Aug.
21
G e or g e F ox U n i v e r s i t y
Colleague
Next Issue: Sept. 4
Volume 13
No. 13
E m p l oy e e N e w s l e t t e r
Send news items to spatterson@georgefox.edu
P r e s i d e n t ’s P r o l o g u e
Before one project is done, two more have
begun. Before I can reflect on the accomplishments of summer, the hectic pace of the fall
is upon me.As time races by, I need to pause to
reflect on recent accomplishments.This may be
why supervisors ask for reports and why it's
important for me to stop and make a list before
school starts in another week.
My memory suggests that in the past there was
an automatic pause during the first half of
August before faculty retreat, all-employee
meeting, and new student orientation that made
the evaluation easier. I write this on my way out
the door to spend the weekend on the coast
before faculty retreat, and I realize I have not
reflected on the summer at all and have only
superficially considered the last academic year.
In fact, I have about four speeches scheduled for
the next two weeks that are all far from
complete. Fortunately, the Oregon Coast is one
of the places where I find it easier to pause and
hear God.
The past several weeks I've read Ruthless Trust
by Brennan Manning as well as Henri Nouwen's
The Inner Voice of Love. Both authors write of the
need to have time to hear God speak. My
question is whether our jobs allow us such
time, or whether only monks have such a
“luxury.” If our jobs in the 21st century rule out
time to connect with God appropriately, is
there anything we can do to change it?
Such questions quickly push me to consider my
priorities.The easy solution would be to suggest
that my job is too time consuming. When I'm
honest with myself, I come to the conclusion
that even if my job took less time, time with
God might not be how I choose to spend the
newly found time.
In Inner Voice of Love, Nouwen discusses his
penchant for taking far too many assignments
because they feed his ego. So, I think I need not
only to consider priorities, but also to be more
honest with my motives for being busy. My
selfish motives may be more reason than bad
priorities to cut back my activities to better
hear God speak to me.
In the meantime, I know I have to move from
writing this article on to the next thing I “have”
to do. I trust God will give me the ability to set
right priorities for my time, but also to be clear
about why I take on so many tasks - some of
which are not required.
Deadline for Copy: Aug. 29
National Ranking
George Fox ranked 19th in its category in
U.S. News & World Report’s latest listing of
“America’s Best Colleges.”The placement
kept the university in the top tier of the
magazine’s “Best Universities – Master’sWest” category. George Fox was 18th last
year. In addition, George Fox made the
“Great Schools, Great Prices” list in the
same category, ranking ninth out of 15
schools.The rankings, including the
component information on each college’s
score, are available at usnews.com.This is
the 18th year George Fox has been ranked
as one of “America’s Best Colleges” by the
magazine.
Your Serve
About 1,300 volunteers are expected to
participate in the university’s eighth
annual Serve Day, scheduled for
Wednesday, Sept. 6.Teams of students,
faculty, and staff will work on a variety of
projects – including painting, weeding,
cleaning, and visitation – for nonprofits,
public agencies, churches, and retirement
homes in Yamhill,Washington,
Multnomah, and Clackamas counties.
Organizers plan to send groups to more
than 60 sites.The day begins with a
continental breakfast from 7:45 to 8:30
a.m. An event kickoff is set for 8:30 a.m.,
after which teams will depart for locations
at 9 a.m.The day concludes with a dinner
beginning at 4:30 p.m.
Labor Day
Employees in Portland, Boise, Salem, and
Redmond will get a day off on Monday,
Sept. 4, in recognition of the Labor Day
holiday.The Newberg campus will stay
with its traditional schedule, remaining
open on Labor Day and closing for a midsemester holiday on Friday, Oct. 13.
Portland, Boise, Salem, and Redmond will
not take a mid-semester holiday.
Lunch Break
A George Fox Auxiliary luncheon is
scheduled for noon on Friday, Sept. 1, in
the Cap and Gown Room.The program
will include tours of the new dormitory
and the remodeled Hoover Academic
Building, among other projects.The cost is
$6.50, and reservations may be made by
calling Nancy Lamm at 503-537-2321 or
Louise Clarkson at 503-538-2950.
Lindgren Gallery will host the first of a
series of art shows Aug. 28 through Oct.
13. “Calligraphy Remembered” will
feature the work of nationally known
calligrapher Father Robert Pallidino.
Palladino is a priest and former Reed
College professor who plans to teach a
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Newberg | Portland | Boise | Salem | Redmond
COMINGS AND GOINGS
Lisa McMinn’s hiring as
an associate professor in
the sociology department
marks a return to George
Fox for her. Lisa was an
adjunct professor at the
university in 1992-93 before moving to
the Midwest, where she was an assistant
professor of sociology at Trinity
International University in Deerfield, Ill.,
from 1995 to 1998. Most recently, she
was a sociology professor at Wheaton
College in Wheaton, Ill. Lisa earned a
doctorate in systems science and sociology
from Portland State University in 1995.
She holds a master’s degree in sociology
from PSU and a bachelor’s degree in
human resource management from
George Fox. She has written three books;
her most recent is The Contented Soul,
which was released this spring. She and
her husband, Mark, a professor in the
university’s psychology department, live
in Newberg.The couple has three adult
children and attends Newberg Friends
Church.
Mark R. McMinn
returns to George Fox to
serve as a professor in
psychology after working
in Wheaton College’s
Department of
Psychology in Wheaton, Ill., since 1993.
He was appointed to an endowed
professorship at Wheaton in 1996;
directed its PsyD program from 1996 to
1999; and founded the Center for
Church-Psychology Collaboration in
1999. Mark taught at George Fox from
1984 to 1993. His doctorate in clinical
psychology is from Vanderbilt University.
Mark has just completed his term as
president of the American Psychological
Association’s Psychology of Religion
division. He has written a number of
books, the most recent of which is Finding
Our Way Home:Turning Back to What
Matters Most. He is married to Lisa, an
All About Art
Colleague
calligraphy course at George Fox in the
spring. From Oct. 23 through Nov. 24, the
watercolors of Bart Morse, a retired
University of Arizona art professor, will
be featured. Finally, from Dec. 1 through
Jan. 26, the George Fox University Art
Collection Show, featuring various works
from the university’s growing art
collection, will be on display.
associate professor in George Fox’s
sociology department.
•
August 21, 2006
Student Life welcomes Mark
Benjamin to serve as
director of discipleship and
worship arts. He recently
earned a master’s degree in
Christian leadership from
Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky.,
where he also worked in the Office of
Community Life the past two years. Mark
previously served as a worship pastor at a
church plant in Lexington, Ky. Originally
from Canada, he received a bachelor’s degree
in religion from Bethany Bible College in
New Brunswick. He and his wife, Erin, have
two children, Silas (2) and John Ezra (one
month).They live in Newberg.
Gina Worley joined the
admissions office as an
administrative assistant in
July. Since 2004, she has been
a unit secretary in the
pediatric ICU department at
Emanuel Children’s Hospital
in Portland. Before that, she worked as a
senior nursing assistant in pediatrics at the
University of California, San Diego Medical
Center. She attended Pepperdine University
and Palomar Community College in
California. She lives in Newberg with her
husband, Chris, and children Christa, Sarah,
and Jacob.The family attends Newberg First
Baptist Church.
Martha Wood joined
Student Life as an area
coordinator in Le Shana
Residence Hall in July. She
spent the past three years as a
resident director at Spring
Arbor University in Michigan. Martha also
taught freshman experience classes and
directed Spring Arbor’s ladies’ conferences in
the springs of 2004 and 2005. She earned a
bachelor’s degree in Christian educational
ministries from Taylor University in Upland,
Ind., in 2001. Martha grew up in Albany,
Ore., and is glad to be back in the Willamette
Valley.
Jim Steele joins the School
of Management as an assistant
professor and director of the
professional MBA program.
Jim has been teaching
management and organization
courses as an adjunct instructor at George
Fox since the summer of 2004. He also has
served as an adjunct faculty member at
Marylhurst University since September of
2004 and taught courses for Intel from 1988
through 2002. He earned a doctor of
education degree through George Fox’s EDFL
program this year and received a master’s
degree in management from Marylhurst in
1990. He lives in Tualatin with his wife, Deb.
They have two adult children and attend
Living Savior Lutheran Church in Tualatin.
was published in the Review of Biblical
Literature, and his review of Liturgies of
Quakerism was published in Quaker Studies. In
June, Paul led a consultation on congregational
discernment on Orcas Island, focusing on
examples of Spirit-led decision making in
various Christian traditions.The event
included his presentation of a paper entitled
“Corporate Discernment among Friends.”
Faculty members not returning this fall are:
Raymond Anderson (Cinema and
Communication), Ludmila Praslova
(Psychology), Linda Townsend-Johnson
(Education), Michele Wayte (Management),
Wes Cook (Health and Human Performance),
and Mindy Larson (Education).
Craig Johnson (Management) made a
presentation, “Ethical Engagement Revisited,”
at the Engaging Theory:Transforming
Organizations conference held in Aspen,
Colo., July 29-31. He also served as a
reviewer for the most recent edition of
CommunicationYearbook, a publication
annually produced by the International
Communication Association.
Louise Newswanger and Becky Artinian
Kaiser (Library) attended the Summit
Borrowing Day at Washington State
University at Vancouver on July 27.Thirtythree libraries from the Orbis Cascade
Alliance were represented. Louise presented
“How Pickup Anywhere and Same Site
Requesting Works” and did a group
presentation on “Just in Time Processing.”
MOVERS & QUAKERS
Jan Amerson (Financial Affairs) has been
promoted from an accounting specialist to an
accountant I position.
Josh Priester (Security Services) has made
the transition from part time to full time as a
security officer
Ed Higgins (Writing/Literature) had two
poems, “Night Grazing” and “Solstice,”
published in the Summer 2006 issue of The
Centrifugal Eye, a Seattle-based online literary
journal.
Merrill Johnson (Library) attended the
Snezek Library Leadership Institute at Gordon
College July 20-22, leading a session that
pertained to the academic library of the
future.The institute was attended by CCCU
library directors.
ABOUT OUR PEOPLE
Phil Smith’s (Religious Studies) article, “The
Just War and Integrational Pacifism,” appeared
in a book, Pazifismus: Ideengeschichte,Theorie
und Proxis, published this year by Haupt
Verlag in Bern, Switzerland.
IN THE FAMILY
Ginny Birky (MAT), Marc Shelton
(EDFL), and Scot Headley (EDFL) wrote
an article, “An Administrator’s Challenge:
Encouraging Teachers to Be Leaders,” that was
published in the June 2006 issue of the NASSP
Bulletin, the premier journal for the National
Association of Secondary School Principals.
Plant Services welcomes
Kristen Findley to work in
custodial services.The
daughter of Patty Findley
(Athletics), Kristen returned
to Newberg after working as
a teacher and administrator at the Cedar
Creek Child Care Center in Hebo, Ore.,
since 2001. Before that, she cleaned
properties for Proposal Rock Condominiums
and Grey Fox Rentals in Neskowin, Ore. She
has two children, daughter Dylan (15) and
son A.J. (14).
Michael Tomlin (Management) taught a
two-day seminar on critical thinking for the
State of Idaho’s Department of Human
Resources in Pocatello, Idaho, on June 27-28.
In attendance were 24 managers from Idaho
state agencies, including Fish and Game,
Health and Welfare, and the State Tax
Commission.
Kelly Chang joins the
psychology department as an
assistant professor this fall.
The opportunity to teach at
George Fox gives Kelly a
chance to return to Oregon:
She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology
from Linfield College in 1997. Since 2002,
Kelly has been an instructor in the University
of Hawaii’s psychology department. She
earned a PhD in psychology from the
University of Hawaii, Manoa, this spring. She
also holds a master’s degree in psychology
from the University of Hawaii.
Irv Brendlinger’s (Religious Studies)
article, “John Wesley and Slavery: Myth and
Reality,” was published in the current issue of
the Wesleyan Theological Journal.The article
explores Wesley’s true position on slavery and
the slave trade .
Condolences go to Chris Young (Graduate
Admissions), who recently lost both her
father and mother in a one-week span. Prayer
for Chris and the family is appreciated.
BIRTHDAYS
Aug. 21
Aug. 24
Aug. 26
Aug. 27
Aug. 28
Aug. 31
Sept. 1
CALENDAR
Debbie Berho (Communication Arts)
completed requirements for recertification as
an American Council on the Teaching of
Foreign Languages oral proficiency interviews
tester.
Monday, Aug. 28
First Day of Undergraduate Classes
Newberg Chapel
David Brandt, 10:40 a.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 29
Faculty Lunch, Noon
Wednesday, Aug. 30
Newberg Chapel
Honors Convocation, 10:40 a.m.
Friday, Sept. 1
Worship Gathering
Bauman Auditorium, 10:40 a.m.
Paul Anderson’s (Religious Studies) essay,
“Aspects of Historicity in the Gospel of John Implications for Investigations of Jesus and
Archaeology,” was published in Jesus and
Archaeology, and his review of Craig Keener’s
The Gospel of John:A Commentary (twovolume set) was published in Interpretation.
Also, Paul’s review of Scott Lewis’ The Gospel
Auxiliary Lunch
Klages Dining Room, Noon
Movie on the Lawn
Centennial Tower Lawn, 9 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 2
Men’s Soccer vs.Warner Pacific
Morse Soccer Field, 2:30 p.m.
According to John and the Johannine Letters
Colleague
•
Newberg | Portland | Boise | Salem | Redmond
Creagh Schoen
Mary Olson
Mark Selid
Sheila Bartlett
Karlyn Fleming
John Natzke
Andy Dunn
Sondra Creason
Ginger Hoover
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August 21, 2006