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Pacific Union College’s associate nursing program has been granted continuing accreditation through 2027 by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). “Congratulations on this outstanding achievement! We look forward to continued successes for your nursing program,” the formal notification from ACEN’s Chief Executive Officer, Marsal P. Stoll, read. “On behalf of the Board of Commissioners, we thank you and your colleagues for your commitment to quality nursing education.”The college’s associate nursing program is part of the department of nursing and health sciences, PUC’s largest department. The college also recently received a Top 25 ranking by Gradreports for undergraduate nursing schools.“We are very pleased to receive this long-term continuation of our accreditation,” said Milbert Mariano, PUC’s Academic Dean. “This achievement speaks to the excellence of the program and the trust that ACEN has in our longevity. Most importantly, it validates the commitment we have to our nursing students today and into the future.”...

In response to Pacific Union College's (PUC) most recent accreditation report to WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), the college received a Notice of Concern from the accreditation commission and has responded accordingly by notifying WSCUC of recent financial updates. PUC has already begun the implementation of a two-year turnaround plan, which will address the concerns outlined in the Notice.The letter of concern was triggered when the college self-reported its financial challenges to WSCUC in November 2019. The Notice, which was received by the college's administration in March 2020, praised PUC for its transparency to candidly address the financial difficulties the college has undergone. The college also received praise for already taking steps for improvement, engaging the entire campus, including the Board of Trustees, in financial and enrollment planning, and adhering to the college's mission even when responding to challenges.PUC President Bob Cushman said, "We take this very seriously. A notice of concern from one's accrediting body is an alert to an institution that, if current trends continue, the institution will be out of compliance with one or more accreditation standards. In our case, this relates specifically to PUC's financial situation, which we are aggressively working to address."PUC has...

For up-to-date information please visit our Coronavirus Updates and Resources page.Napa County has confirmed that two quarantined patients are now under isolation at a county medical facility after being transported back to the United States. PUC is taking this development seriously, but it is not a cause for alarm.One of the affected patients has tested positive for nCoV2019, commonly known as novel coronavirus, while the second is still being monitored while in isolation. Both were transported to the Queen of the Valley Medical Center on Monday directly from Travis Air Force Base after arriving in the United States from Japan where they were under quarantine on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.There is minimal risk for the PUC campus and surrounding area at this time."Out of caution, the patients are being monitored in special isolation rooms that have negative pressure to minimize the risk of exposure," Amy Herold, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Queen of the Valley, said. "We are following established infection control protocols and working closely with our partners at CDC and Napa County Public Health to ensure the safety and well-being of our caregivers, patients, and visitors."Preventative measures for the viral outbreak are no different than precautions...

The U.S. News & World Report has released its annual Best Colleges list, and Pacific Union College has again been ranked in the top ten colleges. PUC was placed in the top 15 in the following categories:#10 in Regional Colleges West#7 in Best Colleges for Veterans#4 in Best Value Schools#14 in Top Performers on Social Mobility#1 in Campus Ethnic Diversity (West)"We are incredibly proud of our rankings in U.S. News & World Report," says Milbert Mariano, academic dean at PUC. "These results speak to the quality of a PUC education, as well as an overall PUC experience that puts students at the heart."Regional Colleges are split into four regions and are placed in this category based on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education's Basic Classification system, the accepted standard in U.S. education. A few of the factors and weights included in the methodology are graduation and retention rates, graduation rate performance, social mobility, faculty and financial resources, student excellence, and alumni giving. PUC is the only Adventist school in the top ten.Best Colleges for Veterans are selected based on meeting the following criteria: certified for the GI Bill, participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, for the third consecutive...

Edsmart.org has ranked Pacific Union College in its list of the top 19 Best Christian Colleges in California, listing PUC at number 10.As the website says in its preamble to the rankings list, “There is a level of comfort found in attending a college or university that supports an individual’s fundamental values.” PUC provides a place for students to gain not only a quality education, but also the opportunity to engage with other young people, professors, and community members who share their Christian values.EDsmart assesses colleges based on four main areas:Affordability (average net price)Academic quality (graduation rate)Student satisfaction (retention rate)Salary after attending (the median earnings of former students who received federal financial aid, at ten years after entering the school)They collect their data from the U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, and College Navigator."PUC has excellent professors, compassionate staff, and outstanding students—and they all help to create a vibrant community of faith and learning,” says Milbert Mariano, academic dean at PUC. “We are proud of our campus, and it’s great to be recognized among the best Christian colleges in California."Coming in ahead of Vanguard University of Southern California, San Diego Christian College, and La Sierra University, PUC scored a 96.6....

Back from summer break, energetic students gathered outside the Campus Center for Club Rush, an opportunity to get involved with all kinds of clubs at PUC. One of these, a science club called SPARK, gives volunteers the chance to apply concepts they are learning through teaching others.SPARK is an acronym for Science Presentations and Research for Kids. “We get to teach kids about Chemistry, Technology, and Biology,” says club co-president Justin Youn. “The goal is to get kids excited about science.”Youn and co-president Emma Tyner got involved with the club their freshman year of college and started leading out last year. They work mainly with local elementary schools and visiting academies who ask them to give presentations to students. Integrated into their talks are fascinating lab activities like color changes, explosions, and chemical reactions, as well as seeing and observing animals from the department of biology.“This year, we are planning to get the department of physics more involved as well so that the activities can be more interactive and hands-on,” says Youn.SPARK has also made connections beyond PUC. Last year, they were excited to be invited to the Loma Linda Academy Maker Fair, where they did a demonstration about cyanotype...

Pacific Union College announced today that they rank second on PayScale’s 2019-20 ranking of associate degree schools which provide the best return on investment after graduation.“The majority of the highest earning two-year programs are schools with strong reputations and a specific focus in nursing and healthcare professions,” PayScale stated in its release of this year’s rankings. This includes PUC, which trails the #1 school by a mere $200 in average mid-career annual pay.“Our A.S. graduates are receiving a well-deserved return on their investment with an excellent Adventist education at Pacific Union College,” says Milbert Mariano, academic dean at PUC. “We are proud of our them as well as our professors who are clearly preparing them for meaningful and rewarding service.”PayScale, Inc., is the world’s leading provider of on-demand compensation data and software. Their 2019 annual College Salary Report included alumni salary data of 3.5 million respondents, representing more than 4,000 colleges and universities across the U.S.“Higher education is a major financial decision, both in terms of the cost of attending the institution as well as the potential for future earnings,” notes Sudarshan Sampath, PayScale’s director of research, in the company’s release of the rankings. “Our College Salary Report can be...

Beginning in January 2019, Pacific Union College plans to begin work on an approximately 3-mile shaded fuel break to protect the Angwin community of 3,500 residents. With financial support from community members and alumni, the College plans to construct a shaded fuel break on a prominent ridge between Pope Valley and Angwin, running from Howell Mountain road to the Las Posadas State Forest. Angwin Volunteer Fire Department Chief J.R. Rogers explains, “A shaded fuel break is a great fire prevention measure that reduces fuel levels in key locations and helps to slow a fire’s rate of spread, giving us a defensible location so we can ultimately suppress the forward momentum of a fire.”The PUC forest is an invaluable resource for the community and the college. It is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species, including the endangered Spotted Owl and some of the easternmost Coast Redwood trees. In 2014, the College began working with the Land Trust of Napa County and CAL FIRE to conserve over 800 acres of forested land in a conservation easement. Now known as the PUC Demonstration and Experimental Forest, it is used for student activities and scientific research projects, as well as...

Three Pacific Union College men’s soccer team members were recently selected for awards by California Pacific Conference (CalPac) athletics. CalPac is the largest conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in the western U.S.Ricky Mazariegos, senior business accounting major and pre-law student who has been on the team for four years was named a Champion of Character.“I feel honored to receive this award because it means I was a great example to my teammates,” he says. “I was able to guide the younger players and show them what it means to have character both on and off the field.”Mazariegos can play nearly every position on the team, but his natural position is left back, right back, or center back. He has served his team as captain for two years.Jonathan Manurung, sophomore pre-nursing, and Carlos Piedra, sophomore exercise science and pre-physical therapy student, were both awarded Honorable Mention.“I wasn’t expecting to get the award, but I give my best to help the team,” says Manurung. “It’s truly an honor to be given this recognition during my first year on the team.”Manurung plays primarily striker, but occasionally as center attacking midfield.“This honor would not have been possible without my teammates,”...

Due to an unexpected weather situation, Oliani will be unable to make it to her scheduled speaking event at PUC on Saturday evening. Her presentation will be rescheduled and announced as soon as possible.On Saturday, Oct. 27, Brazilian physician and adventurer Karina Oliani will speak at Pacific Union College. This event is free and open to the public.Born with a thirst for adrenaline-pumping adventure, Oliani completed both her first parachute jump and her scuba diving training at age 12. By 17, she was a two-time Brazilian wakeboard champion, a three-time snowboard champion, a record-holding free diver.Oliani has mastered many sports, including rock climbing, motocross, canoeing, paddle boarding, abseiling, horseback riding, surfing, orienteering, kitesurfing, sandboarding, water and alpine skiing, snowboarding, mountaineering, and bungee jumping. She also has her private helicopter pilot license.Throughout this sporting, however, Oliani has also fed her passion for service. Combining it with her love of adventure, she acquired her medical degree and now travels the world in search of both caring for others and exploring her own physical limits. She recently accompanied a group of students from PUC to Fiji, where they provided medical care for many local residents through a free health clinic. While there, Oliani...