Before you leave your families and get settled in to your new "home away from home," please take some time to check out two very important documents that will be helpful to you in the months ahead.  

Visit www.nyack.edu/cs, where you can download the Nyack College Events Calendar 2010-2011 and  the Nyack Student Handbook 2010-2011.  New policies and procedures you should be aware of are included there.

Enjoy the rest of your summer. We look forward to seeing you soon!

“I believe Dr. Simpson would be proud,” declared Dr. Michael Scales. In his announcement to the campus community, he said, “Our perseverance, endurance, and persistence finally win. More importantly, God blesses us with a favorable ruling in HIS time! The Board of Regents approved the charter and master plan amendments. This means we have proven to be "institutionally ready" to offer a doctorate and secondly, that the specific D.Min. is approved.” 

With campuses strategically located in Nyack and New York City, Scales pointed out, “This is a major step in our God-given goal to become New York's Christian university. And a Christ-centered university in New York is a Christ-centered university to the world!”

Dr. Elias Dantas is the Director of the D.Min. in Christian Leadership in the Global Context, which will be offered exclusively at the Rockland County, NY campus beginning  January 2011. Prior to his ATS appointment, Dr. Dantas was the associate pastor at Bel Air Presbyterian Church in California. He has a vision for the church and a vision for how ATS might by used by God to fulfill it.

“We want to build churches that are with the community, not just in it,” Dantas says. “We’re becoming a country of foreign born people. We need to help leaders minister in an urban context.”

The opportunity to help churches do that is part of what drew Dantas to ATS. The native Brazilian has always recognized the importance of creating a church with a global mindset. At ATS, that global mindset permeates everything. It reflects the vision and mission of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.

The ATS program seeks “to integrate the practice of ministry with a theological and biblical base.”  Prospective students interested in the 36-credit, three-year program, should contact the Office of Admissions for details on the application process by phoning 1.800.541.6891 or emailing admissions.ats@nyack.edu.

Songs by the Oklahoma resident such as "You Are My All in All," "Nobody Fills My Heart Like Jesus," "Thank You," and "We Will Worship the Lamb of Glory," are sung around the globe. His work ranks in the Top 100 on the Church Copyright Licensing (CCLI) charts for songs most performed in churches.

Jernigan has released over 20 full-length CDs, multiple songbooks, and folios, and has authored more than five books, including his two most recent, A Worshiper's Guide to the Holy Land, What Every Boy Should Know, and What Every Man Wishes Hhis Dad Had Told Him. His newest 15-song CD, Kingdom Come, is available now in retail outlets.

Admission is $20.00 per person. Free admission only for Nyack College students with I.D. For more information on this event, contact Nyack's Office of Spiritual Formation at 845.675.4455.

As they battle fatigue and a few inconvenient minor injuries, Team Cancun (pictured above) invites you to check out the bookstore's website they set up at http://www.libreriaunidadcristiana.com. Read about their challenges and their triumphs at http://www.nyackinmexico2010.blogspot.com www.nyackinmexico2010.blogspot.com.

Faculty advisor for the group, Prof. James Muckell, will take another team to Mexico in January 2011 to continue the service-learning work that Nyack has established with an orphanage there. He hopes to have a large enough student group to assign a crew to follow up on the tremendous groundwork done by team leader Carolina Simbana with Piero Gorriti, Farrah Michael, Stephanie Azevedo, and Gavin Penny.

Pray for their endurance to continue the painstaking work and for safe travels as the group will head home next week.

Accompanied by Prof. Muckell earlier this week, the students headed for a dream service-learning project in Mexico, where they are helping to computerize the Old Cancun Christian Bookstore and also developing its website. The Youth With a Mission (YWAM) facility in Cancun will be their home base until the end of the month.

The venture began with the students researching available software packages for Spanish-speaking Christian bookstores as well as for tools to construct a bookstore website. Through the efforts of Dr. Gordon Boronow, a Nyack economics professor, the project was funded by the Titus Foundation. Additional funds were secured when another Nyack accounting student, Carlos Florentin, shared with his father the need for finances. 

Check out their blog:  http://nyackinmexico2010.blogspot.com, and stay abreast of their progress. Keep Team Cancun in your prayers!

Musical performances by a School of Music ensemble were conducted by Dr. Sue Talley. Violinist Hongik Kim, Class of 2010, was accompanied by Margrit Zimmerman in another musical selection. Capping the presentation of degrees to the graduates, music professor Dr. Dana Talley led a sonorous rendition of “How Great Thou Art.”

Regrettably absent from the impressive roster of platform guests, was H.E. Mathieu Kérékou, president of Benin (1972-1991; 1996-2006). Scheduled to offer a prayer of blessing over the graduates, President Kérékou had been recently hospitalized and was unable to travel. Still the May 8 commencement had special significance for him: a 2010 magna cum laude Nyack graduate was his daughter, Hondo Sephora Claire Kérékou. 

Excerpts from platform speakers:

DR. MICHAEL AHN, Commencement speaker and Honorary Doctor of Letters recipient

"Every one of us was born with a specific aim and calling from God to be respected regardless of race, gender, age, or title. Look at the wildflowers on the hill. Their shapes are different. Their colors are different. And their blooming time is different. However, they live together peacefully and harmoniously. That is like our diverse and wonderful student body here." 

"Being professional and creative is important. However, that is not enough for success. Human relationships are also very important as we work and live together. We need cooperation, coordination, and support from others for success. Networking is a key word for success in this era because one person or one organization has limited capabilities."

"Whenever I have faced challenges, I have considered them as opportunities to make me stronger and tried hard to overcome them with the help of mentors, families, and friends. I believe God has always been with me. God has always made me stronger through the challenges I have encountered. Whenever you face challenges, have faith that you can overcome those challenges!"

DR. MARTIN PALOUS, Honorary Doctor of Laws recipient

"Receiving the Honorary Doctor of Laws at Nyack College – today, one of the largest institutions of Christian Higher Education in the United States, which, as it is stated in its basic documents and information materials, “seeks to…fulfill its mission by being (1) socially relevant; (2) academically excellent; (3) globally engaged; (4) intentionally diverse; and (5) personally transforming,” is indeed a great and, I have to admit, quite unexpected honor for me. I would like to assure you that I am receiving this distinction not only as a recognition of my past modest contributions to the implementation of the above mentioned five core values written into the foundation of this school, but also as a personal challenge for the future and a great responsibility.”

“…as the linguistic meaning indicates, commencement rather points to the opposite direction. It does not denote “end,” but on the contrary  denotes“beginning,” “start,” ”opening,” “initiation”. It designates a forward-oriented transition point in your lives, a bridge between your past and your future. It evokes not only memories, good or bad, but first of all new opportunities, choices you will be making after this graduation.

“…let the Almighty God give you this Solomonic wisdom, and let His Blessing and Grace be with always you wherever you are going to go and whatever you are going to do. Because what else than mutual understanding and relationships of love and friendship do we all need if we want to “live well” in the postmodern world today, to preserve in it our basic values, our personal integrity, our political freedom, our fragile, but always with the divine gift of action endowed, humanity.”  

Dr. Scales unveiled Nyack’s new President’s Hall of Distinction on Commencement Day at a brunch held at the Tarrytown House Estates for family and friends of the honorees along with the members of the campus community. The recipients of this honor embody Nyack’s core values of being—academically excellent, globally engaged, intentionally diverse, personally transforming, and socially relevant. Three individuals were installed. They are pictured above (left to right), RNDr. Martin Palouš, United Nations Ambassador to the Czech Republic; Mr. Michael Ahn, retired president and CEO of LG Electronics North America; Dr. Scales; and Nyack/ATS Trustee Paul Glenn. 

The Nyack College School of Music is proud to announce its Second Annual  Hudson River Pianofest, May 21-22, 2010 on the Rockland County campus. Coordinated by Nyack music professor, Dr. Tammy Lum, this inspiring two-day program of piano master classes, lectures, and concerts is open to all music lovers—students, adult amateurs, teachers, and observers. The program welcomes pianists from intermediate to advanced levels to be active participants. One or two-day registration options are available for students and observers. Audience can purchase tickets to events and concerts.

The internationally renowned concert pianist, Ann Schein, (pictured above) is the featured guest artist. The Washington Post has said of her:  “Thank heaven for Ann Schein…what a relief it is to hear a pianist who, with no muss or fuss, simply reaches right into the heart of whatever she is playing and creates music so powerful you cannot tear yourself away.”

Ms. Schein, Dr. Lum, and Dr. Lisa Yui will conduct master classes. Lecture demonstrations will be presented by Dr. Emily White and Dr. David Witten. Topics to be addressed in the classes include, “Performing and Memorizing Post-Romantic Repertoire,”  “The Greatest Method Book Never Written: Chopin’s Sketchbook for Pianists,” and “Master Class for Adult Amateurs.”

For more information about this two-day event, contact Tammy Lum, program director at pianofest@nyack.edu 845-675-4MUS. Details are also available at www.hudsonriverpianofest.org

Nyack/ATS Dr. Michael Scales shared breaking news with the campus community on Wednesday, March 24: 

“The Evaluation Visit Team from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education delivered their findings to administration and members of the campus community. The Team is recommending to the Commission the reaffirmation of the College's accreditation for the next ten years. They noted that the college meets all 14 Standards for Excellence of the Commission.

“In a departure from the usual practice of these reports to a campus community, Team Chair, Dr. David Black (President, Eastern University) asked Team Member, Dr. Cheryl Lynn Horsey (Vice President for Student Services, Gwynedd-Mercy College, PA) to read a commendation of the College. Dr. Horsey praised the College for its commitment to its core values and the very real way that its students embody those core values. She also noted that Nyack's students were its most powerful asset—a glowing testimony to the wonderful educational program of the college and the dedication of a faculty who truly believe in student success.”

Dr. Scales detailed well-deserved gratitude and praise for:

Provost and VP for Academic Affairs, Dr. David Turk, who earlier engaged MSA. He gave time in order to serve on visiting MSA teams and he learned a LOT that assisted us. For example, he foresaw that “assessment” was the main theme of MSA and he began installing and developing people and systems. While we have a lot of work to do, I shudder to think where we would be if he had not seen and acted.

The Chairs of the eight working groups (Anita Underwood, Len Kageler, Michele Pinkham, Mark Meehan, JoAnn Looney, Dell O'Hara, Ben Schepens and Fred Arzola) and the two Self Study Co-Chairs (Frank Chan and Fred Arzola) for all their work in organizing the self study process and developing a draft of the self study.

The over 75 faculty and staff who worked on the eight working groups - faculty and staff from every campus and every program of the institution who developed charts, researched data and wrote chapters.

Ben Schepens, our Assistant Provost, whose experience leading us through NCATE was invaluable and led us through our birth as an institution that “assesses” - Roberto Chia and Molly Midgett, who put together an online document room and hard copy doc files that rival the holdings of the Library of Congress!

Bonita D'Amil, who with assistance from Carol Ann Freeman and Deb Harris, organized EVERYTHING and made sure that every team member was comfortably situated and that every meeting occurred as planned.

The Trustees: Ron Eastman, Duane Wheeland, TY Lee, Carolyn Tonge, Lucy Guzman, Bruce Terpstra, Donna Baptiste and Mark Wellman, who either drove some distance or flew in to meet with the Team on Monday.  Their commitment is extraordinary and they wonderfully displayed their passion for Nyack College and ATS to the visiting team.

The SGA from each campus and students from each campus who were so professional and effusive in their praise of Nyack - its faculty and staff especially.  Their meetings with the team truly helped end all of the interviews with a true "bang." 

Each and every one of you who, by divine appointment, so passionately believe in this great cause.

Finally, I want to thank our wonderful God for allowing me to serve among such devoted colleagues.