{"id":161,"date":"2018-04-04T00:01:29","date_gmt":"2018-04-04T00:01:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/history\/?page_id=161"},"modified":"2024-05-05T03:13:30","modified_gmt":"2024-05-05T03:13:30","slug":"stevens-1982-98","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/history\/narrative\/stevens-1982-98\/","title":{"rendered":"Stevens (1982-98)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 1980s were a challenging time period for the college. By 1986, enrollment had dropped to 549 students and the college faced the prospect of significant debt due to the construction of Bauman Auditorium.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Portrait
Ed Stevens around 1995<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 1982,\u00a0 David LeShana left the college and Edward Stevens became the new president. He came into the presidency with a background in business and development that the board hoped would allow him to stabilize and grow the college.<\/span><\/p>\n

Edward Stevens was the first non-Quaker president of the college<\/p><\/blockquote><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Students
Juniors Abroad trip to Australia, 1995<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

New innovative programs inaugurated by the faculty in the 1980s included the degree completion program, which was aimed at assisting working adults to complete their undergraduate degree.\u00a0 At the time, Fox was one of only seven colleges in the nation to offer this type of program. In addition, the Center for Peace Learning was created in 1985 and the Juniors Abroad program in 1987.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For the first time in 1987, George Fox received recognition by U.S. News and World Reports<\/i> as one of America\u2019s Best Colleges.\u00a0 It ranked number 12 in the Midwest and Western Division. As the faculty grew as a result of increasing student numbers, there was a focus on attempting to hire a more diverse faculty.\u00a0 The unequal ratio of male to female faculty that had been evident since the 1960s began to slowly equalize.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1989, the college purchased its first graduate program: the clinical psychology program from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary. According to President Stevens, the addition of the PsyD program was the first step towards George Fox offering numerous graduate degrees. In 1992 the Master of Arts in teaching was created.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additional Facts<\/p>\n