2001

Four Corners USA, a stunning travelogue of the American Southwest, will be presented at Pacific Union College in Paulin Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 1. Documentary filmmaker James Tompkins explores this unique region of the United States—the only place in the country where four states meet at a single point. The scenic back country of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, offers an amazing combination of impressive mountains, raging rivers, remote canyons, and historic cultures. From the history of Colorado’s San Juan Mountains to the labyrinths of Lake Powell and national parks of Utah, the viewer will be amazed at the wealth of diversity in this beautiful part of our country....

Ring in the Christmas season with Pacific Union College’s music department on Friday, December 7 and Saturday, December 8. Brass, choirs, handbells, and strings will delight the whole family with dynamic arrangements of traditional Christmas favorites. Daniel Pinkham’s Christmas Cantata for choir, brass, and organ will be the featured 20th-century work. The Friday evening and Saturday afternoon programs represent a cross campus collaboration of more than 100 singers and instrumentalists. Kenneth Narducci directs the PUC Brass Quintet, and the PUC Chamber Orchestra performs under the baton of LeRoy Peterson. The college’s choral ensembles, (Pro Musica, Kantorei, and Bel Canto) are conducted by Gennevieve Brown Kibble. Del Case directs the English Handbell Choir. Performing individually and as a whole, the instrumental groups and three choral ensembles will enchant audiences with a variety of Christmas classics and lesser known works. The musicians will also join the audience in singing favorite Christmas carols....

Recent Congressional approval secures $250,000 for Pacific Union College. The money will be used for maintainaince and improvements on the Napa Valley Community Resource Center. U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) requested the funds as part of the Veterans Administration-Housing and Urban Development Fiscal Year 2002 Appropriations Bill, which is currently in Congress. A final vote in the House and Senate must be secured before the bill goes to the President for his signature. The Resource Center in Napa serves as a base for Pacific Union College’s Center for Continuing and Professional Education which offers teaching credentials and Bachelors’ degrees in Early Childhood Education, and Business Management. Part of the grant money will also go toward additional technology at the Resource Center. “This is great news for Napa Valley and Pacific Union College,” stated Boxer. “The improvement of this facility will mean a better education for our children , a broader economic base for the community, and increased access to developing technology.” Michelle Mesnard, Pacific Union College director of public relations, emphasizes that “the success of the Napa Valley Community Resource Center has been a collaborative effort. Pacific Union College has worked with Napa Valley College, the Napa Valley Economic Development...

Doors open to Pacific Union College’s virtual classroom on January 7, 2002. Through PUC CyberCourses, the college’s newly created online program, students can earn credit for a variety of general education classes from the convenience of a personal computer. Biological foundations and jogging are among the first classes offered as CyberCourses. Seven classes from five of the school’s academic departments—biology business, chemistry, math, and exercise science, health, and nutrition—are premiering as PUC CyberCourses. The courses include biological foundations, natural products, introductory algebra, statistics, PC operating systems, PC spreadsheets, and jogging. All of the classes meet either general education or elective requirements and many can be applied towards a specific Bachelor’s degree. The PUC CyberCourses program is a balanced blend of online instruction and interaction with professors and fellow students in the virtual classroom. The format of PUC CyberCourses facilitates discussion while allowing students to work at their own pace. "Throughout PUC's history, we have attempted to provide well-tested new approaches to learning,” says PUC President Richard Osborn. “Our new CyberCourse program now enables individuals to take classes from their homes from Christian teachers; which opens many new possibilities for traditional and non-traditional college students." Students are required to take at...