Christmas Giving
By Diane Wright
The snow is rapidly falling
People are scurrying and in a fuss
They try to complete their shopping list
and get it done before the Christmas rush.
The house smells are scintillating
There are cookies, cakes, pies and more
Excitement is in the air for all
waiting for the festivities that are in store.
This is the most joyous time of all
It’s Christmas giving all in fun
Yet, why can’t we make Christmas
every day for everyone?
Love is not a seasonal emotion
To only be shared in the Christmas flair
We should spread love all year through
Displaying a Christlike attitude to share.
FOR . . .
The homeless, deprived, and hurting
Torn clothing, sick, and in want
Bedding down on streets and corners
Days too long to even stop and count.
The unmarried girl with child
Needs love to alleviate strife
Weighing the cost involved
Going under the abortionist’s knife.
The elderly in nursing homes alone
Family rejected, unloved, their words unsaid
Pushed off to the side emotionally
Left to die in loneliness instead.
The abused child feeling rejected, unloved
Stripped of nurturing love and dignity,
Hiding behind a wall of anger
Needing love to find her identity.
They are out there; the poor, depressed, and lonely
In deep need and want year through
So many to love and tenderly touch
And, doing your part makes the numbers few.
The Christmas season passes quickly
And we go back to our daily lives
Forgetting one another’s needs
Ignoring the cries and mournful sighs.
Our Savior’s eyes fills with saddened tears
Witnessing His children give love then suspend
from giving of self all year long
Rather… Waiting for Christmas to arrive again.
A Word from the Provost
As I reflect on this time of celebrating our Savior’s birth, reading this poem is sobering, yet it reminds me of why Christmas is not just a season for the believer. Christmas is a lifestyle that welcomes the presence of the living Savior everyday, as we share his love to all. We are blessed at Vanguard University to welcome so many young people God sends to us to make a significant difference in their lives by educating them with a Spirit-empowered and Christ-centered message integrated with biblical truth, Godly virtue and a lifetime of preparation for Christian service to the church, marketplace and ultimately the world. Yes, with humility we should grace this season with gratitude to the Savior for the gift of teaching his heritage… all our students!
I want to wish each of you a very special Merry Christmas and a transformational New Year.
Our country has completed the election of the 45th President-elect Donald Trump. Whether you voted republican, democrat, independent, wrote in your nominee, or didn’t vote at all, the elections are complete. If your candidate was not the choice selected, we as Christians have a biblical mandate from Romans 13:1, 2 (NKJV)… Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinances of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. “God grants authority to serve good ends. How that authority is exercised will be the accounting of each to whom it has been given.” Our nation once again has broadened its divide among people of diverse class, religion (religious denominations), race, socioeconomic status, etc. It is our opportunity as Christian leaders to advance God’s kingdom message with truth, Godly example, unity and Spiritual authority and most of all love. It is not the time for the people of God to grow weary if your party lost or prideful if your party won, but truthful to the ultimate authority of God through Jesus Christ who reigns as King of all Kings and Lord of All Lords.
Christmas Fantasia, one of the highlights of a Vanguard Year is around the corner, get your tickets today. The leadership in our music department develops such wonderful talent from our music students. Come celebrate the teaching gift of each colleague and enjoy the musical talent in our students.
Our reaffirmation is around the corner. It is great to see faculty and staff coming to the office to read our report. It is to your advantage to take time to come and engage with the work many of you have made great contributions through written documents, surveys, reports, edits and prayers. The report can be found in the Provost, Dean of TUG and the President’s office. Make your appointment today. Again, our visit is scheduled for February 28-March 2nd. It is important that everyone mark those dates to be present as our team will want to meet you.
The final faculty senate meeting of 2016 will be held Friday at 11:00 in the Price room. If you have never attended senate meetings don’t let 2016 close before you do. This meeting is not just for senate representatives but the full faculty. Join your colleagues for the final meeting.
Special Christmas treats especially for faculty and staff of Academic Affairs to say thank you and Merry Christmas from Rev. Michael and Dr. Doretha O’Quinn. Please join us on Thursday, Dec. 8th in Kerr Pierce from 10am-noon open house to celebrate YOU and to extend praises to our Savior.
Wedding Bells are ringing in the Provost Office for my administrative assistant, Dalila Toledo who works untiringly to assist me and each of the faculty and staff of Academic Affairs. Dalila is an alumnus of Vanguard and has been an employee for many years. She has the heart of a true servant and I invite you to share your thoughts and prayers for she and her future husband Luigi. She will return after the first of the year as Mrs. Dalila Perea. We love and appreciate you Dalila!!!
It is very important to read your emails in a timely manner. Often information is shared that many will call my office to ask about. We welcome your calls however, Inside VU, and other weekly message provide communication updates that are important for the Vanguard community. We want you to know what’s happening on campus.
Thanks to all who attended and presented at the Research Luncheon!
News from the Dean
We wrapped up Cornerstone in Week 8. We feel good about it, but are sure revisions will occur once we complete assessments. Hearty thanks to all faculty who participated in one or more sessions:
Tom Carmody, Doug Degelman, Steve Kelly, Vince Gil, Kristen Lashua, Elizabeth Powell, Diana Avans, David Pecoraro, April Westbrook, Ed Rybarczyk, Doug Petersen, Greg Austring, Pam Crenshaw, Bonni Stachowiak, Tara Sirvent, Michael Hanna, Hien Park, Robert Reno, Mun Kang, Ed Westbrook, James Melton, Rachelle Walker, Jen Russum, Ed Clarke, Stephanie D’Auria, Laurie Hatch, John Wilson, and Kevin Walker.
Huge thanks also to Cornerstone instructors:
Itzel Calleja-Macias, Celina Camarillo, Krystal Gowens, Kimberly Greene, Kayli Hillebrand, Josh Houston, Kerry Kimble, Jon Krapivkin, Randee Loya, Rachael Lund, Barbi Rouse, Dalila Toledo, Lauren Walker, Christina Wollin, and Danielle Woo.
Special recognition to President Beals and Provost O’Quinn for their contribution in Week 1.
And finally, enormous gratitude to Amanda Lebrecht, who poured heart and soul into Cornerstone this semester. For these grand endeavors to be successful, someone has to worry about the details. Amanda did that and much, much more.
News from the Library
Approximately 60 undeclared students were counseled by faculty librarians in preparation for spring 2017 registration.
Pre Finals/Finals Week Hours
Monday, November 29 – December 1, 7:30 a.m. to 3 a.m.
Friday, December 2, 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday, December 3, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday, December 4, 2 – 8 p.m.
December 5 – 9 7:30 a.m. to 3 a.m.
December 10 – 11 Closed
December 12-16, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
News from the Registrar
Happy end-of-the-semester! On a less happy note, just a reminder that grades are due by noon on Thursday, December 15th for TUG and most GRAD programs. Students will be able to view their grades on myVU at 12am Saturday, December 17th. It is imperative that grades are in on time. The Registrar’s Office staff has to ensure that grades are entered, processed and a probation/disqualification list ready for the Dean by the first week in January. The Athletic Department has to re-certify athlete’s eligibility prior to Christmas, and the Financial Aid Office may review student’s grades for academic progress. All of this takes a considerable amount of time. Many people, not the least of which are the students, appreciate your timeliness!
News from Institutional Diversity and Inclusion
The Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion collaborated with various departments and personnel throughout the community to address the civil and racial tensions across the country throughout the months of October and November. A moving statement of solidarity was sent to the Vanguard community by President Beals. Students, especially under-represented students, expressed great appreciation for the acknowledgement of the fear and frustration many of them were experiencing during this time. In the same week, the Provost addressed the community in a chapel sermon on coming together and recognizing everyone as a sister and brother in Christ. Students were stirred by the message and impressed by the duet delivered by their provost and faculty member. October was also the launch of our Courageous Conversations Series, hosted by Dr. Harris Akinloye, Chief Diversity Officer. Faculty, staff and students attended and thoroughly engaged in the first discussion on the misconceptions of Black Lives Matter. Mark your calendars now for the next Courageous Conversation taking place, Wednesday, January 25th.
In the third week of our racial reconciliation focus, 80 of our student leaders participating in a Racial Reconciliation & Diversity Summit spearheaded by Dr. Harris Akinloye and colleagues from Pepperdine and Westmont University. Students boarded a bus at 6:00 a.m. to attend the all the all day summit in the beautiful beach city of Malibu. The summit allowed our students to engage with peers from other campuses and gain insight into other perspectives on the topic of racial reconciliation. The day of interactive training was led by ReNew Partnerships founder, Chad Brenner. Chad and his team will also partner with Vanguard on our campus wide climate survey that will launch in February. To conclude the month long focus of learning and reflecting on racial reconciliation, a panel session was conducted in chapel with President Beals, Dr. Pete Menjares, our new Institute of Faculty Development Director, Professor Liz Powell, Aizaiah Young and five student representatives from various racial, religious and socio-economic backgrounds.
Finally, the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion has spent this semester integrating the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) assessment in the Vanguard community. Approximately ten departments have already completed the assessment. Before the beginning of next semester both the university and provost cabinet members will have formal introductions to the assessment. By February, we will have three certified IDI facilitators on our campus and begin the integration of the IDI with our faculty and student services personnel. For more information or questions on this assessment please go to: https://idiinventory.com/products/12-reasons-for-using-the-idi/.
News from Disability Services
The Fall 2016 school semester has been off to a busy start in Disability Services. This semester we have welcomed 103 students into our offices and provided over 209 academic accommodations. We are thankful to be able to serve and support our students with disabilities.
Mellica Harris our former Disability Services Student Worker of 4 years, has recently been hired as the Academic Resources Coordinator. She supports Disability Services, Student Success and Retention, and our Chief Diversity Officer. Mellica graduated in Spring 2016 with her BA in Business. She is the first smiling face you see when you enter into the lobby as well responding to all calls. Mellica assists our students with disabilities with: scheduling a meeting about accommodations, test proctoring, and answering any general questions. Mellica is also running our test proctoring, and any questions regarding exam accommodations she will respond to. She can be reached at Mellica.harris@vanguard.edu or disabilityservices@vanguard.edu Please make her feel welcome when you see her, we are very grateful for her administrative support.
Additionally, Disability Services has a new proctoring space for students with disabilities. The Testing Accommodation Center (TAC) is located on the same floor as Disability Services, Office 281. This new space has proctored close to 300 exams this semester alone. This space has given exam accommodations such as time and half, a more distraction free environment, and exams read aloud. These accommodations allow Vanguard to remain in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and continue to offer academic support to our students with disabilities.
News from the Bookstore
With fall term winding down, the Vanguard University Bookstore team is already busy working with faculty, publishers and wholesalers to stock the shelves for spring term. Departments and faculty members are solely responsible for selecting which materials are used in the classroom, but the bookstore lends expertise in exploring cost-saving options that promote student access.
The earlier the bookstore receives book orders from faculty and departments, the sooner the bookstore team can evaluate format choices including used, rental and digital. Rental is currently the most popular option at the bookstore, saving Vanguard University students up to 80 percent compared to purchasing new. The bookstore also looks at format alternatives like loose leaf. As an example, the old edition of Abnormal Psychology sells for $245.00 new while the new edition loose leaf with Revel access code is only $122.00.
“All of these options reinforce the bookstore’s core mission, to ensure all students have affordable access to the materials needed for success,” said Stephanie Bunt, the Vanguard University Bookstore Manager.
Any members of the campus community with questions around course materials and savings opportunities are encouraged to contact Stephanie and the bookstore team directly at (714) 966-6722 or vanguard@bkstr.com.
News from Ed Tech
Educational Technology
It’s always so hard to believe the semester is drawing to a close. We know how quickly the next one starts, again, too. To that end, we encourage you to think about how you might leverage Canvas [more] in your teaching.
Getting Started with Canvas
If this is the semester you have planned to begin with the basics of what Canvas has to offer, a great base-line use involves:
Placing all your class’ assignments in Canvas, so students have both a centralized calendar of what’s due in all of their classes, along with the ability to view their grades and receive your feedback, is a wonderful first-step in serving the most essential needs our students have.
Next Steps with Canvas
If you used Canvas this semester, consider watching the Show Us Your Course video series, to get inspiration on what to try next in Canvas. If you’re wiling to share your story of how you used Canvas this semester, please email Bonni Stachowiak to express your interest and she’ll set a time with you.
News from the Institute of Faculty Development
As a reminder, those of you who have received professional development funds for Spring 2016 are asked to share what you learned via a blog post, which will be published on the Institute for Faculty Development website.
Here’s an example of one way to approach this knowledge sharing is provided through Bonni Stachowiak’s post about her experience at the Online Learning Consortium’s Accelerate conference.
The instructions about how to write a blog post, after receiving professional development funds may also be found on the IFD site. Click on the link for CCCU 2016-2017 faculty-development-opportunities.
News from First To VU
Since launching First to VU, our first-generation advocacy program, we have discovered that 51% of our full time faculty (including our University President and Provost) were first-generation students. This gives us great insight into the reason our growing first-generation student population is succeeding. The understanding that comes from shared experiences and, inspiration that comes for students as they face challenges and are reminded of all that you have already overcome to get where you are today is invaluable. If you missed the opportunity to identify yourself as first-generation on your contract or would be interested in partnering with First to VU to support this population, please take a moment to fill out the survey below:
https://vanguarduniversity.wufoo.com/forms/first-to-vu-referral-form/
News from Global Center for Women and Justice
Women in Leadership
The Global Center for Women and Justice host its 10th Women in Leadership Series featuring Scharrell Jackson, Chief Financial and Administrative Office of Squar Milner, Nicole Johnson, a federal agent, and VU Assistant Professor, Jacqueline Park. At the evening event, they spoke to VU students where they are taking us and how their individual work is helping generations achieve to their potential. (see attached photo)
Pray for Freedom
January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Global Center for Women and Justice in partnership with the Faith Alliance Against Slavery and Trafficking will host its third annual Pray for Freedom on January 28, 2017 from 3-5pm PST at Vanguard University/Newport Mesa Church. As in the past years, we will be live streaming this prayer event that will rally the body of Christ together to fight against human trafficking with prayer. Our communities will gather to pray for freedom for victims of labor and sex trafficking. Partner organizations and community leaders will open the prayer with a worldwide prayer for wisdom, resources, and divine intervention to free captives. We will pray for the unique issues of widows, single mothers, refugees, foster kids, immigrants and vulnerable communities because of poverty, gender, conflict, and violence. We will also pray for wisdom to make a difference for community leaders that represent government, ethnic minorities, and churches. Our final focus will reflect on prayers for change in our own hearts and communities that will reduce demand driven by greed, pornography, and violence. The final call to action will focus a call to action to help us recognize victims, understand how we can serve, and engage the local church community in everyday responses that make a difference. (see attached flyer)
News from Global Education and Outreach
Thank you all for participating in our annual Operation Christmas Child shoebox drive. We had our biggest year ever – packing over 140 boxes to send around the world. Elena Hagemeier from the former Soviet Union received a shoebox as a child and was able to share in chapel about the transformation it had on her life.
2016-17 Trips
Our teams were picked for many of our study abroad and outreach trips this month. Students will begin their fundraising efforts and team meetings will start when we return from break. Trips this year are:
Northern Ireland (Outreach)
Arkansas (Outreach)
VU Italia (Study Abroad)
Greece (Study Abroad)
Mexico (Outreach)
Indonesia (Outreach – working with unreached people groups)
Kauai (Study Abroad)
Israel (Study Abroad)
Tanzania (Outreach)
Kenya (Outreach)
Here are some pictures of our reveal event to students.