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For the 15th year in a row, U.S. News & World Report named Pacific Union College among the best educational institutions in the country. PUC ranked in the top tier, at number 17, for the baccalaureate colleges (West) region in the 2009 "America's Best Colleges" issue. It also ranks first in its region for ethnic diversity (not including international students), first for international students, and sixth for both freshmen retention rates and least debt among graduates.One of the most well-known and widely referenced sources of college rankings, U.S. News & World Report released its 2009 "Best Colleges" material in August, 2008. They collected data from more than 1,400 colleges for this year's rankings."As a learning community, we are pleased to be recognized not only for outstanding academics, but for the success of students from diverse backgrounds," said Nancy Lecourt, vice president for academic administration and academic dean. "We are proud to see our graduates changing the world."PUC is ranked in a category for institutions that focus on undergraduate education and grant fewer than half their degrees in liberal arts disciplines. High scores are based on such elements as peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources,...

Pacific Union College is once again offering language studies in Mandarin Chinese. The three-part course will be offered throughout the 2008-2009 school year, meeting for evening classes on the PUC campus in Angwin. Native Mandarin speaker Jun Liu, originally from Beijing, will instruct the courses. Students need no previous foreign language learning experience for the beginning-level courses, and they will develop speaking and listening skills as well as beginning-level reading and writing. A proficiency-based approach emphasizes the practical use of everyday Mandarin Chinese, and elements of Chinese culture will also be featured. Part one of the course will run September 22 to December 8; part two, January 5 to March 16; and part three, March 30 to June 8. The class will meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-7:45 p.m. on the PUC campus. For more information, contact Sylvia Rasi Gregorutti, chair of the PUC modern languages department, at (707) 965-6510 or srasi@puc.edu. You can also contact the instructor, Jun Liu, at jliu@puc.edu....

For the third consecutive year, the Pacific Union College Pioneers Athletic Department received the California Pacific Conference Team Sportsmanship Award. The other nine schools in the league voted that the Pioneers best exemplified the five core values of the Champions of Character program: Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Servant Leadership, and Sportsmanship. The Champions of Character program was established by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in 2000. During the years that the Cal Pac Conference has given the Sportsmanship Award to one of its members, the Pioneers have received the title four times — these three years, and the 2002-2003 season. "This award represents the finest example of the Champions of Character standards," Don Ott, commissioner of the Cal Pac Conference said. "Pacific Union's honor reflects well on the entire conference, and the staff, student-athletes and institution are to be applauded." Another testament to the Champions of Character program and the Cal Pac Conference is that every institution in the conference received at least one vote in at least three different sports. "That really is a remarkable achievement," Ott added. "While our institutions compete fiercely with one another on the field or court, there is a regular mutual respect and...

It was another thrilling week for the 24 participants in the annual PacificQuest program at Pacific Union College, which ran this year from July 27 to August 1. Perhaps a measure of its popularity is the number of fervent requests to return from students who are no longer of qualifying age. They want to come back for one more year, and one of their arguments is that the closer they get to being of college age and participating in the program, the greater the chance of making PUC their final choice of college. Who can argue against that kind of young logic?The PacificQuest program is designed for students who have just completed grades seven through nine, and it introduces them to PUC through a week of activities and classes, with one core class and a choice of two electives taught by PUC instructors.Professors Richard Rockwell, Maria Rankin-Brown and Robert Ordóñez taught stimulating classes in mathematics, creative thinking and writing, and interactive computer programming. On the final day of the program, the students delivered individual demonstrations and group skits that were entertaining and even riveting proofs of concepts and skills learned. Upon completion of the program, each student earned one unit...

Each spring, PUC students are asked to vote for a professor who has had a tremendous impact on the lives of their students. This year, hundreds of students went to the polls during a two-week period in April, and on May 8, the results of the vote were announced at the annual Educator of the Year colloquy program."Because of the grace, sweetness, and courage with which he lives and works among us, PUC is pleased to name Dr. Robin Vance as 2008-2009 Educator of the Year," said Nancy Lecourt, academic dean and vice president of academic administration.The honor was a surprise to Vance and, he admits, overwhelming. Fellow professors offered up a roast, a student gave a tribute, and Vance's brother, Rodney, surprised him with a humorous and touching slideshow that followed Vance from childhood to present."It was really neat to have some heart-felt appreciation from the students, and that was very touching to me," said Vance. "I was uncomfortable being the center of attention but enjoyed the affirmation from the students. That was very nice."The youngest of three brothers, Vance grew up in California and earned his bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees from Loma Linda University. After completing his...