Relevant

The American cultural foundation has been rocked by COVID-19, a virus that invaded every state, many counties and all large cities across the U.S. Communities have experienced challenges during this time to make sense of the disruption, grief, frustration and social isolation that became a part of daily reality. This disruption has been as real for Warner Pacific University as it has for any other community or organization around the globe.

Warner Pacific started spring break a week early and extended the pause to two weeks, to provide professional development and time for faculty to prepare, as guidance and executive orders from local, state and federal authorities made it clear the semester would have to be completed online.

The faculty were led by an excellent team of educator trainers in preparing for the implementation of online course delivery. WPU is fortunate to have talented and dedicated faculty who are committed to making students’ educational experience vibrant and engaging, and who worked tirelessly to go online very quickly.

Moving most employees to remote work meant a significant deployment of technology, virtual private networks (to ensure security), development of remote work protocols, and training in order to telecommute. The Information Technology (IT) department served the university community well by providing equipment, software and protocols for using technology to work from home, along with as-needed technical support.

Employees adapted to working from home with grace and dedication to ensure that students were served, tasks were completed and the University operations continued as seamlessly as possible in this time.

The Executive Cabinet has taken seriously the importance, both now and leading up to this point, of making decisions that adapt to changing conditions, both anticipated and not. The University extends gratitude for their leadership and faithfulness to the mission and the work of leading well.

Students are at the center of Warner Pacific’s concern. Through all of this, the main priorities have been their safety, health and access to the education that will provide opportunities for their future lives, that for many will transform the trajectory of their family’s history. Faculty diligently reached out to students to encourage and engage them during the last segment of the academic year. For some, campus is the home they relied upon for housing and food security and access to technology. Other students completed the year from home. During this season, the University launched KnightsCare to provide a convenient way for Warner Pacific students to receive 24/7, no-cost medical and counseling assistance for common conditions that can be safely and accurately diagnosed and treated online. We have missed students, as well as all of the athletic contests and student activities that highlight their abilities, service, leadership, achievements and passions. The University community is anxious to welcome students back with all of the energy and excitement of a new year.

No one expected or wanted something like this to happen. COVID-19 has removed us from one another and created new challenges to address each day. And yet, opportunities and possibilities are present that may have been less obvious in “usual” circumstances.

We have learned how to have an accreditation visit virtually, we have held monthly all-employee meetings; weekly employee check-in meetings, and even our Good Friday Service on Zoom with nearly 100 people “together”; and we have seen grace upon patience given for the workarounds that have been necessary. We have all come together, while being apart, in a way that demonstrates the vitality of our University community and our bond as a Christ-centered body. We’ve prayed together for one another, and most importantly we have prayed for our dear students. ▪

In the midst of the COVID-19 disruption, I was reminded of an old hymn that we sang in the church of my childhood. The inspiration for this hymn began in 1886 when the composer of the music, Daniel B. Towner, was the music conductor during one of Dwight L. Moody’s renowned revivals. “Mr. Moody was conducting a series of meetings in Brockton, Massachusetts, and one night a young man rose in a testimony meeting and said, ‘I am not quite sure—but I am going to trust, and I am going to obey.’ I just jotted that sentence down and sent it with a little story to the Rev. J. H. Sammis, a Presbyterian minister. He wrote the hymn, and the tune was born.”

We “aren’t quite sure,” either. But we have a God who is trustworthy in the midst of all our life situations. Every day and in many ways, the students, faculty, staff, donors and friends have shown their trust and obedience through their diligence, faithfulness, work ethic and support. Thank you each and all for demonstrating your passion and care for the work that God called us to do together at WPU.

The “obey” part of the equation is important in this season as well. The guidance and executive orders issued are challenging our American individualistic mindset, which sometimes finds it difficult to submit personal choices to a higher authority. Clearly the evidence of the spread of the coronavirus shows us the importance of submission in our lives.

May we all trust and obey the God who loves us and came so that we could have the most abundant life. ▪

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,

But His smile quickly drives it away;

Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,

Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,

But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.

Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.

What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;

Never fear, only trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

— REV. J. H. SAMMIS

there was exciting news: The Warner Pacific University Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Dr. Brian L. Johnson as our eighth president on June 12. Dr. Johnson is currently vice president at Mercy College and campus administrator for its Manhattan Campus and was president of Tuskegee University from 2014-17. He succeeds Dr. Andrea Cook, who has served as Warner Pacific’s president since 2008. He officially takes his position on Aug. 1, 2020 and will be on campus full time beginning Sept. 01.

Dr. Johnson is also a highly regarded scholar of American literature. He earned his PhD in English in 2003 from the University of South Carolina. He earned his MA in English at the University of WisconsinMadison and his BA in English from Johnson C. Smith University. ▪

learn more about dr. johnson online at warnerpacific.edu

Warner Pacific University is excited to announce Dr. Luke Goble as the interim Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Dean of Faculty (VPAA).

Dr. Goble has been appointed to the role to replace Dr. Reginald Nichols, who has accepted a position as the Director of Leadership Programs for the United Methodist Church in California and Nevada.

Since coming to Warner Pacific in the fall of 2007, Dr. Luke Goble has demonstrated his competence as a scholar, teacher and leader. Dr. Goble holds the rank of Associate Professor of history and earned his Ph.D. at University at Buffalo-SUNY. He earned an A.B. (Artium Baccalaureus, or Bachelor of Arts) in English literature from Harvard University. Goble has served as the Humanities department chair, as Arts and Letters division chair and, most recently, as Chief Innovation Officer focused on sourceU. Dr. Goble is passionate about teaching and learning and is invested in equity and inclusion for all students. Additionally, Dr. Goble’s leadership was critical in the development, grant writing and implementation of the First Year Learning Community program, and he has led other campus-wide initiatives across the University.

“The mission focus of Warner Pacific has allowed me to thrive as a person, teacher, and leader. I am looking forward to continuing the good work that has been done to move us toward becoming a recognized leader in equitable, faith-based education” offered Goble.

Dr. Goble’s experience across the University and his passion for innovation will serve the University well as it focuses on achieving the imperatives of our strategic plan. ▪

On November 12, 2019, President Dr. Andrea Cook and Dean of Nursing Dr. Linda Campbell invited donors and friends of the University to an open house and reception at Centre 205 to acknowledge the generosity of donors toward Warner Pacific University’s Nursing Labs. The event honored the MJ Murdock Charitable Trust and the late Dr. Betty Blomquist Thompson, as well as other supporters for their gifts of time, money and resources. Two plaques were unveiled by the classrooms to commemorate the support of the Murdock Trust and Dr. Betty Blomquist Thompson.

In March 2019, Warner Pacific University’s Nursing Program received a $350,000 grant from the Trust to furnish the University’s simulation-based learning labs and support the University’s mission to increase the number of diverse students entering the nursing profession. Increased diversity among healthcare providers can lead to higher patient satisfaction and improved communication. With the support of the Trust, Warner Pacific Nursing is positioned to improve health outcomes in Portland and beyond, and this classroom is named in the Trust’s honor. ▪

The announcement of Concordia University Portland’s closure after 115 years of operation was a shock to everyone. We grieve with the students and employees whose lives have been further disrupted by the loss of their beloved academic and campus community. While we were saddened to hear the news, Warner Pacific is dedicated to helping students complete their degrees at a faith-based school in Portland. The Warner Pacific administration and faculty worked with Concordia officials to make accommodations for any students that would be well-suited to our institution and academic programs. We are happy to provide an educational home for these new Knights. ▪

For the past ten years, Rev. Dr. Cassie Trentaz, Associate Professor of Theology, Ethics and Church History and Interim Chair for the Division of Arts & Letters, and her team has worked tirelessly on Warner Pacific’s ministry and community engagement program. Rev. Dr. Trentaz says, “We have learned a lot over the past ten years regarding theological education. I am proud of the program we have crafted, the ways we have listened deeply to what is needed in our time and place, and our ability to ‘look around the corner’ in some ways of what will be needed in the immediate future.”

With this foundation, Trentaz was asked by Christian Higher Education: An International Journal of Research, Theory, and Practice to write an article on what it means to be an engaged institutional neighbor. This article was published in January 2020 and is a self-study of Warner Pacific University’s Undergraduate Program in Ministry and Community Engagement.

As a University, we celebrate Rev. Dr. Cassie Trentaz in this accomplishment! If you would like to read the article, you can reach out to her at: ctrentaz@warnerpacific.edu.

President Andrea P. Cook announced the promotion of three faculty members effective June 1, 2020. Elizabeth DuPriest, Ph.D., an associate professor, was promoted to full professor of biology; assistant professor Shelly Hartzell, CPA, MBA, was promoted to associate professor of accounting; and Ryan Hubbard, Ed.D., an assistant professor, was promoted to associate professor of sports management.

Dr. DuPriest joined the faculty of Warner Pacific in 2009, having earned her Ph.D. in Integrative Biomedical Sciences from the Department of Physiology & Pharmacology at Oregon Health & Sciences University. Dr. DuPriest’s research has focused primarily in the specialty of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. This relatively new field of study investigates the way an individual’s gestational and early childhood environments can influence their risk of disease later in life. In addition to her teaching and research, Dr. DuPriest has served as Chair of the Division of Natural Sciences and Health. Her leadership has resulted in the creation of several new majors, including nursing, sports medicine, mathematics and information science (which served as an impetus for the creation of sourceU). Dr. DuPriest is a highly regarded colleague and faculty leader who is passionate about living into God’s call for her life as a professor at Warner Pacific University.

Accounting professor Shelly Hartzell joined Warner Pacific in 2011, after spending 21 years in the field in both private and public accounting before becoming a professor. Hartzell is a Certified Public Accountant and is a candidate for the Certified Management Accountant certification. In addition, she earned her Master of Business Administration from Warner Pacific University. Hartzell is respected as an excellent teacher by her colleagues and students, as evidenced by her selection for the 2018–19 Kendall Faculty Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching as recommended by her faculty colleagues. She also received the Faculty of the Year Award as given by students for the same period. Recent accounting graduate Manny Garcia raves about Hartzell as a professor, tutor, mentor and friend. “She looked over my resume and helped my interview skills as I pursued a public accounting position. With her advice and guidance, I was able to get multiple job offers a year before I was even done with school. Shelly has always been there to support, guide me and be a friend most of all. She was the first person I called when I got a job offer at my first firm of choice.”

Sports Management professor Ryan Hubbard joined WPU as an assistant professor in 2013, after teaching at California State University, Los Angeles. Dr. Hubbard completed his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership– Higher Education Administration at University of Southern California (USC) and an M.Ed. in Applied Kinesiology–Sport Management at University of Minnesota. Dr. Hubbard is passionate about his students and their personal and intellectual development. He is regarded as a leader among his faculty peers, serving currently as the Faculty Chair and previously as the Chair of the Core Studies Committee. Hubbard’s teaching philosophy emphasizes creating an interactive and collaborative environment. Knowledge is co-created by building on what students already know and engaging them in meaningful collaboration to develop critical thinking and creativity in the problem-solving process. Dr. Hubbard studies how sports can be used as a vehicle for social change. His current focus is on studying the emotional and mental wellness of student athletes, and he plans to collaborate with colleagues in sports medicine and counseling to identify the needs and resources that will promote academic, life and personal success for student athletes.