NORTHWESTERN COLLEGE (IOWA)

'Northwestern College' is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Orange City, Iowa. It is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America (RCA) as one of a few Reformed Church colleges in the Midwest. The other two RCA colleges are Hope College and Central College. Northwestern began as an academy in 1882. It was then upgraded to junior college status in 1928. Then in 1961, it became the four-year institution it is today. Northwestern is one of three colleges in Sioux County. The others are Dordt College in Sioux Center and Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon.

Contents
Campus Community
Northwestern Culture
Student Residences
Departmental Facilities
Administrative Facilities
Notable Personalities
Presidential Leadership
Staff and Faculty
Students in the News
College Recognition
Related Links

Campus Community


Northwestern occupies 100 acres in the middle of Orange City, a town with 5,589 residents. The campus centers around the Highway 10 and Albany Avenue intersection. The college uses 24 main buildings for its many purposes.

Completed in 2003, the Bolks Apartments mark the west border of the campus.

Northwestern Culture

Northwestern works to integrate "faith and learning" as the main goal of the college education. The liberal arts are to be taught, not as self-contained disciplines, but as part of a greater whole. Another motto of the academic culture is "a whole education for your whole life". A main project at Northwestern is "Vocare: Find Your Place". It is funded by the Lilly Grant, which aims to help students find their life's calling and follow it earnestly. These goals and projects take form in many ways, both student and faculty-initiated. An ample list of campus ministry and faith opportunities is listed below:

Discipleship Groups
Enlaces en Cristo
Hunger and Homeless Ministry
International Justice Mission (IJM)
Mission House

Project Serve
Spring Service Projects
Summer of Service
Campus Worship Teams
Prison Ministry

Student Residences


★ Colenbrander Hall - Men
★ West Hall - Men
Heemstra Hall - Men
★ Fern Smith Hall - Women
★ Stegenga Hall - Women
★ Hospers Hall - Women

★ Bolks Apartments - Uni-gender units
★ Courtyard Village Apartments - Uni-gender units
★ Vanderhill Cottage
★ Mission House
★ Spanish House - Women

Departmental Facilities


★ DeWitt Theatre Arts Center, opened in 2004

★ Korver Visual Arts Center, opened in 2003

★ Bultman Center for Health, Physical Education and Intercollegiate Athletics, opened in 1995

★ Christ Chapel and DeWitt Music Hall, opened in 1987

★ Van Peursem Hall
This is Zwemer Hall, the oldest building on campus. It contains offices for the registrar, admissions, financial aid, the president, and a few other departments.

Administrative Facilities


★ Zwemer Hall, built in 1894 and restored in 1997 (listed in the National Register of Historic Places)

★ Center for Spiritual Formation and Vocation

Notable Personalities


Presidential Leadership


Dr. Bruce Murphy has served as NWC's president from 2001-2007. His work as president helped the college rank on U.S. News and World Report's Top 20 Midwest comprehensive colleges. Under his leadership, the Korver Visual Arts Center and DeWitt Theatre Arts Center were constructed. Murphy, with his wife, Di, worked diligently on improving campus community, school budgeting, and increasing multicultural opportunities.

★ The college is currently in the process of a presidential search, presidential search as Dr. Murphy will be retiring during the fall of 2007.
Staff and Faculty


James E. Bultman - former college president, later president of Hope College in Holland, Michigan

B.D. Dykstra - former professor, pacifist, pastor, and poet

A.J. Muste - former professor, pacifist, labor and civil rights activist

★ Piet Koene - professor of Spanish who received the "2004 Iowa Professor of the Year" award

★ Jeff Barker - professor of Theatre and Speech who received the "2006 Iowa Professor of the Year" award
Students in the News


★ Senior, Deb Remmerde now holds the record for most consecutive in-game free throws in organized basketball. She ended her 133-shot free-throw streak in February, 2006. Remmerde later appeared on "The Early Show" where she completed 580 of 585 free-throws, live, in front of a CBS television crew.

★ Junior, Steve Mahr organized the first annual "Red Letter Festival," which occurred on May 5, 2007 in the Bultman Center. Steve, and other volunteers used this festival as a support-raising tool for "The Bridge," a shelter for victims of domestic abuse in the Orange City area. The news story describes some, but not all of the festival's activities.

College Recognition



★ For three consecutive years (2004-2007) U.S. News and World Report placed Northwestern in their Top 20 Midwest comprehensive colleges.

★ The President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Rolls has recognized Northwestern for its contributions in Katrina relief.

Related Links



Northwestern College Homepage

City of Orange City

This article provided by Wikipedia. To edit the contents of this article, click here for original source.

psst.. try this: add to faves