天美传媒 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 天美传媒 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!
天美传媒 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.
天美传媒 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.
City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Cheryl Hyman, a 2004 天美传媒 Unviersity graduate in the master of arts in community development program, joined Mayor Rahm Emanuel and representatives from universities to announce the expansion of the Chicago Star Partnership initiative. Twelve Chicagoland schools have committed to providing scholarships for Star students to earn four-year degrees.
Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and City Colleges Chancellor Cheryl Hyman announce more universities providing scholarships for Star students to earn four-year degrees
CHICAGO (November 6, 2015) — Mayor Rahm Emanuel and City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) Chancellor Cheryl Hyman announced on Thursday that five additional colleges have joined the Chicago Star Partnership, a group of four-year colleges and universities who have committed to providing scholarships to Chicago Star Scholars following their graduation from CCC.
University of Chicago, Columbia College, Northeastern Illinois University, 天美传媒, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago have joined seven other Chicago colleges and universities signing on to offer Star Scholars—high-achieving Chicago Public Schools (CPS) graduates who earn associate degrees and other certifications at City Colleges—with financial support to continue their education.
“By breaking down financial barriers to a college education, the Chicago Star Scholarship is opening up more pathways to the middle class for hardworking Chicago students and by expanding this partnership, we are taking our city’s commitment to making college more affordable to the next level,” said Mayor Emanuel. “I want to thank these 12 university partners for helping Chicago’s Star Scholars gain access to a four-year degree. We must continue working to ensure that a college education is within the reach of every hardworking Chicago student, regardless of their ability to pay.”
These institutions join DePaul University, Governors State University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Loyola University, National Louis University, Roosevelt University, and the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Chicago Star Partnership.
In its inaugural year, the Chicago Star Scholarship has enabled nearly 1,000 CPS graduates to pursue their degrees from City Colleges free-of-charge. This expansion of the Chicago Star Partnership ensures Star Scholars will have further opportunities to pursue a four-year degree at a significantly reduced cost after successfully completing associate degrees at one of the City Colleges of Chicago.
“Most of the time, a high school diploma simply doesn’t cut it anymore,” said City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Cheryl Hyman. “Not only can City Colleges of Chicago equip these high-achieving students with an associate degree at an affordable price, but these partnerships will significantly reduce the cost of attaining a bachelor degree that employers in many industries increasingly want to see on an applicant’s resume.”
Each of the 12 university partners have committed to creating an opportunity that will allow Star Scholars to continue their college education following a successful completion at CCC. These packages range in monetary value between $2,500 and $25,000 each year. Some of these awards are merit-based and some are needs-based, but all are “last dollar” scholarships that may be applied in addition to other financial aid awards earned. Furthermore, each of the partners has committed to providing Star students transferring in with advising and transition supports.
The Star Scholarship for Chicago Public School (CPS) graduates was established in 2014 to ensure that all hard-working students would have an opportunity to pursue college coursework at the City Colleges, despite any financial barriers they might face.
Mayor Emanuel and CCC launched the Star Scholarship in 2014 to ensure that all hard-working students would have an opportunity to pursue college coursework, despite any financial barriers they might face. To qualify, CPS students must meet specific criteria to be chosen as Star Scholars at City Colleges of Chicago. These students must graduate with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, demonstrate “completion ready” ability with an ACT math and English score of 17, and enroll in one of CCC’s structured, relevant pathways.
Students meeting these criteria will be offered waivers for all tuition and books for up to three years at City Colleges of Chicago. For students who did not meet the completion-ready criteria but have achieved a 3.0 GPA, they may participate in remedial coursework until they demonstrate college-readiness, and will then receive the scholarship and tuition waiver.
The Star Scholarship program is one of many reforms created under the City College’s Reinvention effort. Since the Reinvention began in 2010, CCC has made significant investments in all seven colleges to ensure that all degrees and certificates are made relevant to the demands of the workplace and four-year institutions, and to deliver enhanced academic supports for students to ensure that they have the tools and support they need to be successful in their pathway of choice. This year, CCC realized its highest graduation rate on record—17 percent—which is more than double the rate since the launch of the Reinvention effort.
For more information about the Chicago Star Scholarship at City Colleges of Chicago visit .
Dr. Terry Lindsay, 天美传媒鈥檚 dean of diversity and intercultural programs and associate professor of cultural studies, also leads the , which through a series of events and experiences offered each year, seeks to sustain a campus community that appreciates diversity and embraces our differences as well as our similarities.
Q&A with Dr. Terry Lindsay ahead of the Seventh Annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference
CHICAGO (October 29, 2015) 鈥� For the first time in the history of 天美传媒 there is no racial or ethnic majority in the school鈥檚 undergraduate population. No group of students, including white students, reaches above fifty percent, highlighting the University鈥檚 commitment to creating a diverse campus community.
鈥淥ur student body reflects Jesus鈥檚 vision recorded in the Gospel of Luke in which 鈥榩eople will come from the east and west, north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God,鈥欌�� said University President David Parkyn in a recent address. 鈥淥ur founding President David Nyvall had a vision for 鈥榟armony in the midst of diversity,鈥� and with Christ at the center of 天美传媒 we stand with our arms wide open.鈥�
Diversity as a theme has been present across campus this academic year. 天美传媒 Theological Seminary hosted its annual , with a focus on 鈥淩ace and Racism.鈥� The University also hosted the Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) , where hundreds of faculty and staff from Christian higher education institutions gathered for a series of workshops aimed at creating inclusive communities.
This year鈥檚 Campus Theme program, , has also provided students an opportunity to learn and engage alongside a diverse set of voices. On Friday, October 9, students, faculty, and staff gathered in Anderson Chapel to hear from Gerardo C谩rdenas, a Mexico City-born writer and journalist who now lives in Chicago. His book Our Lady of the Viaduct is the University鈥檚 Common Read selection this year, where incoming freshmen have a shared experience of reading the same book鈥攕elected based on the Campus Theme鈥攁nd then gather throughout the year to discuss its meanings and implications.
The focus on diversity will continue next week as 天美传媒 hosts its . On November 7, college students and staff from around the country will gather for leadership development training and a series of workshops centered around equipping a generation of leaders who can be change agents for their communities.
The Seventh Annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference takes place at 天美传媒 on Saturday, November 7. Registration is still available. For more information, visit .
Ahead of the conference, we sat down with Dr. Terry Lindsay, 天美传媒鈥檚 dean of diversity and intercultural programs and associate professor of cultural studies, for a conversion about diversity on campus.
天美传媒: When you hear the statistics about the changing demographics at 天美传媒, what鈥檚 your reaction?聽
Terry Lindsay: I鈥檓 actually not surprised. I knew that the University was heading in that direction for a number of reasons, one of them being that the country as a whole is shifting and changing demographically. There are more Latino students all across the country for a variety of reasons. Europeans are not coming to the country in the same kinds of numbers as they used to in the 鈥�50s, 鈥�60s, 鈥�70s. There鈥檚 also a that indicated that for the first time in the history of this country there are now more children of color born in the U.S. each year than white children. So the country is changing and I鈥檝e always thought that 天美传媒 would eventually change in demographics as well. And it鈥檚 exciting for everybody.
gave a speech at our last full faculty meeting and he talked about 天美传媒 becoming the next great university as it relates to urban education. And I think that鈥檚 what we can do with this change in demographics. We are ideally positioned in terms of our demographic makeup to prepare students for the global world that we鈥檙e graduating them into. And we don鈥檛 have to take them somewhere else to do that. They can do it right here on campus by virtue of the interactions that they will have in the classroom, , in co-curricular activities, , and in our leadership opportunities. We are perfectly positioned and ideally situated to prepare students who are interculturally competent.
NP: What has 天美传媒 done in recent years to help facilitate a diverse community?聽
Lindsay: First I have to credit our colleagues over in the admissions office. They have made a concentrated effort towards the recruitment of underrepresented students. They鈥檝e developed relationships with organizations that serve these students, including , , and the , among others. We also have our own programs, like , which, partnering with the Evangelical Covenant Church, sponsors regional events aimed at creating pathways for underserved students to start imagining college in their futures. So there are a number of organizations that we are deliberately and intentionally developing a partnership with and spreading the word about 天美传媒.
The reality is, a number of underrepresented students don鈥檛 know a lot about 天美传媒. But when they come beyond those gates and they see the beautiful campus that we have and they interact with some of our own underrepresented students, they can鈥檛 help but go back and talk about what a terrific experience it was.
NP: When you think about American higher education in general, there are some schools, I imagine, who are doing this work better than others. Where do you see the gaps and also the potential in higher education moving towards the creating of a more diverse learning community?
Lindsay: I do a lot of traveling to other college campuses for diversity conferences and I am shocked when I get to these campuses to see that they are still majority-white. And when I say 鈥渕ajority-white,鈥� I mean eighty to ninety percent white. I鈥檓 like, 鈥淵ou won鈥檛 be sustainable doing this!鈥� Some secular institutions are doing a better job. 天美传媒 and a few others are leading the way in terms of Christian schools recruiting underrepresented students. We still have a ways to go in creating a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible environment for the students that we have. We still need to work on that. But in terms of going out and recruiting underrepresented students, we have not mastered it, but we are moving in the right direction.
NP: And there are programs in place here once students come to campus, things like , , , and others.
Lindsay: After you鈥檝e recruited these students, you need to make sure that it鈥檚 an environment that will adjust to the differences in their learning styles, to the differences in the way they access the place, and to the fact that many of these students are the first in their family to go to college. Many underrepresented students don鈥檛 know how to seamlessly transition to campus. So we need to provide programs that will aid in the acclamation to the institution. We have the Latino student orientation, 笔谤别辫谩谤补迟别, that brings Latino students to campus before the start of opening week to get them more acclimated to the institution. You have the COMPASS program, which takes academically at-risk students who were admitted provisionally, and provides an enriched experience for them. There are a number of programs that have been developed to help these students ease into the college environment.
I recently met with a group of Latino students who participated in 笔谤别辫谩谤补迟别. And a young woman said, 鈥淭he Latino orientation was so helpful for me because it allowed me to experience the college before the pressure of everything else happened. I didn鈥檛 know if I was good enough, But the Latino orientation program gave me the confidence that I needed and it was just so useful for me.鈥� That鈥檚 what these programs do and I am in support of them all.
NP: The Student Diversity Leadership Conference is in its seventh year. What are you looking forward to?
Lindsay: I look forward to the fact that every year, the conference is a vehicle that provides nourishment to the participants who are going to be here. People are traveling from far and near to come, including Seattle and Omaha. This conference will help them to develop the intercultural competency skills that they need to go back to their campuses and communities to be agents of change. So we work hard to make sure that happens.
NP: Over the years as conference attendees have gone back to their campuses to do the work of diversity leadership. Have you been able to see some of that change implemented?聽
Lindsay: It鈥檚 always fun to go to a campus that has been to your conference and to see how they鈥檙e applying what they have learned. Recently I went down to Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn., and one of their faculty members had come to our conference. She met with me and said, 鈥淲e want to do some of these things that I learned.鈥� And so she began the process of pulling together a diversity committee on her campus. She brought me down for an entire day and I met with the provost, academic deans, vice president for student affairs, students, and the university committee. It was really nice to talk with them about the future of Christian higher education as it relates to diversity and the role that they can play and what we鈥檝e all learned from the diversity conference at 天美传媒.
The Seventh Annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference takes place at 天美传媒 on Saturday, November 7. Registration is still available. For more information, .
天美传媒 Honors Three Alumni at Annual Homecoming Breakfast
Distinguished Young Alumni Award winner Deborah Wanderley dos Santos C’10 performed at Saturday's Reunion and Awards Breakfast.
Awards presented for commitment to lives of signifigance and service
CHICAGO (October 22, 2015) — At the annual Reunion and Awards Breakfast, held this year on Saturday, October 17, three for leading lives that represent the mission and spirit of the University. Honorees included Déborah Wanderley dos Santos, Megan (Streedain) Tamte, and Peter Tufo.
Wanderley dos Santos, recipient of the 2015 Distinguished Young Alumni Award, graduated from 天美传媒 in 2010 with a bachelor of music in performance. Since then, she has performed in major music halls worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Festival Hall in London, and Konzerthass in Vienna. Currently she is a violinst in the São Paulo Symphony, considered the top orchestra in Brazil and South America. She is also pursuing her master’s degree at SãoPaulo State University in strings pedagogy.
“One of the things I so appreciate about Déborah’s story is that it reminds me that while we have all called 天美传媒 home, our paths here and our paths since our time here often look very unique,” said Melissa Vélez Luce, director of alumni relations, in presenting Wanderley dos Santos the award. “Déborah is someone whose musical talent is impressive enough to stand on its own. However, it is her tenacity and determination, in addition to her deep commitment to serve others, that truly embody what it means to live a life of significance.”
This year’s recipient of the 天美传媒 Distinguished Alumni Award was Megan (Streedain) Tamte. Less than 10 years after graduating from 天美传媒 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and Spanish, Tamte co-founded the retail clothing chain Evereve, formerly known as Hot Mama. Since its first store opened in 2004 near Minneapolis, the company now has 60 locations across 21 states, with more than 1,000 employees.
“Megan allowed her faith in God to guide her home, her family, her decision-making, and her successful business,” said Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Mary Surridge. “Megan can say with conviction and confidence that the platform she occupies as CEO of Evereve allows for the broad and deep sharing of her faith, her gifts, and her story with clients, colleagues, and friends.”
Although Peter Tufo, 2015 天美传媒 Academy Distinguished Alumni honoree, was unable to attend Saturday’s breakfast, his commitment to a life of significance and service was celebrated by the 天美传媒 community. Tufo, a 1955 graduate, served as the U.S. Ambassador to Hungary from 1997–2001. Before that, he enjoyed a long career in public service, including serving as chair of the New York City Board of Corrections and the New York State Thruway Authority.
“The trajectory of Peter’s life journey brought together a commitment to make things happen at the highest levels of corporate business with a corresponding commitment to attend to neighbor’s good," said 天美传媒 President David Parkyn. "He was able to do so through some of the most challenging assignments in public service in New York City. It is our honor today to recognize him, 60 years following his graduation from 天美传媒, as the 2015 Academy Distinguished Alumnus.”
For the third year in a row, 天美传媒’s football program earned a win in front of the Homecoming crowd, delivering a dominant 24-14 victory over CCIW foe Elmhurst College.
Alumni honored as part of Homecoming weekend
CHICAGO (October 20, 2015) — Generations of 天美传媒 alumni returned to the corner of Foster and Kedzie this weekend to reconnect with the campus community as part of the .
There were , including a faculty showcase from the School of Music, an alumni art exhibit, and the annual Golden Circle reception in honor of alumni who graduated at least 50 years ago.
Alumni were also from women’s volleyball and both soccer teams. And for the third year in a row, 天美传媒’s football program earned a win in front of the Homecoming crowd, over CCIW foe Elmhurst College.
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As part of Homecoming week, several alumni were honored for their contributions to the 天美传媒 community and for leading lives of significance and service, exemplifying the University's mission.
Distinguished Young Alumni Award winner Deborah Wanderley dos Santos C’10 performed at Saturday's Reunion and Awards Breakfast.
Three 天美传媒 alumni were honored at Saturday’s Reunion and Awards Breakfast:
Peter Tufo A’55, U.S. Ambassador to Hungary from 1997–2001, Distinguished Academy Alumnus
Megan (Streedain) Tamte C’95, co-founder and CEO of Evereve, Distinguished University Alumna
Déborah Wanderley dos Santos C’10, São Paulo Symphony violinist and founder of the YOURS project, Distinguished Young Alumna
天美传媒 athletes were inducted into the Viking Hall of Fame on Friday, October 16. This year’s inductees included:
Arriel Gray Jr. C’81, football and track and field
Rich Mahoney C’69, football, baseball, and coaching
Prof. Tony Quinn, coaching and teaching
Megan (Slattery) Nikiel C’06 G’10, basketball
The 2004 Women’s Novice 4+ Rowing Team, which won the national championship during their inaugural season: Corianne (Bowman) Courtney; Allison (Koubsky) Ford C’07 G’10; Erikka (Treatch) Hedberg C’07; Rebecca (Bowman) Langworthy C’05; Annika Safstrom C’07; Tim Grant, coach
of the Hall of Fame ceremony, including speeches from a few of the honorees.
天美传媒's Gospel Choir Touring Ensemble will visit three churches in the Minneapolis area as part of its fall tour, October 23–25.
Fall tour October 23–25 to feature 33 student singers
CHICAGO (October 19, 2015) — There’s a refrain in the Gospel song “We Have Overcome” by Jay Wade that includes the lines, “We have overcome by the blood of the lamb that was slain.” The song is among the repertoire that the 天美传媒 Touring Ensemble will perform this weekend when they travel to Minnesota for a series of concerts. Dr. Helen Hudgens believes those lyrics resonate deeply with the tour’s theme, “Celebrating the Resurrected Jesus.”
, an associate professor of at 天美传媒 who serves as co-director of the choir, traces the lyrics to Scripture, as well as to the black church experience. “That line originally comes from the book of Revelation,” she says. “In the text, at the end of history, believers who had been martyred gather before God. The idea is that there’s this underlying power that brings people through. That they’ve found the ability to see the power of God carrying them through that. It’s saying, ‘I have overcome difficulties—even to the point of death.’”
Choir Director , worship coordinator for , agrees. “We celebrate with this music the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, which resides in all who believe,” Kelly says in his program notes. “This power unites us as brothers and sisters to bear his image through how we love him and each other.” There’s a history and a communal context to the theme, “and that matters as we sing these lyrics,” Hudgens adds. “We always try to bring that to our concerts.”
The ensemble will visit three Minnesota congregations of the October 23–25, during the University’s fall break. They will perform full concerts at and , and sing in worship during two Sunday morning services at .
“We celebrate with this music the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, which resides in all who believe," says Choir Director Stephen Kelly, who also serves as the worship coordinator for 天美传媒's University Ministries.
One of the School of Music’s most popular ensembles, the Gospel Choir’s performances are perennial favorites on campus. The Touring Ensemble draws students from around the country and the world, featuring 33 singers accompanied by instrumentalists. 天美传媒’s touring ensembles regularly visit parts of the country with concentrations of alumni and Evangelical Covenant Church congregations.
The ensemble will perform 14 compositions during performances and a handful of songs during worship services. Other song highlights from the tour include “Sow in Tears” by Gospel legend Richard Smallwood; the traditional spiritual “Done Made My Vow,” arranged by Nolan Williams Jr; and “Grateful” by popular singer and pastor Hezekiah Walker. “There’s a theme of looking to Jesus as the one who has walked that road before,” Hudgens says. “We follow in his footsteps, but it doesn’t mean that the road is going to be easy.”
“Sow in Tears,” with its lines “Tears may flow, but don’t let go,” doesn’t deny that there will be difficulty and sorrow in that walk. But it also refers to tears as cleansing and created by God. “It’s a word of encouragement in the struggle,” says Hudgens.
Another prominent aspect of the walk with God explored in these songs is the necessity of committing to the journey. “In ‘Done Made My Vow,’ there’s something that the person has to do—God isn’t going to do it for you,” Hudgens says. “It says that Jesus is walking in front of you, but you still have to walk the road. Hopefully you’ve had experiences which have convinced you of the fact that if you walk that road, God will be with you, but you have to make that vow.”
Despite the struggles of the African American experience that the songs are rooted in, the joy and gratefulness embedded in the music are just as central to the tour’s theme. The chorus of “Grateful” is simply that word repeated over and over. “It’s about beginning with gratitude and always remembering,” Hudgens says. “That’s where you have to start.”
All performances are free and open to the public: • Friday, October 23, 7:00 pm, at Rochester Covenant Church, Rochester, Minn. • Saturday, October 24, 7:00 pm, at Excelsior Covenant Church, Excelsior, Minn. • Sunday, October 25, 8:45 and 11:00 am, Redeemer Covenant Church, Brooklyn Park, Minn.
Mexico City-born and Chicago resident Gerardo Cárdenas, whose short novel Our Lady of the Viaduct served as this year’s Common Read, spoke to students, faculty, and staff in Anderson Chapel on Friday, October 9.
Campus Theme series begins its 13th year
CHICAGO (October 15, 2015) — has been a part of the 天美传媒 undergraduate experience for over a decade. Beginning in 2003, a yearlong series of events, lectures, and discussions occur across campus around a central question of the human experience. It is meant to connect students from a variety of disciplines in a common pursuit. Recent themes have included , , and .
This year’s theme, What Is Truth?, marks the start of a new cycle in the Campus Theme series. Over the next four years, four questions—What Is Truth? What Is Beauty? What Is Good? What Is Sacred?—will be asked. After that, the same cycle questions will begin again over the following four academic years.
“Since most undergraduate students are here for four years, our Campus Theme committee discussed the idea of a common set of questions,” says , associate professor of and the director of the Campus Theme program. “The shared experience of a single question happening across campus is essential to Campus Theme, and this allows us to enhance the shared experience across different classes and perhaps even generations of 天美传媒 graduates.”
The committee explored different ideas of what the four questions could be, and ultimately landed on these because, “they’ve been the principle big questions for universities for hundreds of years,” Clifton-Soderstrom says. “These are broad and abstract enough that will allow a lot of flexibility in the kinds of events that will happen across campus.”
The pursuit of What Is Truth? is already underway. In September, the Campus Theme program and the University's new Creative Guild brought together , professor of , and artists Catherine Prescott and , assistant professor of , for a discussion on the idea of truth in relation to art, with a focus on the artists’ recent work.
Juan Felipe Herrera, newly commissioned U.S. Poet Laureate, will visit 天美传媒 November 12–13 for a class on creative writing, a poetry reading, and a lecture in Anderson Chapel on “Truth-Telling and the Role of the Artist in Society.”
Last Friday, students, faculty, and staff gathered in Anderson Chapel to hear from Gerardo Cárdenas, a Mexico City-born writer and journalist who now lives in Chicago.
Cárdenas’s visit was particularly meaningful for 天美传媒, as his book Our Lady of the Viaduct is the University’s Common Read selection this year. The Common Read program, similar to initiatives like , is in its third year as part of . Through the program, incoming freshmen have a shared experience of reading the same book—selected based on the Campus Theme—and then gather throughout the year to discuss its meanings and implications.
Cárdenas’s book—about a 2005 sighting of what some believed to be the image of the Virgin Mary underneath a viaduct in Chicago, and the ways it affected the surrounding neighborhood—was written in Spanish. , professor of at 天美传媒 and coordinator of the Common Read, translated it into English, and sent copies to each incoming freshman last summer.
“Truth is invariably something we concern ourselves with on a daily basis,” Cárdenas said in his lecture on Friday. “Whether it is through art, or thought, or our social interaction, we’re constantly searching for something that provides meaning, and we call that truth.”
Campus Theme events will occur throughout the year, with most of them free and open to the public. Highlights this year include a visit from U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera, who will be on campus November 12–13 for a class on creative writing, a poetry reading, and a lecture in Anderson Chapel on “Truth-Telling and the Role of the Artist in Society.”
This spring, the University will also welcome Dr. Richard Kearney, the Charles B. Seeling Professor in Philosophy at Boston College. Kearney has written extensively about truth as it relates to imagination.
More events related to Campus Theme will be announced throughout the year. Please visit for updates and more information.
Christina Phillip Receives Fulbright to Teach in Brazil
Christina Phillip was also honored as one of the top college students in Illinois, by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois in the fall of her senior year. She is pictured at the ceremony at the Old State Capitol in Springfield with Dr. Charles Peterson (left), dean of the colleges of arts and sciences at 天美传媒.
Fourth member of 2015 graduating class chosen for program
CHICAGO (October 8, 2015) — 2015 graduate Christina Phillip had never heard of the Fulbright Program before she came to 天美传媒. But the and double major grew up travelling with her parents, and spent a gap year between high school and college in Honduras, Kenya, and Thailand.
“Whether it was teaching English or doing community work, I had the desire to live abroad after college,” she says. “It was just a matter of how.”
A conversation her freshman year with , professor of Spanish and Fulbright Program associate, helped guide Phillip’s path. Parkyn introduced her to the Fulbright Program, the largest U.S. international exchange program offering opportunities for students, scholars, and professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools worldwide. The program was established by the U.S. Congress in 1946, and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
Phillip became the fourth 天美传媒 student from the 2015 graduating class, and 16th student in the last seven years, to be chosen for the Fulbright program. This coming February, she will embark on a journey to Brazil, where she will teach English as a Second Language.
“I am so excited to learn the culture and to travel,” she says. “I’m also looking forward to establishing a home there. The program is 11 months long, so it’s plenty of time to establish a home and become part of the community.”
As she prepares for Brazil, Phillip is gaining firsthand classroom experience in her hometown high school in Hinsdale, Ill. This fall, she is teaching English Language Learning to a variety of students with different ages and experience levels.
“I’m teaching where I went to high school, which was weird at first,” Phillip admits. “I’m still reintroducing myself to my old teachers who are now my colleagues, and they’re asking me to call them by their first names. At the same time, it’s a familiar environment where I already feel accepted and supported.”
She says her training at 天美传媒 prepared her not only for her current position, but also for what is to come in Brazil. “I feel that overall I am pretty confident of my experience at 天美传媒 and the teaching practica that were a part of it.”
Parkyn describes Phillip as resourceful and well prepared for the opportunity in Brazil. “Christina tailored her experiences at 天美传媒 in this direction,” Parkyn says. “She is eager to know students in an international context, and I have no doubt she will be engaging and welcoming in the classroom. A more prepared candidate would be hard to find. The 天美传媒 Fulbright Campus Committee gave her our highest recommendation."
To learn more about 天美传媒’s Fulbright recipients, including Phillip’s classmates from the Class of 2015, read the .
Pope Francis traveled throughout the United States from Tuesday, September 22, to Sunday, September 27. In addition to the visit to Washington, D.C., he also participated in events in New York City and Philadelphia.
CHICAGO (October 1, 2015) — Two events were held on 天美传媒’s campus this past week in association with Pope Francis’s historic visit to the United States. They are part of the University’s efforts to engage issues of global faith and celebrate diversity in the Christian tradition.
On Thursday, September 24, faculty and staff gathered in the Johnson Center for a live showing of Pope Francis’s address to Congress. More than 50 people from the campus community joined and for this momentous occasion. Pope Francis is the first sitting pope to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress.
As part of a continuing conversation about global faith, students and faculty gathered again on Tuesday, September 29, in for an open discussion about the history and role of the papacy. Lecturer in History Michael Johnson, Professor of English , and Theological and Catologing Librarian Stephen Spencer led a question-and-answer session on a wide range of topics.
天美传媒 nurtures Christian faith while welcoming students from all backgrounds and beliefs. In addition to a large number of students from the , the University’s sponsoring denomination, and many other protestant traditions, over 20 percent of the traditional undergraduate population identifies as Catholic.
“We are so privileged as an institution to have students, faculty, and staff from various Christian traditions,” said Tony Zamble, director of University Ministries. “With this diversity, we have the opportunity to grow deeper in our walk with Christ through fellowship with one another and mutual encouragement. A potential challenge lies in the fact that we honestly don’t know each other’s stories. It is important that we seize every opportunity to learn more about one another. The Holy Father’s visit was a gift in this respect in that it exposed so many people to the richness of the Roman Catholic tradition."
The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) is a higher education association comprised of 180 Christian institutions from around the world. Its mission is to advance the cause of Christ-centered higher education and to help its institutions transform lives by faithfully relating scholarship and service to biblical truth.
天美传媒 Hosts CCCU's 2015 Diversity Conference
CHICAGO (September 30, 2015) — Last week, 天美传媒 welcomed to campus Christian higher education leaders from around the country for the 2015 Diversity Conference. Hundreds of faculty and staff from CCCU member institutions gathered from September 24–26 to discuss the challenges and opportunities that arise in creating a diverse, inclusive community.
“This conference builds on many years of people hoping to make a difference because they serve a gracious and loving God,” said CCCU President Shirley V. Hoogstra in a Friday morning address. “And while there have been many sincere efforts, I want to confess to you that at times our own efforts have been timid. But where we have been timid, we no longer will be. We are no longer going to be cautious; we are going to be visionary. If we have been distracted, we are going to be focused. If we have been inconsistent, we pledge to be trustworthy.”
On Friday and Saturday, participants met in rooms across 天美传媒’s campus to discuss topics including, “What Faculty Can Learn From Students of Color,” “Navigating Confessional Commitments and Academic Freedom,” and “Building Capacity for Diversity and Inclusion.”
天美传媒 President David L. Parkyn welcomed the audience to campus on Friday morning with a reflection on 天美传媒’s founding president, David Nyvall. The young president happened to lay the cornerstone of the University’s first building on this very weekend 122 years ago. That same weekend, Nyvall also gave an address to religious leaders from around the globe, calling for “harmony in the midst of diversity," quite simply because "hospitality is especially insisted upon.”
, Milton B. Engebretson Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism at 天美传媒 Theological Seminary, gave a plenary address on Friday night in Anderson Chapel. Rah spoke of the need for greater competency across campuses on issues related to ethnic and cultural diversity.
“Our welcome to this conference and to 天美传媒 is framed by David Nyvall’s statement,” Parkyn said. “Hospitality has been our guiding principle for 124 years.” Later in the conference, Parkyn served as a panelist with a group of presidents from CCCU member schools, who all shared how the vision of diversity is intrinsically linked to the mission of Christ-centered institutions.
On Friday afternoon, Dr. Jodi Koslow Martin, 天美传媒's vice president for student engagement, helped lead a session on navigating LGBTQA concerns on Christian campuses.
“We learn from students about where they feel safe, and we learn by listening,” Koslow Martin said, in discussing 天美传媒’s , a community on campus that seeks to break down stereotypes and stigmas that are placed on the LGBTQA community in order to create a more liberating environment where all students are able to flourish. “We have an institutional commitment to hospitality. To love every student who walks across the threshold of our doors and help them have a welcoming experience.”
Dr. Terry Lindsay, 天美传媒’s dean of , who played a key role in planning and hosting the event, also participated in a session focused on retention and success of underrepresented students. Alongside 天美传媒 staff members Dr. Velda Love, director of justice and intercultural learning, Dr. Barrington Price, director of student success, and Tony Zamble, director of , Lindsay shared a few of the University's recent strategies, programs, and practices that have allowed underrepresented students to achieve success.
天美传媒 Theological Seminary has been hosting the Symposium since 1990, collecting the papers presented each year into a scholarly journal, . Dean David Kersten (pictured above) says this year’s topic is critical. “It鈥檚 come to a point that we cannot softly pursue reconciliation. We have to take very strong anti-racism stances as a Seminary and as a church. This is an opportunity to make that critical distincition.”
September 24鈥�26; lectures available to stream live online
CHICAGO (September 16, 2015) 鈥� Next week, 天美传媒 Theological Seminary will welcome a host of scholars and church leaders to campus for its annual . The multi-day forum, held at 天美传媒 for over 25 years, includes a series of discussions led by notable experts from around the world. This year鈥檚 topic, Race and Racism, seeks to engage an issue at the forefront of many people鈥檚 minds, fostering conversations directed at creating meaningful change in the church today.
Also in attendance will be 天美传媒 Theological Seminary students, including Cheryl Lynn Cain, who says the theme of this year鈥檚 event was a big factor in her decision to attend seminary at 天美传媒.
鈥淚 was on the search for an academic community that was intentionally fostering conversations on race and the effects of racism inside and outside our church walls,鈥� Cain says. 鈥淎s a staff member in a multicultural church, I hope to understand more fully the theological and ecumenical call, the different voices and lenses, and a way forward personally and for our congregation.鈥�
Cain, a first-year student, serves as the reach ministries director at in Romeoville, Ill., located just outside the city limits southwest of Chicago. She will attend the Symposium as part of a for-credit class offered by the Seminary, taught by , where students participate in readings and discussions before and after the event.
鈥淚 know combating racism in our churches and the world is a process,鈥� Cain adds, 鈥渂ut creating margin for these conversations feels like a considerable step.鈥�
Cain is also currently enrolled in the Seminary’s Sankofa course, which focuses on racial reconciliation and this year will include a travel component to Ferguson, Missouri. These courses, along with other co-curricular opportunities, point to the importance the Seminary places on intercultural education.
The Symposium is the largest of 天美传媒 Theological Seminary鈥檚 annual lectures, where over the course of three days, eight scholars will deliver papers, with responses given by various church leaders. The event will come on the heels of another Seminary event, the annual , where two scholars lead discussions on current developments in biblical studies and the task of preaching.
This year, those scholars are from Seattle Pacific University and from Messiah College, who will each present two-part lectures on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. They will also each present papers during the Symposium later in the week.
Every autumn, 天美传媒 Theological Seminary welcomes scholars for the to focus on current developments in biblical studies and the task of preaching. This year鈥檚 event, held September 23鈥�24 ahead of the Symposium, features Dr. Bo Lim from Seattle Pacific University and Dr. Emerson Powery from Messiah College.
“As an ecumenical evangelical Seminary, we are able to gather a wide array of scholars around critical issues,” says , dean of 天美传媒 Theological Seminary. “The issue of race is complex, and unless we bring as many voices as possible together, we cannot begin to address the issue.”
The annual lectures are an important part of the experience at 天美传媒 Theological Seminary. The says that the ideas that originate in conversations like this are a necessary first step in creating change.
鈥淢ost major changes in the world鈥攏ew ways of seeing, doing, and being鈥攈ave originated first from seemingly obtuse ideas of academics,鈥� Emerson says. 鈥淭hose ideas eventually get translated into more applicable realms, and spread out, again through translators, to more and more people. So academics must gather to discuss the important issues of the day. It is their profession, it is their calling, and it is what society asks them to do. Done well, such lectures and gatherings can lead to real changes.鈥�
Emerson will be an active participant in this year鈥檚 Symposium, providing a response to Powery鈥檚 paper on Friday morning of the Symposium. Emerson has done extensive research in topics of faith and race, including the publishing of , a diagnosis into the prevalence of racism in today鈥檚 churches.
鈥淭heology is fundamental to understanding ourselves as humans and how our creator conceives of the world,鈥� Emerson says. 鈥淪o to understand how we are to relate to the concept called race, we must start with theological understanding. Did God or humans create race? What does God have to say on such a topic? Are we to be color-blind, color-conscious or something else? If we fail to explore such questions theologically, we will fail to adequately answer those questions.鈥�
This year鈥檚 Symposium begins at 7:00 pm on Thursday, September 24, concluding at 5:00 pm on Saturday, September 26. Tune in to to view a livestream of the event. .
The Nils. W. Lund Memorial Lectureship on September 23鈥�24 will also be available to .
Author tomgabrysiakPosted on Categories Stories
天美传媒 Theological Seminary has been hosting the Symposium since 1990, collecting the papers presented each year into a scholarly journal, . Dean David Kersten (pictured above) says this year’s topic is critical. “It鈥檚 come to a point that we cannot softly pursue reconciliation. We have to take very strong anti-racism stances as a Seminary and as a church. This is an opportunity to make that critical distincition.”