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We greeted about 400 first-year and transfer students to campus for the newly named  Aug. 24-27. WCSA President Nash Garvey and I introduced ourselves to families at the entrance and welcomed them to the Warrior family. While we can say lots of positive things about these new students, we're particularly pleased we bucked the national trends with a 9 percent jump in the number of male students from last year. Men make up 45 percent of the incoming class — the largest percentage at the college since the early 1980s. We credit our innovative new programs, including engineering, data analytics and computer science, as well as the move to NCAA DII, for this growth.

SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS

�Ļ�ӰԺ Baseball Wins the World Series 

We celebrate the best ending possible for �Ļ�ӰԺ Athletics’ final season in the NAIA: the baseball team diving into a celebratory dogpile. The Warriors secured a 7-6 World Series victory over the hosts, Lewis-Clark State, claiming the college’s 10th national championship, the first for �Ļ�ӰԺ baseball and the first by a Warrior men’s team in 51 years.

Faith. Climate. Action. Conference

A special thanks to Professors Amanda Sparkman and Marianne Robins, who co-chaired and hosted on campus the successful Christian climate change conference June 25-July 2. �Ļ�ӰԺ 40 students and faculty from Christian colleges and universities learned about climate change and its widespread effects at “Faith. Climate. Action: A Workshop on Christian Climate Advocacy. ” We welcomed about two dozen top scholars to campus to speak at the event, which included outdoor worship services, hikes and hands-on planting in the college’s garden. To learn more, click here.

�Ļ�ӰԺ enters its NCAA Division II Era

Our Warriors now compete in Division II of the  (NCAA) and play against new and renewed rivals in the PacWest Conference. We believe

this move to NCAA DII will provide better opportunities and experiences for our collegiate athletes. Congratulations to Coach Ruth McGolpin and the volleyball team, which became the first squad in college history to win a match as a member of NCAA DII. Zola Sokhela, �Ļ�ӰԺ’s 14-time NAIA All-American, earned PacWest Runner of the Week, the first NCAA DII honor given to a �Ļ�ӰԺ athlete. Two weeks later, Zola won the conference honor again. The men's and women's soccer teams defeated the Biola Eagles in their latest games as well. 

Summer Research

We hope you’ll join us at the Celebration of Summer Research Friday, Oct. 13, in Winter Hall, where about 45 students will present their work, including some who traveled to Ecuador, Chile and Switzerland. Seven engineering students joined Professor Dan Jensen on a trip to Quito, Ecuador, where they shared their love of science, technology, engineering and math with children in an afterschool program. Ben Carlson sent three students to conduct research at CERN in Geneva, while another student won an award from US ATLAS Summer Undergraduate Program for Exceptional Researchers (SUPER) to continue research at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Jen Ito and two of her physics students conducted research at an elevation of 17,000 feet in Chile. research by �Ļ�ӰԺ professors and students . 

Head of the Class

�Ļ�ӰԺ welcomes four excellent new tenure-track professors to campus this fall. Sam Cole (economics and business), Linghui Han (economics and business), Paul Mena (communication studies), and Anna Jordan '07 (English) each bring a committed Christian faith and a desire to challenge students to think deeply while learning broadly. Learn more about them  and why they will make a significant impact in our community. 

New Board of Trustee Members

In May, we welcomed Mary Barbour and Marcus ‘Goodie’ Goodloe to the Board of Trustees. Mary’s daughter Anna graduated from �Ļ�ӰԺ in 2022, and Goodie’s daughter Hannah will graduate in spring 2024. Mary and Goodie served on the Parent's Council before being selected as trustees. Mary is from Pennsylvania, where she has been an active community volunteer. Goodie, who earned a doctorate from Dallas Baptist University and authored three books, travels the country mentoring others about leadership, character formation and faith. To learn more, click . 

�Ļ�ӰԺ Soars in Latest Rankings

�Ļ�ӰԺ jumped 16 spots in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best Colleges national liberal arts rankings — the college’s largest rise since 2010. For the 19th straight year, �Ļ�ӰԺ is one of the top two national Christian liberal arts colleges and the No. 1 Christian liberal arts college in California and the western United States. �Ļ�ӰԺ is a top performer in the U.S. News Social Mobility ranking, which measures how well schools enrolled and graduated students who received federal Pell Grants. The college rose 14 spots and is ranked at No. 137 (tied) in social mobility and is among the top 10 liberal arts colleges in California. For additional rankings, go . 

Thriving Students

As part of the Warrior Welcome, about 150 first-generation and international students and their family members took part in   a pre-orientation session designed for students who are the first in their family to attend college. This program emphasizes the various elements involved in a new cultural experience and the interpersonal connections vital to thriving in the college environment.The 73 first-generation students represent a more than 4 percent increase from last year. We believe �Ļ�ӰԺ is the right size and fit for first-generation students, and we're committed to supporting them and helping them connect with each other and their new college community. 

100 Percent Success Rate with the Grotenhuis Nursing Program

This fall, �Ļ�ӰԺ Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing welcomed its next cohort of 22 students — 18 women and four men — at the �Ļ�ӰԺ Downtown campus. Meanwhile, all eight graduates of our inaugural Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing cohort have successfully passed the National Council for Licensure Exam-RN and begun careers as nurses. Half of these nurses serve in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. To learn more, click .

Installation of the Adams Chair

We celebrated the gifts of Siegwart ‘Zig’ Reichwald and officially installed him as Adams professor of music and worship — all part of a wonderful day of music on Sept. 29. One of the many highlights of the installation service was hearing the premiere setting of Psalm 121 composed by our own Steve Butler. The service can be viewed .

As I begin my 17th year as president of �Ļ�ӰԺ, I can think of so many reasons to be thankful. I'm pleased to share with you the significant updates and activities of this unique and extraordinary college community. I would love to see you at an upcoming event and hope you'll participate in our vibrant campus life!

God's blessings,

Gayle D. Beebe, Ph.D.

President