fish Week tradition; the first four days campus life when students meet new classmates, settle into the residence halls, participate in a variety of fun activities, and prepare for the first day of class on Wed., Aug. 31, 2016.
In his comments to parents and students, Michael Fuller, NCU’s Vice President for Enrollment and Student Development introduced the class of 2020.
“Our incoming class is made up of 137 students – 83 freshmen and 54 transfers. Academically, many of you have taken heavy course loads including honors and AP classes and even International Baccalaureate programs while maintaining excellent GPAs.
Sixty-six percent of the incoming class is female and 34% male.
You come from all over. Thirty-four percent of you are from the Eugene/Springfield area. Thirty-seven percent of you are from out of the state of Oregon, including states such as California (17), Washington (14), Idaho (3), Alaska (2), Georgia (2), Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and seven of you are International Students from South Korea, Brazil, China, the Czech Republic, El Salvador and Canada.
As an incoming class, you are full of leaders…
Thirty-nine of you have gone on mission trips to countries including, but not limited to Mexico, Chile, China, Columbia, Panama City, France, India, Uganda , and Honduras.
More than 45 of you were actively involved as student leaders and clubs including 18 of you that were in student government, 17 of you that were team captains, and a number of you that were either student body president or Senior Class President.
Eighty-seven of you played sports in high school and many of will be representing NCU on the court, playing field, track or course.
Seventy-five of you have been extremely active in volunteer and church work and community service including: blood drives, Youth Works Foundation, leading camps for underprivileged kids, soup kitchens, church teas, Parties in the Park, many kinds of Church ministry, school volunteers, child care assistants, teaching elderly to use modern technology, summer camps and VBS, tutoring & mentoring, anti-bullying campaigns, food pantries, Special Olympics, and so much more.
You are beyond gifted and many of your talents and awards include Three-sport athletes, technical awards for theater, writing scholars, Miss Lane County and Miss Emerald Valley, a Taekwondo Black Belt, and multiple scholar athletes.”
The parent also heard a presentation from Alumni Director Corynn Gilbert and had the opportunity to meet NCU’s executive leadership team, administrators, professors and staff.