Seattle Pacific University: Parents and Families In the Loop

Summer 2008 | Volume 2, Issue 2

New Major Has Global Impact

Student serving in IndonesiaWhat motivates students today? For many, it's the desire for financial security. But in a 2007 USA Today report about student goals, one-third of respondents, ages 16 to 25, indicated that their top goal is to help people who are in need.

That's not surprising, according to Ruth Adams, Seattle Pacific University's registrar and director of Student Academic Services. "This generation of students has grown up watching people give," says Adams. "They've watched people go and help after events such as the Indonesian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. So they naturally want to do the same."

In fact, from building houses in impoverished nations to feeding the hungry at local food banks, SPU students are already out there, in the real world, applying their energy and their passion to help. And now they want to learn how to do it better.

"Students kept talking with me about their various projects and passions, and requesting self-designed majors to tackle their specific interests," says Kathleen Braden, SPU professor of geography. "Suddenly a light bulb went on for me."

The result of Braden's "ah-ha moment" is a new major called "global development studies." Set to begin Autumn Quarter 2008, the major will blend classes from several academic disciplines -- including business, theology, global health, and geography -- with practical application through internships.

"This major is a first step in SPU's global education initiative," says Braden. "It will give students the kinds of skills CEOs of nonprofit corporations want their employees to have. And it will involve students in Seattle-based companies that are helping on an international level."

Discover how SPU's newest academic major will equip students to change the world.

There's Only One Option

Kelly Hogan, SPU educational ministry majorThough she majors in educational ministry and minors in business, junior Kelly Hogan learned a valuable lesson from her theology professors, changing her life forever.

"They showed me that I have two options when it comes to my faith," says Hogan. "I can be comfortable and live for myself, or challenge myself to think of others first."

A native of Littleton, Colorado, Hogan has chosen the second option. While earning her degree, Hogan keeps deeply involved in global-justice issues, including ending human trafficking and providing education to the poorest of India's poor.

Read about Kelly Hogan's journey of involvement.


Meet Jobe Korb-Nice

Jobe Korb-Nice, director of SPU's undergraduate admissionsJobe Korb-Nice, director of undergraduate admissions at SPU, has been helping prospective students and families for the past seven years.

He says his favorite role is to share SPU's mission of engaging the culture and changing the world with as many people as possible -- especially with busy high school students who are already making a difference in their communities.

As a father of two, Korb-Nice knows firsthand the concerns parents have for their students' futures. He and his staff work hard to help families prepare their students for early success in high school and college.

Learn more about Jobe Korb-Nice and what he says students should do next in the admission process.


Take a Year Off?

Should students take a year off after graduation? Jacqui Smith-Bates, director of the Career Development Center, offers the following benefits of "taking a break" before graduate school or that first full-time job.

  • Taking time to travel and work in another city, state, or country can provide valuable insights and experiences, and solidify career goals.
  • Time off can help a student establish residency in another state and gain tuition breaks for graduate school.
  • A graduate can "give back" to society (and forgive loans) through programs such as the Peace Corps, Teach for America, and AmeriCorps.

For more pros (and even some cons) regarding taking a year off, visit the parents and families website.

Savor the Memories -- Order a Cascade Yearbook Today!
Your student will appreciate a hardcover pictorial record of his or her 2007–08 year at Seattle Pacific. Order one for the family, too, at our yearbook purchase page.

2008 Orientation/New Student Advising
Are you the parent of an incoming student? Visit the Orientation/New Student Advising website to help your student prepare this summer for his or her educational journey at Seattle Pacific.

Get Ready for a "Sent-Off"
Each summer, Seattle Pacific hosts "send-off" events around the country for incoming freshmen and their parents. Held in local homes, send-offs foster a sense of community for new students by connecting them with SPU alumni, current students, and parents in their geographic proximity.

Locations for this year's send-off events will be:
  • Bay Area/Sacramento, CA
  • Boise, ID
  • Los Angeles/Pasadena, CA
  • Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
  • Portland/Salem, OR
  • Seattle area (Eastside included)
  • Spokane, WA
  • Washington, D.C.
  • North Puget Sound, WA
  • South Puget Sound, WA
Events will be held in August and early September. Visit the Alumni website for specific dates, times, and locations, or call the Alumni Office at 206-281-2586.

What Is Orientation/ Welcome Week?
Orientation/Welcome Week helps students make a smooth transition into SPU and academic life. This four-day event occurs right before Autumn Quarter classes begin -- and includes events for parents.


iTunes University
Heard any good lectures lately? Check out SPU's iTunes University to download and hear SPU faculty lectures, guest speakers, chapels, music, sporting events, and more.

Does Your Grad Need Health Insurance?
If you have or know of a graduate who needs medical coverage to fill the gap between graduation and employee benefits at his or her first job, check out our Alumni website for short-term options.

Give a Piece of History
Commemorate your student's link to SPU with a historic brick from old Tiffany Hall. To learn more, contact the Alumni Office at 206-281-2586 or visit our Tiffany Brick order page.

Want more? Read an article about the Tiffany Memorial Legacy Brick Project from the Summer 2002 issue of Response magazine.
Published by: Seattle Pacific University, 3307 3rd Ave. W., Seattle, WA 98119-1950, U.S.A.
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