Distinctive Communityby President Greg Christy

DAN ROSS

One of the distinctives of Northwestern College is its unique sense of community. We build community here in ways other colleges do not—in classrooms and residence halls, as well as through student life and spiritual formation programs, athletic teams, fine arts groups, and our chapel program. 

Our mission statement emphasizes how valuable we believe the community fostered here is: Northwestern College is a Christian academic community engaging students in courageous and faithful learning and living that empowers them to follow Christ and pursue God’s redeeming work in the world.

As a Christian academic community, we are intentional about each of these defining characteristics. We are authentically Christian—we aren’t perfect, but we desire to honor God in all we do. We strive for academic excellence, and our faculty devote themselves to helping students grow spiritually and personally as well as academically. All of this is done in the context of community. 

In a world of fragmented relationships and increasing isolation, we work to achieve a sense of community students treasure and seek to replicate after graduation. Some may consider our methods of building community to be old-fashioned—compulsory chapel, no cable TV in the residence halls, and requiring students to live on campus until they are 23. We do this not to be different but because these practices have proven effective for creating the kind of community young people crave and need to face today’s challenges. Alumni frequently tell us how much the NWC community shaped who they are, what they value and how they live now. 

Washington Monthly recently named Northwestern the nation’s No. 2 baccalaureate college, based on what students do with their lives after they leave college. Among the factors figuring into their rankings are the number of graduates who earn doctoral degrees or serve in the Peace Corps and the number of students who participate in community service. Northwestern is in the top 10 in the percentage of alumni who serve in the Peace Corps and complete doctorates, as well as in its support for community service. Our emphasis on Christian academic community contributes to our graduates’ passion for both learning and serving.

Ultimately, community is about people and relationships. The Christian academic community of Northwestern provides an ideal environment for students to learn more about who God is, who they are, and who their neighbors are. This in turn provides our students with a worldview focused not on self, but on God and others. Instead of asking, “What’s in it for me?” our students and alumni are the kind of people who ask, “How can I help?” This is what a Christian academic community is all about.