2021 ANNUAL REPORT
2021
ANNUAL REPORT My optimism for Whitworth’s future, to borrow from Scripture, is built on solid ground. Ours is an enduring mission, one that we embrace, protect and live into. As a community, we are bonded in the redeeming life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our students are bright, talented and motivated. Our faculty and staff are dedicated, caring and smart. Whitworth University has been, is now, and will continue to be a place that shapes our students for a world that so desperately needs them. In that confidence, I find assurance and joy. I hope and trust that you do too. At the end of a fundraising campaign, the subsequent report tends to focus on the words “funds,” “raised” and “results.” We are thrilled to report that a milestone $156 million was raised during The Campaign for Whitworth. But more accurately, and appropriately, I suggest that different words apply to Whitworth’s campaign: “gifts,” “impact” and, most importantly, “you.” This was a tremendously successful and blessed campaign solely because of you: your generosity, your sacrifice, your faithful dedication. Your philanthropy has made, and will continue to make, an immeasurable and lasting impact. Through the gifts of 23,500 donors, more students have greater access to Whitworth; new and enhanced programs strengthen the 2
student experience; important campus facilities were constructed or renovated; the university’s endowment increased substantially from current gifts, and it will grow even more from the commitment of future gifts. You offered your gifts to Whitworth, but it’s really about what has been made possible through your gifts. Through your gifts, doors of opportunity are opened that otherwise wouldn’t be: Students are provided first-rate academic, residential and co-curricular experiences; new and better facilities and spaces yield finer classroom, research and performance experiences; campus ministry programs expand, serving and growing students in broader and deeper ways; and in the end, through your gifts – through you – students graduate from Whitworth better equipped to serve the world in the vocations they feel called to pursue. Our hope in Christ. An enduring mission. Generous, faithful supporters. Simply great people who love and serve this campus every day. That all adds up to a result that matters most: solid ground.
Scott McQuilkin, Interim President
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THRIVING TOGETHER »
Whitworth thrives because we love, serve and support each other every day, in countless ways. Through this faithful, faith-filled community, our students receive a transformative education that equips them to work for the good of others in communities worldwide.
The Thrive Fund
Student Success
Whitworth Inq
The Thrive Fund demonstrates love in action. When unexpected challenges hit, students’ safety nets can break. That’s when caring donors, through the Thrive Fund, step up to meet students’ needs. During the 2020-21 academic year, 46 students received emergency help with meals, tuition, rent and textbooks.
“Pirates Keep an Eye Out.” That’s the motto of the Student Success Team. The team’s mission is to identify students who are at risk academically or personally and connect them with helpful resources and supportive relationships. When Student Success receives an Early Alert that a student may be struggling, a member of the team works with the student to develop an individualized strategy to help them navigate the challenges they face. The student may also be paired with a peer success coach – an undergraduate student-leader who cares about the student’s journey and helps them achieve their goals.
Whitworth equips students to land good jobs, which is the No. 1 goal of most students. But since many of today’s jobs will likely evolve or not even exist in 10 years, students need versatile skills sets. That’s why we developed Whitworth Inq – a shared general curriculum with more than 400 classes from which students create their own interdisciplinary course plan based on their career interests.
One of the students is Michael Emerick ’22, whose father died from cancer during Emerick’s first year at Whitworth. “His loss sent a devastating blow to me and my family emotionally, spiritually and financially,” Emerick says. “The Textbook Lending Library has helped take some of the financial burden of my schooling off my widowed mother, which provides an immense relief in our lives.”
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“Student Success partnered with several of my students last year,” says Assistant Professor of Psychology Alisha Epps. “The multiple ways they reached out to the students and the connections they formed with them were invaluable. Knowing they were supported in the classroom by their professor and outside the classroom by Student Success was key to the students learning new routes to success.”
For example, a pre-med student who wants to serve rural Alaskan communities would take the required science courses, but their Whitworth Inq studies might also include the classes Race & Ethnicity, Native American Literature, Interpersonal Communication, and CrossCultural Ministry. Whitworth Inq leads students to make important connections across academic disciplines, preparing them to stand out in the workplace and to adapt and thrive as their careers – and their lives – evolve.
95%
Students who created a job-search and employment portfolio appropriate for their field (2019-20)
!
Career development resources and opportunities available to students Whitworth Center for Career & Professional Development » Four-year career navigation plan » Eight career competencies employers need » How to develop a career portfolio
School of Education » Dedicated staff provide jobseeking assistance » Mock interviews with school administrators for studentteachers
Collaborations between the office of institutional advancement, the Center for Career & Professional Development, the College of Arts & Sciences, and the School of Business » Career Treks to Spokane, Seattle, Portland and elsewhere enable students to build connections for internships and jobs » Mock interviews with local business leaders
NCAA EXCELLENCE
21
Division III sports
235 Whitworth studentathletes recognized as NWC scholar-athletes in 2020-21
12
Consecutive NWC All-Sports trophies
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ESSENTIAL ENGAGEMENT » “I find it a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be in
Top Producer of Fulbright Scholars With a mutual emphasis on strengthening crosscultural skills and building community, the Fulbright Program and Whitworth are a natural fit. It’s no surprise, then, that in 2019-20, Whitworth was named a top producer of Fulbright students among U.S. colleges and universities. Cheyenne Scherf ’19 is one of three alumni who received Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Awards that year. Her time in Germany propelled her interest in becoming a teacher and led her to seek other opportunities abroad. “I appreciate that I got to have this cultural immersion experience, use a second language in a practical way, gain new perspectives, meet people from all over the world, and further my professional experience,” she says. Scherf is now a teacher assistant in Spain. “The program encourages Whitworth graduates to become self-sufficient in a new cultural context,” says Fulbright advisor and faculty member Megan Hershey, “which prepares our alumni to tackle any number of work or personal challenges they may face in the future.”
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a community with people from all over the world (at Whitworth). We have conversations, learn more about cultures and traditions, and share our perspectives and life stories with each other.” – Nirjal Shakya ’23, a computer science major from Nepal and the lead cultural-diversity advocate for 2021-22
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ON CAMPUS
40
Countries represented by international students
26.5% Increase in semester-long study abroad (2018-19)
nearly
54%
Members of the Class of 2020 who participated in study abroad programs
COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP IN A DIVERSE WORLD » “Everything is included within the scope of God’s reconciling love in Christ. That is the radiant fact at the center of the Christian faith, and it is the ultimate source of Whitworth’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.” – Excerpt from Whitworth’s Christ-Centered Rationale for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Act Six Graduates Each year the Act Six Leadership & Scholarship Initiative brings a new cadre of diverse students to Whitworth, where they make a meaningful impact on campus through their leadership in a variety of areas. To date, 108 Act Six scholars have earned Whitworth degrees. These talented alumni are now putting their education, passions and leadership skills to work, shaping communities around the country and the world. “Act Six not only provided me the financial means to attend college, but it also offered me a support system that I could lean on to thrive at Whitworth,” says Purnima Karki ’18, a first-generation college graduate who is program coordinator for Student Success at Whitworth. “Because of my Act Six mentors, I understood the importance of giving back to my community, which is one reason why I am pursuing a master’s degree in marriage & family therapy here. After graduation, I want to work with individuals from refugee and immigrant backgrounds.”
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Trained Equity Advocates
Equity & Justice Dialogue Forum
Every job search committee at Whitworth now includes a trained equity advocate who helps enhance the fairness of the search process. “We have a diverse student body, and hiring staff and faculty with cultural competencies is essential to supporting and empowering our students,” says Sam Abbott ’14, M.A. ’19, equity advocate trainer and employment manager for Whitworth’s human resource services.
In today’s emotionally charged national climate, we can fall into the trap of only communicating with people who agree with us on divisive topics. Instead of letting Instagram feeds affirm what is right and true about complex social and racial issues, Whitworth invited students to participate in an eight-week Equity & Justice Dialogue Forum. The dialogues, led by faculty and staff members last fall, provided a safe, supportive space for students who hold different points of view to discuss difficult topics.
Whitworth’s equity advocate training models a program developed by scholars and practitioners at Oregon State University. To date, 33 staff, administrative and faculty members have received intensive training and serve as equity advocates. “The program is yielding really good results,” Abbott says. “We’re bringing in highly qualified candidates who are enhancing Whitworth’s missional commitments.”
“I admired how courageous and persistent the participants were,” Biruk Kebede ’22 says. “Every one of us has stories to tell and experiences to share. The impact of someone’s story is personal and worth hearing. It made me realize how a respectful conversation and active listening can have a positive outcome.”
eight
Professional development workshops in 2020-21 for faculty and staff that emphasized action steps and practical strategies to address racism and develop an anti-racist community.
537 563 628
2020
714 734
2021
2019
2018
2017
2016
Enrollment of traditional undergraduate students from Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities
699
A LEADING MODEL FOR CHRISTIAN HIGHER EDUCATION » At Whitworth we embrace freedom of inquiry and the unhindered pursuit of truth. Our deep hope and wholehearted aim is to equip our diverse student body to honor God, follow Christ and serve humanity, preparing our graduates to work for redemption and healing in a broken world.
Life Groups Our faculty and staff’s investment in students goes well beyond the classroom. In 2018, campus ministry created the Life Groups program to facilitate intentional interaction on a faith level. Each semester, faculty and staff members lead small groups of students as they connect with each other and with God. “Groups pray together and incorporate Scripture every week, but the focus is primarily relational,” says Lauren Taylor, campus pastor for discipleship & residence hall ministry. Jenna Breedlove ’22 says Life Groups have had a significant impact on her growth. “I have built long-lasting, mentor-like relationships with staff members because of Life Groups,” she says. “I often meet with my leader outside of the group, too, because they care so much about forming relationships with students.”
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Discerning Vocational Calling
Endowed Dean of Spiritual Life
The Office of Church Engagement provides students with a unique opportunity to discern their vocations through immersion in Christian ministry. Each summer, dozens of students serve at partner churches and nonprofits through the OCE’s Summer Fellowship Program. Students assist churches and care for communities in need, and they receive mentorship from their supervisors that aids them in determining their callings.
Whitworth Campus Ministry desires for every student to take steps closer to Jesus. Thanks to an extraordinary gift, campus ministry is now able to reach more students than ever before. In 2018, Whitworth trustee Anne McCulloch Storm and Kim Storm, both ’74, pledged $3 million to establish an endowed dean of spiritual life position, believed to be the first of its kind among the nation’s Christian universities. The endowment has enabled campus ministry to expand its athletics and diversity, equity & inclusion ministries; create the Emmaus Scholars Program; hire an on-call spiritual director for students; and much more.
Last summer, Nicole Juarez Zelaya ’22 served as a fellow at Project id, a Spokane nonprofit that serves adults with intellectual disabilities. “My experience as a fellow continues to fill me with peace and joy knowing that I will always have a deep desire to learn from and serve people who are often overlooked and marginalized,” she says. “I want to serve the Lord by seeking to create spaces of belonging and inclusion where everybody can feel loved. My summer experience has helped me learn how to be a better neighbor, friend and sister in Christ.”
“We have plans to keep working on ways we can more effectively open up opportunities for different groups of students to grow with Jesus,” says Forrest Buckner, Storm Family Endowed Dean of Spiritual Life & campus pastor. One dream for the future is a ministry for graduate and continuing studies students.
82
Conferences hosted by Whitworth that engaged church and lay leaders in addressing contemporary issues:
Faculty and administrators quoted or published in popular media that offer perspectives, informed by faith, to the broader culture (2019-20)
2014: PC(USA) Moderator’s Conference on Unity and Difference 2016: Gospel & Racism Conference 2018: Roadmap to Reconciliation Conference 2019: Whitworth Ministry Summit: Bearing the Image of God 2020: Whitworth Ministry Summit (Virtual): Lament & Hope 2021: Whitworth Ministry Summit (Online and In Person): Engaging Culture | Equipping Disciples
“The connection with other families in ministry is one of the primary reasons we keep coming. Those friendships change us.” - Whitworth Ministry Summit Testimonial 11
MEETING EMERGENT NEEDS »
With new graduate and doctoral programs, an active campus in the University District downtown, online options for adult students, dual degree offerings, and higher standards for student learning, our mind-andheart education is equipping hundreds more students each year and preparing them for in-demand careers.
Building on Success
Respected Educators
Online Opportunities
Whitworth responded quickly to the growing demand for STEM majors with the construction of Robinson Science Hall, which opened in 2011 and houses biology, chemistry and health science programs. Since then, health science has become Whitworth’s most popular major.
The School of Education has earned a statewide reputation for producing graduates who are effective practitioners, visionary leaders and advocates, with our undergraduate teacher education programs having some of the highest placement rates in Washington. Our graduate programs are also widely recognized for producing exemplary teachers, counselors and administrators whose professional skills and commitment to service allow them to meet the rapidly changing needs of today’s classrooms.
The School of Continuing Studies understands the demands of work and family on adult learners, and now offers both online and inperson learning options, providing added flexibility and the opportunity to complete an undergraduate degree in as little as two years. In fall 2021, Whitworth’s newly accredited master of business administration program began offering courses online. The School of Education also offers two fully online graduate programs: Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) - Gifted Education & Equitable Instruction; and Teaching & Learning, M.Ed. .
The Dana & David Dornsife Health Sciences Building is set to open in 2022 and will house planned doctoral programs in physical and occupational therapy as well as the master’s in athletic training program. National guidelines going into effect in 2022 require all new athletic trainers to earn a master’s degree. Whitworth led this transition by establishing the first fully accredited master’slevel program in Washington state. We also created a dual degree option to enable students to earn both their undergraduate and graduate athletic training degrees in just five years. As careers in STEM fields have grown increasingly complex, Whitworth has introduced interdisciplinary majors to allow students to deepen their study of emerging fields such as bioinformatics, human-computer interaction and environmental studies. 12
New Programs in the Whitworth School of Education since 2011: Montessori, M.Ed.: Diploma, master’s and teacher certification options, including online, and MACTEaccredited programs in Assistants to Infancy, Primary and Elementary Social Emotional Learning, M.Ed. Marriage & Family Therapy, M.A.: Nationally accredited in 2020; 100 percent employment rate in the profession Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), M.A.: In-person and online coursework verified by the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), available on its own or as part of a master’s degree in behavior analysis
Whitworth MBA earned AACSB accreditation in 2020.
Our athletic training program has the HIGHEST BOARD OF
CERTIFICATION PASS RATES of any accredited master’s program in the Pacific Northwest.
Health science becomes Whitworth’s most popular major.
Opening of Dornsife Health Sciences Building expected.
2015
2022 2019-20 Inaugural directors hired to develop two new doctoral programs in health sciences.
NUMBER OF GRADUATE PROGRAMS 2011
2021
9
16
programs
programs
258
374
students
students*
*Excludes upcoming health science doctoral programs
Accounting ledgers from 2010-2021 will record The Campaign for Whitworth’s impressive numbers: 23,500 donors; $156 million in total gifts. But the far-reaching impact and lasting outcomes of these numbers will be captured in stories. Countless stories told by and about people whose minds have been enriched, whose hearts have been expanded, and whose faithful work in the world ignites new stories to tell.
BEQUESTS
Hugh Johnston Endowed Professorship & Interdisciplinary Research Fund Whitworth develops students who are skilled at doing science. But that’s just a side benefit. The primary outcome is developing skilled scientists who make meaningful contributions to the sciences at Whitworth, to the field at large, to industries and to humanity. Students like chemistry major Aaron Teo ’22, pictured, are achieving that outcome in large part because of Hugh Johnston, who taught chemistry at Whitworth for 16 years. In 2015, through a $2.05 million bequest from Johnston’s estate, Whitworth created an endowed professorship of chemistry and an interdisciplinary research fund. Teo is using X-ray crystallography in his research with Hugh Johnston Professor of Chemistry Kraig Wheeler. At its heart, Johnston’s bequest sustains and enhances community, connection and collaboration, which are foundational to a Whitworth education. “Facultystudent collaboration is huge in students’ development as scientists,” Wheeler says. “The students play a critical role in the whole production of research here at Whitworth. The outcome really rests on their shoulders.” 14
FACILITIES
Cowles Music Center The biggest difference Ryan Dresen ’20, pictured, noticed when Cowles Music Center opened in 2016 was that he could hear fully. “You actually get the idea of what you sound like in a big hall,” he says. Cowles Music Center helps students see and hear themselves in new and powerful ways, both as individual musicians and as members of a community. It is fitting, then, that the vibrant center is the result of a vast community coming together. In addition to lead gifts made by The Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation and Whitworth trustee Walt Oliver ’67 and his wife, Kay, nearly 300 donors contributed to the facility’s construction. These gifts expanded the original music building by 21,000 square feet and added a dedicated choir room, rehearsal spaces for the wind symphony and symphony orchestra, a recording studio, and a piano studio. The upper floor provides practice rooms, offices and meeting spaces, including The Lantern, an intimate gathering space for chamber rehearsals, worship and study.
nine
new & remodeled facilities were funded through campaign gifts.
PROGRAMS
Women’s Leadership Network When students encouter hardships, the campus community goes into high gear to provide resources students need to stay at Whitworth and succeed. In 2020, the Women’s Leadership Network provided scholarship support to four students who were at risk of leaving Whitworth due to significant financial strain caused by the pandemic. “The WLN Scholarship made it doable to pursue my dream goals – to earn my undergraduate degree at Whitworth and go on to graduate school,” says Melissa Pere ’23, pictured, a health science major who plans to provide healthcare to children as well as comfort and hope to their parents. Whitworth women created the Women’s Leadership Network in 2019 to develop and cultivate women’s leadership and philanthropy at Whitworth. In 2020, donors funded nearly $11,000 in grants for student initiatives such as providing curriculum materials for Whitworth’s Women in Finance club, sending women and students of color to diversity leadership and STEM conferences, and supporting a women’s leadership summit for female juniors and seniors in high school.
More than
600
programs, annual scholarships, teams and departments across campus have been supported by campaign gifts.
ENDOWMENTS
Emmaus Scholars Program In fall 2020, 13 students from diverse backgrounds moved into three houses near campus for the academic year. Their mission as the inaugural Emmaus Scholars, led by Director Derek Taylor ’08, was to create and experience an intentional Christian livinglearning community focused on faith and justice. The Emmaus Scholars Program is funded in part through a $3 million gift from Whitworth trustee Anne McCulloch Storm and Kim Storm, both ’74. The endowment created the Storm Family Dean of Spiritual Life position, currently fulfilled by Campus Pastor Forrest Buckner, and enabled campus ministry to expand its programs to reach more students for Christ than ever before. Kylie Vera ’22, pictured top right, was part of the first cohort and is helping to lead the program this year as an Emmaus Fellow. “I continue to hear from other Emmaus students how they have loved the community aspect, and that it’s definitely something they want to seek out after graduating,” Vera says. “Emmaus has made it possible for other parts of the world to know what an intentional, faith-and-justice-based community really is.”
173 new endowed funds, including 143 scholarships, will provide annual support for years to come. For more details on the impact of the campaign on campus, and videos about each of these projects, please visit whitworth.edu/campaign. 17
Merkel Field press box and turf Facilities Services Megan E. Thompson Aquatic Center
The WALT
Puryear Field turf
University Recreation Center
Beeksma Family Theology Center
Cowles Music Center
Cowles Auditorium stage renovation
Hixson Union Building
NEW FACILITIES & EXPANSIONS SINCE 2011
Robinson Science Hall
Opened 2011 | $32 million
Hardwick House renovation (alumni & parent relations office) Completed 2012 | $250,000
Hixson Union Building addition Opened 2012 | $6.5 million
University Recreation Center Opened 2013 | $8 million
Merkel Field turf Dornsife Health Sciences Building
Renovated 2013 | $350,000
Athletics Leadership Team Center (The WALT) Opened 2020 | $13 million
Facilities Services shops building & warehouse Opened 2020 | $5 million
Campus Store/The Pines Cafe Opened 2021 | $4.3 million
Dana & David Dornsife Health Sciences Building Opening 2022 | $20 million
Merkel Field press box
Renovated 2014 | $125,000
Cowles Music Center
Opened 2016 | $13.5 million Robinson Science Hall
Beeksma Family Theology Center Opened 2018 | $2.8 million
Puryear Field turf Replaced 2018 | $1.5 million
Megan E. Thompson Aquatic Center Renovated 2019 | $1.5 million
Cowles Auditorium stage renovation Completed 2020 | $3.1 million
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THE NUMBERS Whitworth’s financial health is sound thanks to generous donors, steady enrollment, and consistent management of existing institutional resources. The strong financial position documented in this report is possible due to your generosity and your steadfast commitment to our mind-and-heart mission. Thank you.
WHITWORTH ENDOWMENT CURRENT: $203 million (total endowment) CURRENT/PAST PERFORMANCE (as of 6/30/2021)
$200 M
NET ASSETS
2020
ASSETS (Data in Thousands) Cash and cash equivalents Receivable Investments and other assets Net plant Total assets
$3,345 $4,661 $13,439 $18,557 $219,014 $254,630 $115,634 $129,011 $351,432 $406,859
LIABILITIES (Data in Thousands) Accruals, other liabilities Annuities Long-term debt Total liabilities Total net assets
$19,084 $21,942 $7,861 $8,465 $95,706 $93,652 $122,651 $124,059 $228,781 $282,800
Total net assets & liabilities
$351,432
$150 M
TOTAL NET ASSETS $300M
282.8 M
$100 M $250M $50 M $150M $0 M
20
2021 $20M 2021
Investment returns Disbursements
2015
2020
2010
Outside trusts Internally managed New additions (gifts and transfers)
2019
2005
2018
2000
2017
2021
$406,859
STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES OPERATING REVENUES
OPERATING EXPENSES
(Data in Thousands)
(Data in Thousands)
Net investment income for operations Gifts and grants for operations
7%
Student services
47%
24%
Auxiliary revenue (e.g., room and board) $12,868
17%
Auxiliary revenue
Instructional
Tuition and fees less financial aid $53,309
Net investment income for operations $5,825
61%
Auxiliary $10,429 Institutional $12,860
Gifts and grants for operations $15,035
15%
Instructional $37,659
Student services $19,048 Institutional
Total operating expenses $79,996
16%
Total operating revenue $87,037
13%
Net assets from operating activities $7,040
Auxiliary
Tuition and fees less financial aid
NON-OPERATING REVENUES (Data in Thousands) Net long-term investment income/gains (losses) Contributions for endowment and capital projects Actuarial adjustment to retiree health benefits
$38,218 $8,552 $208
Net assets from non-operating activities
$46,978
Change in net assets
$54,019
Net assets, beginning of year Net assets, end of year
$228,781 $282,800 21
THE WHITWORTH FOUNDATION: DEFINE YOUR LEGACY The Whitworth Foundation upholds Whitworth University’s vital mission of educating the minds and hearts of students. Since 1972, the foundation has helped alumni and friends define their legacy through establishing deferred gifts that benefit the donor today and the university for years to come. The foundation staff, along with an experienced and knowledgeable volunteer board of directors, works with donors to
develop gift plans based on their financial objectives, tax considerations and deep desire to support Whitworth. We at The Whitworth Foundation are grateful to all of you who have included Whitworth University in your estate plans. Because of your gifts, your legacy lives on, both at Whitworth and through Whitworth, as students become equipped to serve, lead and give to a world in need.
NEW GIFTS TO THE WHITWORTH FOUNDATION
REALIZED BEQUESTS BY FISCAL YEAR
FIVE-YEAR TOTAL: $304K
FIVE-YEAR TOTAL: $4.559M
As of June 30, 2021
$2.5M
$126K
$2M
$100K
Trusts $13,246 $2.347M
$150K
Charitable gift annuities Pooled funds Life insurance cash value $1.133M $391K
$202K
$16K
$500K
2020-21
2019-20
2018-19
2017-18
2016-17
2020-21
2019-20
2018-19
2017-18
2016-17
$1,616 $198 $3,550
Other $7 Total assets
$18,619
2020-21 life income gift maturities transferred to Whitworth University: $728
0
0
22
$486K
$1M
$42K
$57K
$73K
$1.5M
$50K
TOTAL DEFERRED GIFTS UNDER MANAGEMENT (Data in Thousands)
UNIVERSITY PROFILE Endowed chairs, professorships and centers
Undergraduate enrollment
90+
374
Courses with an “experientiallearning” designation
Graduate enrollment
96.8%
11:1
Students who complete a service-learning course before graduating (2019-20)
Student-faculty ratio
Carnegie Community Engagement Classification The highest form of achievement in the nation for universities that are committed to partnering with communities
10
2,534
HONORS ATTAINED
2020 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award Insight into Diversity magazine
2021-22 Military Friendly School® with bronze distinction Viqtory Media
Tree Campus since 2018 Arbor Day Foundation
Sigma Xi Chapter since 2021 The Scientific Research Honor Society
2021 Ethics Bowl Team Second Place, national Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl
› Has won three national championships (most recently in 2019)
2021 Forensics Team First Place, National Christian College Forensics Association – Online
› Has won eight NCCFA championships in the last
2022 U.S. NEWS RANKINGS [REGIONAL UNIVERSITIES IN THE WEST]
#4 best regional universities
#2 best regional university values
nine years
Second Place, International Public Debate Association’s National Tournament – Online
#6 best college for veterans
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