Northwest Nazarene University

Christian university in Nampa, Idaho, US

Northwest Nazarene University

Seal of Northwest Nazarene University

Former names

| Northwest Nazarene College (1917–1999)
Northwest Holiness College (1916–1917)
Idaho Holiness School
(1913–1916)
Motto| Seek Ye First
the Kingdom of God
Type| Private university
Established| 1913; 111 years ago (1913)
1937; four-year

Religious affiliation

| Nazarene

Academic affiliations

| CCCU
Space-grant
Endowment| US$40 million
President| Joel Pearsall
Students| 2,058
Undergraduates| 1,332
Postgraduates| 726
Location|

Nampa, Idaho

U.S.

43°33′43″N 116°33′54″W﻿ / ﻿43.562°N 116.565°W﻿ / 43.562; -116.565
Campus| Suburban
Colors|  Red and black
Nickname| Nighthawks

Sporting affiliations

| NCAA Division II (GNAC)
Mascot| Nighthawks
Website| www.nnu.edu

Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) is a private Nazarene university in Nampa, Idaho.

## History

[edit]

Presidents  | Fred J. Shields | 1917–1919

|
|

1. | H. Orton Wiley | 1919–1926
2. | Joseph G. Morrison | 1926–1927
3. | Russell V. DeLong | 1927–1932
4. | R. Eugene Gilmore | 1932–1935
5. | Russell V. DeLong | 1935–1942
6. | L.T. Corlett | 1942–1952
7. | John E. Riley | 1952–1973
8. | Kenneth H. Pearsall | 1973–1983
9. | A. Gordon Wetmore | 1983–1992
10. | Leon Doane | 1992–1993
11. | Richard A. Hagood | 1993–2008
12. | David Alexander | 2008–2015
13. | Joel Pearsall | 2016–present

Eugene Emerson organized a combination grade school and Bible school in 1913 as Idaho Holiness School.[1][2] It was renamed twice in 1916, first to Northwest Holiness College and then to Northwest Nazarene College,[3] and then became a liberal arts college in 1917 with degree-granting authority from the Idaho state Board of Education. While the college's first president, elected in 1916, was H. Orton Wiley of Pasadena University, Fred J. Shields filled in as acting president before leaving for the Eastern Nazarene College in 1919, while Wiley finished his graduate work.[4]

Under Russell V. DeLong, Northwest Nazarene College (NNC) received educational accreditation[5] as a two-year school in 1931[6] and as a four-year school in 1937,[6] making it the first accredited college affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene.[7] Under Presidents John E. Riley and Kenneth H. Pearsall in the 1960s and 1970s, master's degree programs were added.[8][9] It was renamed Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) in 1999.

Northwest Nazarene University was granted an exception to Title IX in 2014 which allows it to legally discriminate against LGBT students for religious reasons.[10]

## Affiliations

[edit]

Nampa

class=notpageimage|

Location in the United States

Nampa

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Location in Idaho

As one of eight U.S. liberal arts colleges[11] affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene,[12] the 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 is also bound by a gentlemen's agreement not to actively recruit outside its respective educational region.[13]

NNU is the church's college for the Northwest Region of the United States, which comprises the Alaska, Washington Pacific, Oregon Pacific, Northwest, Intermountain, Rocky Mountain, and Colorado districts, which include Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Alaska, and parts of Nevada and Utah.[14] NNU is also a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).[15] NNU has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) since 1930, making it the first Nazarene school to achieve an accredited status.[5]

## Academics

[edit]

Northwest Nazarene University has two colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Adult and Graduate Studies. NNU offers over 60 baccalaureate degree programs, 11 master's degree programs, a Ph.D. degree program, and a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in clinical psychology.[16] In addition to its 90-acre (36 ha) campus in Nampa, ID, the university offers extensive online degree programs and has branch campuses in Boise, Twin Falls, and Idaho Falls.

Founded in 1913, the university now serves over 1300 undergraduate and 700 graduate students, more than 6000 online and continuing education students, and high school concurrent credit students. NNU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

## Student life

[edit]

NNU is a co-educational college according to InsideHigherEd and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities[17][10]

### LGBTQ students

[edit]

In 2019, NNU was ranked among the "Absolute Worst Campuses for LGBTQ Youth" in the US by Campus Pride.[10] The Church of the Nazarene Manual 2017–2021[a] states that "we believe the practice of same-sex sexual intimacy is contrary to God’s will for human sexuality".[18] The university's Notice of Non-discrimination states that "The University maintains the right, with regard to its lifestyle covenant, employment, and other matters, to uphold and apply its religious beliefs related to, among other issues, marriage, sex (gender), gender identity, sexual orientation, and sexual activity."[19]

## Athletics

[edit]

Main article: Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks

The Northwest Nazarene (NNU) athletic teams are called the Nighthawks (formerly known as Crusaders until October 15, 2017). The university is a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) since the 2001–02 academic year. The Nighthawks previously competed in the D-II Pacific West Conference (PacWest) during the 2000–01 school year; and in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1993–94 to 1999–2000.

NNU competes in 13 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball.[20]

Along with Eastern Nazarene College, Point Loma Nazarene University, Southern Nazarene University, and Trevecca Nazarene University, it is one of five Nazarene colleges to compete in the NCAA; while Point Loma Nazarene only competes in the NAIA.

## Notable people

[edit]

Notable graduates include Lori Otter, First Lady of the State of Idaho. Kent R. Hill, the former administrator for USAID's Bureau for Global Health and former president of the Eastern Nazarene College (1992-2001), Richard Hieb, NASA astronaut, author Donna Fletcher Crow, and Michael Lodahl and Thomas Jay Oord, Nazarene theologians. A notable non-graduate alumna is Mildred Bangs Wynkoop, another Nazarene theologian. Notable former faculty members include Fred J. Shields, H. Orton Wiley, Ben Fischer and Olive Winchester. Religious speaker and author Ann Kiemel Anderson attended the university.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ The online manual website indicates that "The provisions of the current Manual remain effective until modified by the 30th General Assembly, scheduled to convene in June of 2023, and a new version is announced by the Board of General Superintendents."

## References

[edit]

* Idaho portal

1. ^ Riley, John E. From Sagebrush to Ivy: The story of Northwest Nazarene College. Pacific Press, Nampa, Idaho, 1988.
2. ^ Ingersol, Stan. "Why These Schools? Historical Perspectives on Nazarene Higher Education" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-06-24. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
3. ^ Raser, Harold E. (1996). "Church of the Nazarene Universities, Colleges, and Religious Seminaries". In Thomas C. Hunt; James C. Carper (eds.). Religious Higher Education in the United States. Taylor & Francis. p. 549\. ISBN 0-8153-1636-4.
4. ^ Cameron, James R. (1968). Eastern Nazarene College—The First Fifty Years, 1900-1950. Kansas City: Nazarene Publishing House. pp. 127, 142–143.
5. ^ a b "NWCCU: Idaho schools". Archived from the original on 2008-07-03. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
6. ^ a b "NNU Administrative Policy Manual" (PDF).
7. ^ The next Nazarene college to be accredited was Eastern Nazarene, accredited by NEASC in 1943. Northwest had the authority to grant degrees from the State of Idaho before 1930, but ENC did not have the authority to grant degrees in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts until 1930\. Before 1930, ENC students actually received degrees from NNU. See James R. Cameron, Eastern Nazarene College—The First Fifty Years, 1900-1950, Nazarene Publishing House (1968), 163.
8. ^ "NNU History". Archived from the original on 2007-06-08. Retrieved 2007-06-20.
9. ^ "Fall 2008 President's Dinner at NNU". Archived from the original on August 9, 2009.
10. ^ a b c "Worst List: The Absolute Worst Campuses for LGBTQ Youth". Campus Pride. 17 May 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
11. ^ J. Matthew, Price. "Liberal Arts and the Priorities of Nazarene Higher Education" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-06-27. Retrieved 2008-07-10. Nazarene higher education is based on the liberal arts model. Eastern Nazarene is the only Nazarene institution to retain the "college" moniker, although no Nazarene school fits the standard national definition Archived 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine of a "research university".
12. ^ "Nazarene Educational Regions" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-06-24. Retrieved 2008-07-10. See Church of the Nazarene: Organization for more information on regions.
13. ^ Guidelines and Handbook for Educational Institutions of the Church of the Nazarene (PDF). Church of the Nazarene International Board of Education. 1997. p. 14\. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-10-10.
14. ^ "Northwest Educational Region" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-09-11. Retrieved 2008-07-10. ENC and NNU are the only Nazarene schools to remain true to their regional names.
15. ^ "CCCU Members". Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
16. ^ "Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology". www.nnu.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
17. ^ "Inside Higher Ed's News". www.insidehighered.com.
18. ^ Church of the Nazarene Manual 2017–2021, Dean G. Blevins, Stanley J. Rodes, Terry S. Sowden, James W. Spear, David P. Wilson (eds.), Kansas City, MO: Nazarene Publishing House (2017): para. 31.
19. ^ "Notice of Non-discrimination - Northwest Nazarene University". www.nnu.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
20. ^ "Northwest Nazarene University Athletics - Official Athletics Website". Northwest Nazarene University Athletics.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Official athletics website

* v
* t
* e

Colleges and universities in Idaho

Public four-year|

* Boise State
* Idaho State
* Lewis-Clark State
* University of Idaho

Public two-year|

* Eastern Idaho
* North Idaho
* Southern Idaho
* Western Idaho

Private|

* Boise Bible
* BYU–Idaho
* College of Idaho
* McCall
* New Saint Andrews
* Northwest Nazarene

* v
* t
* e

Nazarene liberal arts colleges and educational regions

* Ambrose (Canada)
* Eastern Nazarene (Eastern USA)
* MidAmerica Nazarene (North Central USA)
* Mount Vernon Nazarene (East Central USA)
* Northwest Nazarene (Northwest USA)
* Olivet Nazarene (Central USA)
* Point Loma Nazarene (Southwest USA)
* Southern Nazarene (South Central USA)
* Trevecca Nazarene (Southeastern USA)

* v
* t
* e

Members of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities

Governing Members|

* Abilene Christian
* Ambrose
* Anderson (Indiana)
* Anderson (South Carolina)
* Asbury
* Azusa Pacific
* Belhaven
* Bethel (Indiana)
* Bethel (Minnesota)
* Bethany
* Biola
* Bluefield
* Bushnell
* California Baptist
* Calvin
* Campbellsville
* Central Baptist
* Central Christian
* Charleston Southern
* Colorado Christian
* Concordia-Ann Arbor
* Concordia–Chicago
* Concordia–Irvine
* Concordia–Nebraska
* Concordia-Wisconsin
* Corban
* Cornerstone
* Covenant
* Crown
* Dallas Baptist
* Dordt
* East Texas Baptist
* Eastern Nazarene
* Emmanuel
* Erskine
* Evangel
* Faulkner
* Fresno Pacific
* Geneva
* George Fox
* Gordon
* Grace
* Greenville
* Hannibal–LaGrange
* Hardin–Simmons
* Harding
* Hope International
* Houghton
* Houston Christian
* Howard Payne
* Huntington
* Indiana Wesleyan
* Jessup
* John Brown
* Judson (Illinois)
* Kentucky Christian
* King
* Lee
* LeTourneau
* Lipscomb
* Malone
* Messiah
* Mid-America Christian
* MidAmerica Nazarene
* Milligan
* Mississippi
* Missouri Baptist
* Montreat
* Mount Vernon Nazarene
* Multnomah
* North Central
* North Park
* Northwest Nazarene
* Northwest
* Northwestern (Iowa)
* Oklahoma Baptist
* Oklahoma Christian
* Olivet Nazarene
* Oral Roberts
* Ouachita
* Palm Beach Atlantic
* Point
* Point Loma Nazarene
* Redeemer
* Regent
* Roberts Wesleyan
* San Diego Christian
* Simpson
* Southeastern
* Southern Adventist
* Southern Nazarene
* Southern Wesleyan
* Southwest Baptist
* Spring Arbor
* Sterling
* Tabor
* Taylor
* Toccoa Falls
* Trevecca Nazarene
* Trinity Christian
* Trinity International
* Trinity Western
* Mary Hardin–Baylor
* Northwestern – St. Paul (UNWSP)
* Southwest
* Vanguard
* Walla Walla
* Warner
* Wayland Baptist
* Westmont
* Wheaton
* Wisconsin Lutheran
* York (Nebraska)

Associate Members|

* Arizona Christian
* Asbury Theological Seminary
* Briercrest
* Cairn
* Columbia International
* Crandall
* Dallas Theological Seminary
* Denver Seminary
* Fuller Theological Seminary
* Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
* Johnson
* Kuyper
* Life Pacific
* Lincoln Christian
* Martin Luther
* McMaster Divinity
* Mid-Atlantic Christian
* Moody
* Ohio Christian
* Ozark Christian
* Prairie
* Providence
* Southwestern Christian
* King's (New York)
* King's (Texas)
* Tyndale
* Valley Forge

* v
* t
* e

Great Northwest Athletic Conference

Members|

* Alaska Nanooks
* Alaska Anchorage Seawolves
* Central Washington Wildcats
* Montana State Billings Yellowjackets
* Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks
* Saint Martin's Saints
* Seattle Pacific Falcons
* Simon Fraser Red Leafs
* Western Oregon Wolves
* Western Washington Vikings

Rowing affiliates|

* Cal Poly Humboldt Lumberjacks
* Central Oklahoma Bronchos

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* United States

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