26 Sep HU Day for Persons Interested in Ministry or Missions

Interested in a career in ministry or missions? Huntington University will host a visit day for you on October 3.

This day is designed for students interested in studying educational ministries, missions, recreation and sports ministry, children’s ministry, worship leadership, and youth ministries. You’ll have the chance to tour the campus

During the day, perspective students will have the opportunity to tour the campus and talk with faculty and current students.

To register and to see the full schedule of the day, visit explorehuntington.com. To learn more about HU’s ministry and missions majors.

23 Sep Oct 3: Christian College Fair at Fort Wayne UB Church

On October 3, high school students can meet with representatives from nearly 40 Christian colleges during a college fair in Fort Wayne, Ind. The fair is sponsored by the North American Coalition for Christian Admission Professionals (NACCAP) and is hosted by Huntington University.

Date: October 3, 2013
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 pm.
Location: Emmanuel Community Church, 12222 U.S. Highway 24 West, Fort Wayne, IN 46814.
Cost: free.

Workshops on the financial aid process will be held at 6:45 and 7:45. These will provide the latest information on making college feasible and affordable.

For more information about the fair, including the participating schools, visit myblueprintstory.com, or contact Amy Mattox, coordinator of the Fort Wayne Christian College Fair. On the website, students can fill out information to print or download a barcode to be scanned by representatives at the fair.

19 Sep HU Alum Sets Training for 2016 Olympics

Nick and Lauren Johnson with Dr. Sherilyn Emberton (middle), president of Huntington University.

After graduating from Huntington University in 2009 with degrees in exercise science, Nick and Lauren (Davenport) Johnson graduated moved to Eugene, Ore. There, Lauren turned her running talent into a career…and has set her sights on the US Olympic team.

After a few months of training, Lauren competed in the 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She also enticed Nike to become her sponsor. Her main event has been the mile. At HU her events included the 400 meter hurdles, 400 meter dash and 4×400 relay, and she set the HU record in the 800 meter run.

Lauren began running with the Oregon Track Club, an elite track and field team sponsored by Nike and comprised of Olympic competitors and medal winners. It was simply a good career move.

“I had missed being part of a team and wanted to surround myself with other elite athletes with the same focus and goals as myself,” she said.

But joining the team opened other doors. Nick, an accomplished runner himself, began volunteering with the team as much as possible, and those connections helped him become director of operations and assistant coach for the Oregon Track Club. Nick now manages the budget, arranges travel plans, organizes medical care, and maintains community relations. He also assists the head coach in creating workout plans for each athlete.

“I can’t think of a better way to make a living than by participating in the sport that my wife and I share a passion for,” he said.

Lauren is working to be in the best shape possible for the approaching season.

“I have had some bad luck with injuries the last two seasons and have yet to be able to race to my full potential,” she said. “Right now, I am beginning my preparation for the 2014 indoor track season, and hope to stay healthy and race a full 2014 schedule.”

Lauren Davenport was recruited out of Huntington North High School to play basketball for Huntington University, and went on to a stellar career there. She was named to the All America Third Team in NAIA Division II. She says she always viewed herself as a basketball player who also ran track and cross country to stay in shape. But now, running is first.

The former Foresters’ plans for the future are all focused on the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. To make the USA Olympic team, Lauren must finish in the top three at the U.S. Olympic Trials, which will be held in June 2016 in their hometown, Eugene, Ore.

12 Sep Dr. Emberton’s Inauguration Set for October 4

Dr. Sherilyn Emberton (lower left) with Huntington University students.

One short statement set into motion her presidency and established the pride she has in Huntington University: “Today is a great day to become a Forester.”

Three months ago, Dr. Sherilyn Emberton entered Huntington as the 13th president of the institution. She follows a long line of successful leaders, and with that in mind, she went immediately to work creating her own legacy.

At 2:30 pm on October 4, Emberton will be inaugurated as Huntington’s president. The ceremony will take place in the Zurcher Auditorium of the Merillat Centre for the Arts. A presidential commissioning service, planned and directed by students, will be held on October 3 at College Park UB church in Huntington.

“I want to make Huntington University a better place,” Emberton said. “I want to make it a place to equip fantastic young people for the Lord.”

During the inauguration ceremony, Emberton will give an address and will be welcomed by representatives from higher education and the United Brethren Church as well as members of local, state, and national government. Participants will include U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.) and Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson.

The official inaugural address will be shared by Dr. Bud Austin, former chancellor of LeTourneau University; Dr. Dub Oliver, president of East Texas Baptist University; Dr. Eugene Habecker, president of Taylor University and the 11th president of HU; and Dr. G. Blair Dowden, immediate past president of HU.

A reception will be held immediately after the ceremony in the upper level of Habecker Dining Commons.

Emberton previously served as the provost and vice president for academic affairs at East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, Texas. She earned a Doctor of Education degree in 1999 from Texas A&M University-Commerce. She completed her undergraduate study at Stephen F. Austin State University where she received a Bachelor of Science in education degree in 1979. She earned a Master of Education degree from the same institution in 1981.

Emberton is a native Texan who was born in Irving, Texas, near Dallas. Prior to her work at East Texas Baptist, she was the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn. Upon completing her doctorate, she was hired by LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas, to lead its new teacher education program. In 2005, she was named the associate vice president for academic affairs for the institution.

Emberton has extensive experience with diversity initiatives and academic program development, having launched graduate programs in counseling, education, law, medicine, nursing, religion, and sports leadership. In addition to her background in higher education, she has extensive knowledge of the business field, having worked as a broker and owner in real estate development and management companies over a 10-year period.

Emberton began her tenure at HU on June 1, having succeeded Dr. G. Blair Dowden who retired on May 31. He served the university for 22 years. She is the first woman to serve as president of Huntington in 116-year history.

11 Sep HU’s Retention Rate Up to Nearly 80%

This year, Huntington University saw its highest freshman-to-sophomore retention rate in more than a decade. Retention rose from 73% last year to the current 79.5%.

Two of the reasons: freezing tuition, and the university’s Loan Repayment Program.

To lessen the economic burden on students, the HU Board of Trustees voted in January to freeze tuition for the 2013-14 school year. The university also continues to offer its Loan Repayment Program which offers assistance to students with paying their loans after graduation.

With the Loan Repayment Program, if a graduate’s annual salary is below $20,000, the program will reimburse the graduate for the entire amount of their loan payments. As the graduate’s income grows to $36,000, the benefit is reduced proportionally.

Huntington piloted the program five years ago. Last year, it served nearly 40 percent of the undergraduate student body.

11 Sep HU Student Body Stands at 1,113

This fall Huntington University welcomed a total of 1,113 students:

• 943 traditional undergraduate students.
• 110 adult students.
• 60 graduate students.

The new student class this year totals 267.

Huntington students this year represent 31 states, 21 countries, and a wide range of ethnicities. Of the 943 undergraduate students, 42 are international students and 72 are ethnic minorities.

Overall, Huntington has the most diverse undergraduate student population–both in terms of total numbers and percentage of enrollment–in school history.

“I’m very encouraged and enthused about the progress we have made in this important area of our student family,” said Jeff Berggren, senior vice president for Enrollment Management and Marketing. “As a Christ-centered campus, we should be more reflective of the full body of Christ.”

10 Sep Obit: Marian Brott

Many Huntington University alums will remember Marian Brott, who worked in the college library and admissions office. She passed away Tuesday, August 27, in Fort Wayne, Ind. Marion was 91 years old. She was a member of the former Montgomery UB church in Montgomery, Mich. The funeral was held August 30 in Reading, Mich.

28 Aug HU Ranks as 2nd Safest College in Indiana

Huntington University is a safe school both for its campus and the local community, according to rankings by StateUniversity.com.

Huntington University ranked second in Indiana out of 50 schools listed. The top spot when to Goshen College (Goshen, Ind.), a Christian liberal arts college affiliated with the Mennonite Church USA.

“We are very pleased with this ranking, and it reaffirms the good work we are doing to make Huntington University a safe place for everyone,” said Dr. Ron Coffey, vice president for Student Life.

The safety and security of members of the Huntington University community are the primary concerns of the campus leadership.

Barry Cochran

Trained campus police officers are on staff to patrol the campus and are charged with the enforcement of federal, state and local laws, as well as university policies and regulations. The police officers have the authority to make arrests and work closely with the Huntington City Police Department. Barry Cochran (right), a former Huntington Chief of Police, is the Director of Campus Police.

For the rankings, StateUniversity.com compiled information by reviewing campus crime statistics submitted by college law enforcement during 2012.

07 Aug Princeton Review: HU Still Among the Midwest Best

For the sixth consecutive year, Huntington University has been named one of the best colleges in the Midwest by The Princeton Review. HU was listed among 154 other schools in the “Best in the Midwest” section of Princeton’s “2014 Best Colleges: Region by Region.”

The Princeton Review asks students attending the schools to rate their own schools on several issues — from the accessibility of their professors to quality of their science lab facilities — and answer questions about themselves, their fellow students, and campus life.

Surveyed HU students said that “Jesus Christ is the center of every aspect of the University, from the classroom to everyday life.” Other students called it a “wonderful environment” and a place that has “a strong sense of Christ-like values.”

25 Jul Forbes Again Lists HU Among “Top Colleges”

For the sixth year in a row, Huntington University has been listed among the “Top Colleges” in the country by Forbes. Out of the 650 schools ranked, HU was the only institution listed from the greater Fort Wayne area.

The rankings are based on five general categories: post-graduate success (which evaluates alumni pay and prominence); student satisfaction (which includes professor evaluations and freshman to sophomore year retention rates); student debt (which penalizes schools for high student debt loads and default rates); graduation rate; and nationally competitive awards (which rewards schools whose students win prestigious scholarships and fellowships like the Rhodes, the Marshall and the Fulbright or go on to earn a Ph.D). The rankings are compiled for Forbes by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for College Affordability and Productivity.

The rankings are available online.