Point Loma Nazarene University
Encyclopedia
Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) is a Christian
liberal arts college
. Its main campus is located on the Point Loma oceanfront in San Diego
, California
. It was founded in 1902 as a Bible college
by the Church of the Nazarene
.
The college was founded by several female laypersons in the Church of the Nazarene
with the assistance of Phineas F. Bresee
, co-founder of the Nazarene Church in Los Angeles
. The "initiators," in the words of historian Timothy L. Smith, convinced "a reluctant Bresee to support the venture."
The institution envisioned was "a simple Bible college" to train ministerial and lay leadership for the newly established Nazarene denomination, but a Bible college
did not fit Bresee's notion of a real Christian school and he "promised little or no assistance." The women went ahead with their plan, with money raised from their husbands, and Pacific Bible College opened in 1902 under Principal Mary Hill. In 1906, Bresee's interest in the college was piqued with a large donation from Jackson Deets. Bresee now saw the possibility for a real liberal arts college
in the newly renamed Deets Pacific Bible College. Bresee and Deets were soon planning Nazarene University together: academy, liberal arts college, and bible school. It became one of the first three "official" educational institutions affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene in 1908, and was named Deets Pacific Bible College in 1909. In 1910, it was renamed Nazarene University and, against the wishes of Jackson Deets and the advice of Nazarene General Superintendent
John W. Goodwin
, the college moved to the Hugus Ranch property in Pasadena, California
. It was renamed again to Pasadena University following a theological dispute and near bankruptcy in 1917.
The name was changed again to Pasadena College in 1924. The school received accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
in 1949, and the name of the school was changed to Pasadena College. The college preparatory program was ended in the 1950s. In 1973, the college was relocated to the former California Western University campus on Point Loma in San Diego, after a rejected plan to move the school to Santa Ana
, where it existed for ten years as "Point Loma College: An Institution of the Church of the Nazarene" until the name was changed to Point Loma Nazarene College (PLNC) in 1983. In 1998, the name was changed again, to Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU).
In 2008, a long-standing tradition of hazing at the Young Hall Dormitory was made public after several students complained to the school and local newspaper. The students claimed they were forced out of their beds, some by being urinated upon, and made to walk naked to and from the ocean beach the night before classes began. In response, Young Hall Resident Director William Hunt was fired from his position. No action was taken on the students directing the hazing event.
programs at regional centers in Arcadia, Bakersfield, Inland Empire and Mission Valley San Diego. Once owned by the Theosophical Society
, the Point Loma site has a lengthy pre-PLNU history.
. The buildings were topped by amethyst
domes, which were lighted at night and could be seen offshore. The entrance to the Academy Building was dominated by two massive carved doors that symbolized the Theosophical Principles of "spiritual enlightenment" and "human potential." The sculptor, Reginald Machell, was educated in England
, but moved to Lomaland
in 1896. The interior furnishings he carved for the Academy Building were influenced by the Symbolist
style popular in Europe
at that time. Machell also supervised the woodworking school at Point Loma.
Lomaland had public buildings for the entire community and several private homes. The home of Albert Spalding
, the sporting goods tycoon, was built in 1901. The building combines late-Victorian
wooden architecture with historical motifs such as the modified Corinthian
column (now shaped like a papyrus leaf) and flattened arches. The amethyst dome was restored by a team of scholars led by Dr. Dwayne Little of the PLNC department of History and Political Science in 1983. The first Greek theater
in North America
was built on this site in 1901. It was used for sporting events and theatrical performances. The tessellated pavement and stoa
were added in 1909. The theatre was the site of a number of productions of Greek and Shakespearean dramas. Cabrillo Hall, which served as the International Center Headquarters, the Brotherhood Headquarters, and "Wachere Crest" building, was completed in 1909. It served as office space for the Theosophical Society and as a residence for Katherine Tingley
after 1909. It was originally located on the west side of Pepper Tree lane.
Lomaland dissolved in the aftermath of World War I
and was used for bootlegging
during the Prohibition
period. The tunnel systems and site were later taken over by Fort Rosecrans before World War II
. It served as an observation point and several barracks were installed on the site, which constitute some of the campus dormitories for PLNU. In 1952, California Western University relocated to Point Loma. In 1968, California Western changed its name to United States International University and moved to Scripps Ranch, while the California Western School of Law
retained its old name and relocated from its Point Loma location to downtown in 1973. Pasadena College moved from Pasadena to Point Loma to replace it.
. Although its name might suggest that it is the college for the "Point Loma" region, no such region currently exists; PLNU is the college for the "Southwest Region" of the United States, comprising the Northern California, Sacramento, Central California, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Hawaii districts, which include California
, Arizona
, New Mexico
, Hawaii
, and parts of Nevada
, Utah
, and Texas
. Each college receives financial backing from the Nazarene churches on its region; part of each church budget is paid into a fund for its regional school. Each college or university is also bound by a gentlemen's agreement
not to actively recruit outside its respective "educational region." PLNU has been accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
since 1949.
and bachelor of science
degrees, as well as graduate
degrees. There were 3,480 students at the college in 2007, 2,346 of whom were undergraduates. The 2007 acceptance rate for students who applied to the college was 73.5 percent.
championship in 2007 and met success as Sweepstakes Champions three times since 2003.
PLNU has also won the Christian College National Championship in 7 times since 1998.
PLNU is also part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
(NAIA), the Golden State Athletic Conference
(GSAC). The university sponsors 14 athletic programs, seven for men and seven for women, in cross-country
, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, baseball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field, women's volleyball, and men's and women's golf. Women's golf was added to replace the softball program that was dropped in 2010 due to the lack of a suitable and permanent playing field. In 2002, the mascot was changed from the Crusaders to the Sea Lions. PLNU has won the National Scholastic Surfing Association college national championship twice, in 1989 and 1999.
, educator and researcher on urban and suburban issues, James Dobson
, prominent evangelical
psychologist
, Greg Laswell
, musician and producer, and Mildred Bangs Wynkoop
, noted Nazarene
theologian. The school has produced four college presidents. Two were presidents of the Eastern Nazarene College
: Fred J. Shields
and Floyd W. Nease
, 1919-1923 and 1924-1930, respectively. One, Orval J. Nease, was president of his alma mater
from 1928 to 1933. The fourth, David Alexander, has been president of Northwest Nazarene since 2008. Hoku
, singer and daughter of the late Don Ho
studied business at PLNU briefly, but left during her first semester.
Notable faculty members include Darrel R. Falk, author of Coming to Peace with Science and director of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
outreach program, and Michael Lodahl
, another noted Nazarene theologian. A notable former faculty member is Olive Winchester
.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
. Its main campus is located on the Point Loma oceanfront in San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It was founded in 1902 as a Bible college
Bible college
Bible colleges are institutions of higher education that specialize in biblical studies. Curriculum is Bible-based and differs from that of liberal arts colleges or research universities. Bible colleges generally exclude the study of philosophy, unlike seminaries and theological colleges...
by the Church of the Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
.
History
| 1. | Phineas F. Bresee Phineas F. Bresee Phineas F. Bresee was the primary founder of the Church of the Nazarene, and founding president of Point Loma Nazarene University.-Early life and ministry:... |
1902-1911 |
| 2. | Edgar P. Ellyson | 1911-1913 |
| 3. | H. Orton Wiley H. Orton Wiley Henry Orton Wiley was a Christian theologian primarily associated with the followers of John Wesley who are part of the Holiness movement... |
1913-1916 |
| 4. | Edward F. Walker Edward F. Walker Edward F. Walker was a minister and general superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene.Born in Steubenville, Ohio, Walker pastored both Methodist and Presbyterian churches before joing the Church of the Nazarene in 1908... |
1917-1918 |
| 5. | Andrew O. Hendericks | 1918-1923 |
| 6. | C. B. Widmeyer | 1923-1926 |
| 7. | H. Orton Wiley H. Orton Wiley Henry Orton Wiley was a Christian theologian primarily associated with the followers of John Wesley who are part of the Holiness movement... |
1926-1928 |
| 8. | Orval J. Nease | 1928-1933 |
| 9. | H. Orton Wiley H. Orton Wiley Henry Orton Wiley was a Christian theologian primarily associated with the followers of John Wesley who are part of the Holiness movement... |
1933-1949 |
| 10. | Westlake T. Purkiser | 1949-1957 |
| 11. | Russell V. DeLong Russell V. DeLong Russell Victor DeLong was a Nazarene minister, evangelist, and college president.- Early life and education :DeLong was a New Hampshire native, the son of a minister. He received his undergraduate education at the Eastern Nazarene College in Massachusetts, then earned his master's and doctoral... |
1957-1960 |
| 12. | Oscar J. Finch | 1960-1964 |
| 13. | Shelburne W. Brown | 1964-1978 |
| 14. | Bill Draper | 1978-1983 |
| 15. | Jim Bond Jim Bond Jim L. Bond is a minister and emeritus general superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene. He was elected at the 24th General Assembly in San Antonio, Texas, in June 1997 and served until retirement in July 2005.... |
1983-1997 |
| 16. | Bob Brower | 1998-present |
The college was founded by several female laypersons in the Church of the Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
with the assistance of Phineas F. Bresee
Phineas F. Bresee
Phineas F. Bresee was the primary founder of the Church of the Nazarene, and founding president of Point Loma Nazarene University.-Early life and ministry:...
, co-founder of the Nazarene Church in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. The "initiators," in the words of historian Timothy L. Smith, convinced "a reluctant Bresee to support the venture."
The institution envisioned was "a simple Bible college" to train ministerial and lay leadership for the newly established Nazarene denomination, but a Bible college
Bible college
Bible colleges are institutions of higher education that specialize in biblical studies. Curriculum is Bible-based and differs from that of liberal arts colleges or research universities. Bible colleges generally exclude the study of philosophy, unlike seminaries and theological colleges...
did not fit Bresee's notion of a real Christian school and he "promised little or no assistance." The women went ahead with their plan, with money raised from their husbands, and Pacific Bible College opened in 1902 under Principal Mary Hill. In 1906, Bresee's interest in the college was piqued with a large donation from Jackson Deets. Bresee now saw the possibility for a real liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
in the newly renamed Deets Pacific Bible College. Bresee and Deets were soon planning Nazarene University together: academy, liberal arts college, and bible school. It became one of the first three "official" educational institutions affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene in 1908, and was named Deets Pacific Bible College in 1909. In 1910, it was renamed Nazarene University and, against the wishes of Jackson Deets and the advice of Nazarene General Superintendent
General Superintendent (Church of the Nazarene)
General Superintendent is the highest elected office within the Church of the Nazarene. General Superintendents are elected by the General Assembly of the denomination for a four year term to expire at the end of the next General Assembly....
John W. Goodwin
John W. Goodwin
John W. Goodwin was a minister and general superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene.Goodwin was born near North Berwick, Maine, and was raised in the Advent Christian Church. After moving to California in 1905, he joined the Church of the Nazarene and assisted Phineas F. Bresee in the founding...
, the college moved to the Hugus Ranch property in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
. It was renamed again to Pasadena University following a theological dispute and near bankruptcy in 1917.
The name was changed again to Pasadena College in 1924. The school received accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...
in 1949, and the name of the school was changed to Pasadena College. The college preparatory program was ended in the 1950s. In 1973, the college was relocated to the former California Western University campus on Point Loma in San Diego, after a rejected plan to move the school to Santa Ana
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
, where it existed for ten years as "Point Loma College: An Institution of the Church of the Nazarene" until the name was changed to Point Loma Nazarene College (PLNC) in 1983. In 1998, the name was changed again, to Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU).
In 2008, a long-standing tradition of hazing at the Young Hall Dormitory was made public after several students complained to the school and local newspaper. The students claimed they were forced out of their beds, some by being urinated upon, and made to walk naked to and from the ocean beach the night before classes began. In response, Young Hall Resident Director William Hunt was fired from his position. No action was taken on the students directing the hazing event.
Campus
PLNU has five different locations besides the main campus in Point Loma, with graduateGraduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
programs at regional centers in Arcadia, Bakersfield, Inland Empire and Mission Valley San Diego. Once owned by the Theosophical Society
Theosophical Society Pasadena
The Theosophical Society is a successor organization to the original Theosophical Society founded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and others in 1875....
, the Point Loma site has a lengthy pre-PLNU history.
Lomaland
By 1900, the campus was dominated by the imposing Academy Building and the adjoining Temple of Peace of the Theosophical Society. Both buildings were constructed in the Theosophical vernacular that included the flattened arch motif and whimsical references to antiquityClassical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
. The buildings were topped by amethyst
Amethyst
Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry. The name comes from the Ancient Greek ἀ a- and μέθυστος methustos , a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness; the ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief...
domes, which were lighted at night and could be seen offshore. The entrance to the Academy Building was dominated by two massive carved doors that symbolized the Theosophical Principles of "spiritual enlightenment" and "human potential." The sculptor, Reginald Machell, was educated in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, but moved to Lomaland
Lomaland
Lomaland was a Theosophical commune located in Point Loma in San Diego), California from 1900 to 1942. Theosophical Society leader Katherine Tingley founded it in 1900 as a school, cultural center, and residential facility for her followers. The American headquarters of the Theosophical Society...
in 1896. The interior furnishings he carved for the Academy Building were influenced by the Symbolist
Symbolism (arts)
Symbolism was a late nineteenth-century art movement of French, Russian and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts. In literature, the style had its beginnings with the publication Les Fleurs du mal by Charles Baudelaire...
style popular in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
at that time. Machell also supervised the woodworking school at Point Loma.
Lomaland had public buildings for the entire community and several private homes. The home of Albert Spalding
Albert Spalding
Albert Goodwill Spalding was a professional baseball player, manager and co-founder of A.G. Spalding sporting goods company.-Biography:...
, the sporting goods tycoon, was built in 1901. The building combines late-Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
wooden architecture with historical motifs such as the modified Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
column (now shaped like a papyrus leaf) and flattened arches. The amethyst dome was restored by a team of scholars led by Dr. Dwayne Little of the PLNC department of History and Political Science in 1983. The first Greek theater
Theatre of Ancient Greece
The theatre of Ancient Greece, or ancient Greek drama, is a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece between c. 550 and c. 220 BC. The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political and military power during this period, was its centre, where it was...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
was built on this site in 1901. It was used for sporting events and theatrical performances. The tessellated pavement and stoa
Stoa
Stoa in Ancient Greek architecture; covered walkways or porticos, commonly for public usage. Early stoae were open at the entrance with columns, usually of the Doric order, lining the side of the building; they created a safe, enveloping, protective atmosphere.Later examples were built as two...
were added in 1909. The theatre was the site of a number of productions of Greek and Shakespearean dramas. Cabrillo Hall, which served as the International Center Headquarters, the Brotherhood Headquarters, and "Wachere Crest" building, was completed in 1909. It served as office space for the Theosophical Society and as a residence for Katherine Tingley
Katherine Tingley
Katherine Augusta Westcott Tingley was a social worker and prominent Theosophist. She was the founder of the Theosophical Society Pasadena. She founded and led the Theosophical community Lomaland in San Diego, California.Tingley grew up in Newbury, Massachusetts. She married Philo B. Tingley in...
after 1909. It was originally located on the west side of Pepper Tree lane.
Lomaland dissolved in the aftermath of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and was used for bootlegging
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
during the Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
period. The tunnel systems and site were later taken over by Fort Rosecrans before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It served as an observation point and several barracks were installed on the site, which constitute some of the campus dormitories for PLNU. In 1952, California Western University relocated to Point Loma. In 1968, California Western changed its name to United States International University and moved to Scripps Ranch, while the California Western School of Law
California Western School of Law
California Western School of Law, founded in 1924, is a private, non-profit law school located in San Diego, California. It is popularly known as California Western or Cal Western and formerly California Western University. The school was approved by the American Bar Association in 1962 and became...
retained its old name and relocated from its Point Loma location to downtown in 1973. Pasadena College moved from Pasadena to Point Loma to replace it.
Affiliation
PLNU is one of the eight U.S. liberal arts colleges and universities affiliated with the Church of the NazareneChurch of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
. Although its name might suggest that it is the college for the "Point Loma" region, no such region currently exists; PLNU is the college for the "Southwest Region" of the United States, comprising the Northern California, Sacramento, Central California, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Hawaii districts, which include California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, and parts of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Each college receives financial backing from the Nazarene churches on its region; part of each church budget is paid into a fund for its regional school. Each college or university is also bound by a gentlemen's agreement
Gentlemen's agreement
A gentlemen's agreement is an informal agreement between two or more parties. It may be written, oral, or simply understood as part of an unspoken agreement by convention or through mutually beneficial etiquette. The essence of a gentlemen's agreement is that it relies upon the honor of the parties...
not to actively recruit outside its respective "educational region." PLNU has been accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...
since 1949.
Academics
Point Loma Nazarene University has a "commitment to educating students as whole people." The University offers more than 60 areas of scholarship as bachelor of artsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degrees, as well as graduate
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
degrees. There were 3,480 students at the college in 2007, 2,346 of whom were undergraduates. The 2007 acceptance rate for students who applied to the college was 73.5 percent.
Student life
The institution has a debate team that won the National Parliamentary Debate AssociationNational Parliamentary Debate Association
The National Parliamentary Debate Association is one of the two national intercollegiate parliamentary debate organizations in the United States. The other is the American Parliamentary Debate Association. The NPDA is a relatively young organization, but it is now the largest college debate...
championship in 2007 and met success as Sweepstakes Champions three times since 2003.
PLNU has also won the Christian College National Championship in 7 times since 1998.
PLNU is also part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
(NAIA), the Golden State Athletic Conference
Golden State Athletic Conference
The Golden State Athletic Conference is a college athletics conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics . The conference commissioner is Cliff Hamlow of Azusa Pacific University. Conference leadership is shared among the member institutions. The conference was formed in...
(GSAC). The university sponsors 14 athletic programs, seven for men and seven for women, in cross-country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, baseball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field, women's volleyball, and men's and women's golf. Women's golf was added to replace the softball program that was dropped in 2010 due to the lack of a suitable and permanent playing field. In 2002, the mascot was changed from the Crusaders to the Sea Lions. PLNU has won the National Scholastic Surfing Association college national championship twice, in 1989 and 1999.
Notable persons
Notable alumni include Edward J. BlakelyEd Blakely
Edward James Blakely is known primarily for having been Executive Director of Recovery Management for the City of New Orleans. He is currently Honorary Professor in Urban Policy at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney....
, educator and researcher on urban and suburban issues, James Dobson
James Dobson
James Clayton "Jim" Dobson, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian author, psychologist, and founder in 1977 of Focus on the Family , which he led until 2003. In the 1980s he was ranked as one of the most influential spokesman for conservative social positions in American public life...
, prominent evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
, Greg Laswell
Greg Laswell
Greg Laswell is a musician, recording engineer, and producer from San Diego, California. He has released four studio albums: Good Movie in 2003, Through Toledo in 2006, and Three Flights from Alto Nido in 2008, and Take a Bow in 2010, as well as several EPs and special singles...
, musician and producer, and Mildred Bangs Wynkoop
Mildred Bangs Wynkoop
Mildred Olive Bangs Wynkoop was an ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene, who served as an educator, missionary and theologian, and the author of several books...
, noted Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
theologian. The school has produced four college presidents. Two were presidents of the Eastern Nazarene College
Eastern Nazarene College
The Eastern Nazarene College is a private, coeducational college of the liberal arts and sciences in Quincy, Massachusetts near Boston, in the New England region of the United States. Known for its strong religious affiliation, distinctive liberal arts core curriculum, and excellence in science...
: Fred J. Shields
Fred J. Shields
Frederick James Shields was a minister, educator, and president of the Eastern Nazarene College.-Education:Shields earned his bachelor's degree from the Nazarene University in 1915 and master's degrees from the University of Southern California and Harvard University...
and Floyd W. Nease
Floyd W. Nease
Floyd William Nease was an American minister and the president of the Eastern Nazarene College until his death in 1930. He is the grandfather of Floyd William Nease II.-Early life:...
, 1919-1923 and 1924-1930, respectively. One, Orval J. Nease, was president of his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
from 1928 to 1933. The fourth, David Alexander, has been president of Northwest Nazarene since 2008. Hoku
Hoku
Hōkū Christian Ho , known simply as Hoku, is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and actress. She is the daughter of noted Hawaiian entertainer Don Ho. Her most popular singles are "Another Dumb Blonde," "How Do I Feel," and "Perfect Day."-Early life:Hoku was born on the island of Oahu in the...
, singer and daughter of the late Don Ho
Don Ho
Donald Tai Loy "Don" Ho was a Hawaiian and traditional pop musician, singer and entertainer.-Life and career:Ho, of Chinese, Hawaiian, Portuguese, Dutch, and German descent, was born in the small Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako, but he grew up in Kāneohe on the windward side of the island of Oahu...
studied business at PLNU briefly, but left during her first semester.
Notable faculty members include Darrel R. Falk, author of Coming to Peace with Science and director of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a United States non-profit medical research organization based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It was founded by the American businessman Howard Hughes in 1953. It is one of the largest private funding organizations for biological and medical research in the United...
outreach program, and Michael Lodahl
Michael Lodahl
Michael Lodahl is a theologian in the Church of the Nazarene. He graduated from Northwest Nazarene College in 1977, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Nazarene Theological Seminary in 1981, and earned a Ph.D. from Emory University...
, another noted Nazarene theologian. A notable former faculty member is Olive Winchester
Olive Winchester
Olive May Winchester was an American ordained minister and a pioneer biblical scholar and theologian in the Church of the Nazarene, who was the first woman ordained by any Christian denomination in Scotland, the first woman admitted into and graduated from the Bachelor of Divinity course at the...
.