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In an historic move, the Pacific Union College Board of Trustees voted Monday to withdraw from negotiations for the sale of more than 100 acres of agricultural land. Trustees rejected a multi-million-dollar proposal from a Napa County winery. “I am pleased the board has given Pacific Union College the opportunity to pursue a vision that includes stewardship of the PUC lands,” said President Bob Cushman. “We intend to develop a campus physical master plan that will include the development of auxiliary revenue streams while preserving the legacy of our land. The land is our endowment.” This decision follows a similar vote at the May 11, 2017, when the board voted to remove four other land parcels from the market. The board also voted to suspend further discussion of land sales until the campus physical master plan is approved by the board. Dr. Cushman outlined a 12-15 month timeframe to revise a plan that has not been updated since 1975. “The new college senior leadership team is offering an attractive vision for the future of the college, one that myself and the board are excited to see put into action,” said Bradford Newton, board chair. “We are encouraged by this new...

It is not uncommon for small towns, local institutions, and rural communities throughout the nation to partner on ways to build on local assets, strengthen their economies, and provide better quality of life residents. Yet, here in Angwin, Calif., an unincorporated village in the Napa Valley, PUC administration and local residents have been at odds for years over the future of the 3,000-plus residential town on Howell Mountain. PUC and Save Rural Angwin (SRA) are now committed to work together to protect and preserve the rural setting. Moving forward, leaders have pledged to focus on collaborative efforts to address issues affecting Angwin and the greater Napa Valley. This summer, PUC administrators and SRA leadership met at President Bob Cushman’s Angwin home. Over a home cooked meal of cottage cheese loaf and roasted vegetables, the group expressed their hopes and dreams for their shared community. PUC administrators conveyed a desire to work with SRA on initiatives to safeguard Angwin’s rural character. “We look forward to partnering with our neighbors to preserve Angwin’s unique and irreplaceable natural environment,” said Dr. Cushman. One such initiative is the forest conservation easement and management project. Along with the Land Trust of Napa County, PUC and...

The Pacific Union College Church sanctuary was filled with students, staff, and faculty for the first Colloquy service of the year, Thursday, September 28. The campus and community family gathered together to hear the inaugural address from the college’s new president, Dr. Bob Cushman. Megan Weems, the Student Association (SA) president, began the service by introducing this year’s SA theme, “Family.” It is their goal that every PUC student be intentional about building a family atmosphere. “We want to make sure it’s more than just a word on a t-shirt, or a word on a video … we want to make sure everyone feels it in their heart of hearts. We want to make sure everyone feels they belong and are loved. At PUC, we’re all here together,” she encouraged. A hymn of praise followed, then a reading of Matthew 22:36-40. “Pie Jesus” by Andrew Lloyd Webber was performed by I Cantori, conducted by Jenelle Westerbeck Anderson, assistant professor of music, featuring solos from Whitney Weems and Christina Allen. Dr. Aimee Wyrick, chair of the department of biology, introduced Dr. Cushman, and revealed he was her professor at Loma Linda University. She shared fun anecdotes from studies they conducted together;...

In its 2017-2018 College Salary Report, Payscale.com recently ranked Pacific Union College as second in the country for having the highest earning alumni with two-year degrees. For the report, Payscale surveyed approximately 2.3 million graduates from more than 2,700 colleges and universities throughout the United States, asking them to report their highest degree earned, major, school name, and salary. For the two-year degree granting schools category, PUC placed second for highest-earning alumni, following Helene Fuld College of Nursing in New York. According to the report, the early career pay for PUC graduates with two-year degrees is about $60,700, with their mid-career salary being around $85,400. In 2015, the most recent year such information is available, the Social Security Administration determined the national average wage index was $48,098. “While earning potential isn’t the sole reason students and families should consider when deciding on a college, it is an important factor, as college is a significant investment of both time and money,” says Jennifer Tyner, vice president of student life, enrollment, and marketing. “We are so pleased PUC graduates with two-year degrees are out in the workforce and receiving a high return on their college investment.”For more information about PUC's 70+ degree...

Pacific Union College will host 16 financial aid workshops across Northern California and Hawaii, in a special collaboration with La Sierra University, during October and November. For the first time, the college will also be holding several online workshops throughout the fall. The goal of these workshops is to provide families with the critical information they need to help finance a quality, Christ-centered college education. Topics to be covered include PUC scholarships, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), Cal Grant, and other scholarship and aid opportunities. “PUC understands how critical finances can be for families when planning for college, which is why we strive to offer as much assistance and information as possible through our financial aid workshops. I want to personally invite anyone considering PUC to attend a workshop so we can discuss how we can make an Adventist education possible for your family,” says J.R. Rogers, director of recruitment. “Traditionally, we held these events in January and February, but we’ve moved them up to assist families with college financial planning.” Workshop dates are as follows: October 2 - Mountain View AcademyOctober 4 - Lodi AcademyOctober 9 - Redwood Adventist AcademyOctober 10 - El Dorado Adventist SchoolOctober...

This summer, Pacific Union College is embarking on a creative, yet ambitious educational initiative to raise awareness and funds about the global water crisis and water poverty. The college is partnering with Water for Good and private donors to launch the 5,000 Drops campaign. Private supporters donated an environmentally-friendly Tesla Model-X to serve as the foundation of the project. The electric vehicle has been custom wrapped with 5,000 transparent water drops. Each drop represents a Central African Republic family who lacks safe and reliable water access—water poverty affects an estimated 667 million people around the world. For the next two years, PUC staff and students will be touring the United States in the Tesla, offering presentations on water poverty and accepting donations for “drops of water.” The team’s schedule is already filling with requests for assembly programs, class presentations, and workshops. Participants will have the opportunity to explore the Tesla too. “We want to start conversations about clean water access and sustainability,” says Fabio Maia, PUC’s director of missions and service. “An estimated 667 million people around the world drink contaminated water. We hope to use this project to provide an innovative way for people all over the country to...

Pacific Union College held its annual PacificQuest program July 9-14, welcoming 16 high-achieving middle school students to campus. The program is designed to provide gifted students with the opportunity to explore college-level courses and encourage them to pursue a college education. This summer, PacificQuest students discovered the marvels of the awe-inspiring human body through three hands-on classes: Anatomy, taught by Dr. Scott Herbert, and Microbiology, taught by Dr. Aimee Wyrick and Dr. Backil Sung. These classes explored the different parts of the body, what they do, and how they work, along with different body systems, with a strong focus on the immune system. Students also learned about microbes, and how to classify them based on their various characteristics, and practiced using a compound light microscope to describe and identify bacteria. Students received one college credit for completing these classes. “The 2017 group was fantastic! Not only were they able to keep up with the rigor of classes, they were engaged and interacted well with each other and PacificQuest faculty and staff. By the end of the week, new lifelong friendships had formed,” said Dr. Wyrick, who also served as the PacificQuest academic director. “We can’t wait to see many of...

Pacific Union College is excited to announce several new degree programs offered this coming school year: a bachelor’s in biotechnology; a bachelor’s in religion with an emphasis in mission; and lastly, a bachelor’s in global development studies. Building upon the foundation of the college’s well-established undergraduate biology program, the biotechnology major prepares students interested in working professionally in biomedical, pharmaceutical, criminal investigative, agricultural, and other related industries. Students can expect to gain a solid foundation in basic and advanced biochemical techniques, along with developing personal ethics that consider the ramifications of biotechnology-related decisions. The program also fully prepares students who wish to pursue more advanced degrees in biotechnology to obtain more illustrious positions as administrators, primary investigators, and other professional positions. The global development studies major offers a flexible approach to students interested in working in various capacities around the world, with career opportunities in administration, research, fundraising, training, advocacy, and relief work. Students will develop critical thinking and analytical skills regarding complex world issues while considering social, economic, political, and cultural factors, all within a faith perspective. Taken in conjunction with another major, students will fulfill a foreign language requirement and participate in a study abroad program or international...

This summer, representatives from Pacific Union College will travel to Soquel Camp Meeting and Redwood Camp Meeting to fellowship and worship together with college alumni and friends. At Soquel Camp Meeting, which runs from July 13-22, is the Central California Conference’s annual gathering near Santa Cruz, Calif., at the Soquel Conference Center. PUC representatives will be helping in the youth tent as well as answering questions and sharing information about the college at the PUC booth. On Sabbath, July 22, the PUC alumni team will host a luncheon in the Earliteen tent following the church service. Held by the Northern California Conference, Redwood Camp Meeting is located in the beautiful forest of Redcrest, Calif., and runs from July 20-29. As in previous years, PUC representatives will be helping all week in the youth tent as well as staff the PUC booth to talk with alumni, friends, and potential students, with information about the college and special giveaways on hand. On Sabbath, July 29, the college’s alumni team will host a special luncheon immediately following the church service in the Picnic Pavilion. Additionally, the college will be hosting the Ignite Camp Meeting and the annual West Coast Korean Camp Meeting on...

To the sound of enthusiastic cheers of thousands in attendance, for the 115th time on its campus, Pacific Union College celebrated its annual commencement exercises on Sunday, June 18, with 392 students graduating. For the first time, the ceremony was held at Maxwell Commons, located in the heart of the college’s campus between the PUC Church and Paulin Hall. The new commencement site was named in memory of Dr. Malcolm Maxwell, the 19th president of PUC. He was the first PUC alumnus to serve as president, and he had the longest tenure—18 years—of any president of the college. Maxwell passed away in 2007, but his legacy and the impact he had on PUC continues to live on. He is remembered for his energy, passion, and commitment to higher education, and it is in this spirit Maxwell Commons was named. The college proudly awarded 418 associate, bachelor, and master’s degrees to the 392 graduates. The largest departmental groups were nursing and health sciences (223), business administration (36), communication (31), biology (19), and psychology and social work (18). One hundred and twenty-two students received academic distinctions and honors, with 12 summa cum laude graduates, 27 magna cum laude graduates, and 76 cum...