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MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2014
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| UNIVERSITY ★ SPOTLIGHT |
An
Extraordinary
EDUCATION At High Point University
High Point University’s holistic approach to education is focused on experiential and values-based learning. The 380-acre campus features state-of-theart academic facilities and modern residential communities.
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By Ellie Baldini
School of Communication Interactive Gaming Lab
Marching Onwards HPU stands out with academic relevance and deserved merit. The numbers tell the story:
Traditional Undergraduate Enrollment Full-time Faculty Campus Size (acres) Square Footage Buildings on Campus Total Positions Study Abroad Programs
2005
2014
Growth
1450
4300
197%
108
270
150%
92
380
313%
800,000 3 million
275%
25
107
328%
430
1309
204%
5
41
720%
E
ducation of the whole person is the mantra at High Point University (HPU, highpoint.edu) in North Carolina. Founded in 1924, this private liberal arts institution has seen unprecedented growth since 2005, when a transformation propelled it in remarkable ways: Traditional undergraduate enrollment tripled in size from 1,450 in 2005 to 4,300; faculty grew from 108 to 270; and the campus quadrupled in size from 92 to 380 acres. Today, the campus is sprawling with 57 new buildings for academics, residential life, Division 1 athletics, food facilities, and student engagement. And though University enrollment has increased exponentially — the current student body consists of 4,400 undergraduate and graduate students from 46 states and 37 countries — the promise HPU educators make to families remains: Students receive an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people. It’s this commitment that helped HPU to expand and flourish, even in the face of the worst economic recession in three generations.
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Preparing Students for the Future he educators at HPU approach learning holistically by consistently striving to break down the walls of the traditional classroom and curate intellectual, spiritual, physical, and emotional growth. Students may enroll in 44 undergraduate majors, 43 undergraduate minors, and 11 graduate degree programs, including doctoral programs. But no matter what discipline a student studies, HPU’s mission is the same: To deliver educational experiences that enlighten, challenge, and prepare students to lead lives of significance in complex global communities.
Dr. Nido Qubein, president, teaches freshman and senior seminars where he shares his expertise in business, life skills, and entrepreneurship.
Creating an inspiring environment means holding the bar for excellence high so students will be motivated to reach it. — Dr. Nido R. Qubein, HPU President
Leading HPU’s mission is Dr. Nido R. Qubein, who became the school’s seventh president in January 2005. An accomplished speaker, author, philanthropist, and entrepreneur, Qubein aims to further students’ opportunities at HPU through holistic, values-based learning and to instill the quintessential skills of a successful — and significant — life. “An extraordinary education is what you learn inside and outside the classroom,” Qubein says. “You cannot just master the knowledge in your field and not also master the skills of persuasion, communication, and presenting oneself in a way that leads to an impactful life.”
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Experiential Learning nother hallmark of the HPU education is experiential learning. Millennials entering today’s job market can expect to hold multiple positions throughout their lives. Through the HPU 4-year career plan, students cultivate the practical skills of a discipline while cementing their personal values. It’s the kind of education that nets a well-rounded person prepared not only for a first job, but also for the ever-changing landscape of the 21st century. Curricula are designed for career-based outcomes, with students regularly landing internships at top companies the world over, such as Entertainment Tonight, Animal Planet, Microsoft, NASA, and the New Orleans Saints. “Every program has experiential applications,” Qubein explains. “A graphic design student might work in a PR firm as an intern, and then hopefully as a graduate. A film student might go to Los Angeles or New York City to experience actual application with a leading company. A finance student might be a member of our investment club, with real money to invest.” And on HPU’s dynamic campus, which enjoys cutting-edge facilities, modern amenities, opportunities for undergraduate research, and some of the nation’s brightest educators, students find themselves in an environment conducive for learning. “Creating an inspiring environment means holding the bar for excellence high so students will be motivated to reach it,” says Qubein. “We create an environment where students choose to be extraordinary. We arm them with a liberal arts education and a practical and pragmatic understanding that enables them to be leaders.” “We are focused on preparing our students for the world as it is going to be, not as it was or as it is. After all, students today must compete on a global platform, not merely a continental stage,” Qubein says. “Students must be exposed to international matters, and they must develop an entrepreneurial spirit: Flexibility, adapting to change, connecting to people, and achieving their dreams.” New Schools of Health Sciences and Pharmacy ’s latest venture is a newly expanded School of Health Sciences and proposed School of Pharmacy. The need for health care providers is predicted to increase exponentially in the United States — which is exactly why HPU is at the forefront of health sciences and pharmacy education. Health care providers of the future need to be prepared to work together to maximize efficiency
HPU
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High Point University students contribute more than 100,000 hours of service annually.
The School of Health Sciences and School of Pharmacy will prepare students for health care careers of tomorrow.
Roberts Hall, the first building on campus, reflects the university’s rich 90-year history.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HPU
The Wilson School of Commerce features a trading room with a live stock ticker.
NFL players like Corvey Irvin have trained in HPU’s one-of-a-kind Human Biomechanics and Physiology Lab.
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The Slane Student Center inspires students to connect, collaborate, and create.
As a result of the new Freshman Success Program, preparing for the future starts the moment students arrive on campus.
The Center for Student Success, funded entirely by parents, is a hub for career and professional development.
and effectiveness, so collaboration is the focus of both programs. A highlight of the facility is the Medical Simulation Labs featuring the finest technology, including four wireless mannequins that respond physiologically to scores of medications. HPU also boasts one of the country’s most renowned faculties as well as advanced equipment in the Human Biomechanics and Physiology Lab, part of the Department of Physical Therapy. The facility has attracted professional athletes like Corvey Irvin of the Detroit Lions, who underwent rehabilitation at the lab for a high ankle sprain. Thanks to a sophisticated rehabilitation strategy and specialized equipment like an anti-gravity treadmill, Irvin fully recovered.
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Weaving Students Into the Family s a result of the new Freshman Success Program, preparing for the future starts the moment students arrive on campus. Under faculty guidance, a team of
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success coaches pair with incoming first-year students to make the transition to college as smooth as possible. “Everyone at High Point is committed to focusing on the student and providing services and coaching. Our success coaches help students navigate the first year of college, academically and socially,” says Dr. Dennis Carroll, the HPU provost. Mentors provide just that, from assisting with course schedules, helping with internships, connecting students to outreach programs, and involving them in the High Point community. Access to President Qubein himself is also a priority from the beginning, thanks to the President’s Freshman and Senior Seminars. Here, students get personal access to invaluable experiences and mentorship. “We talk about practical elements like fiscal management, time and energy management, stewardship, philanthropy, leadership, communication, and presentation skills — the skills that complement a student’s overall education,” he says.
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Access to INNOVATORS Each year, High Point University brings world-renowned thought leaders to campus to share their insights, experiences, entrepreneurial endeavors, and spirit of service with students. HPU’s commitment to attracting influential figures is an intentional effort to provide students the opportunity to understand diverse viewpoints, positions, and backgrounds. President GEORGE W. BUSH
President BILL CLINTON
RUDY GIULIANI Former NY Mayor
Her Majesty QUEEN NOOR of Jordan
BILL COSBY Actor, Comedian
CLARENCE THOMAS U.S. Supreme Court Judge
STEVE FORBES CEO, Forbes Magazine
CAL RIPKEN, JR. Baseball Hall of Fame
BUZZ ALDRIN Astronaut
LAURA BUSH Former First Lady
STEVE WOZNIAK Co-founder of Apple Computer, Inc.
THOMAS FRIEDMAN Pulitzer Prize-Winning NY Times Columnist
SETH GODIN Best-selling Author, Marketing Pioneer
GENERAL MALCOLM GLADWELL COLIN L. POWELL NY Times Former Secretary of State Best-selling Author
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At 277,000 square feet, the Wanek Center reflects a strategic initiative to connect residential facilities with study space and collaborative work environments.
It’s just one more way HPU has evolved into an institution with a reputation for educating students in a values-focused fashion, all within a safe and inviting campus. “At High Point University, we don’t weed students out of the system,” says Qubein. “We weave them into the family.” Instilling the Entrepreneurial Spirit is what Dr. Qubein calls a “God, family, and country school,” and he proudly proclaims this mantra to students. While every student might not agree with every action of the nation, the principles upon which the United States was founded are celebrated on campus, like endless opportunity for those who are willing to work hard, and the entrepreneurial spirit. This is imbued in all students through both traditional and innovative means — regardless of their area of study. There are more than a few opportunities for students to hone their entrepreneurship on campus. Each year, a business-plan competition judged by local business leaders gives students the opportunity to present their business plans and win capital grants to start their business. This year’s Number One, Three Times contest awarded $8,000 to HPU is ranked No. 1 for the 3rd the first-place winner, junior consecutive year in “America’s Bobby Robertson, for foundBest Colleges” published by U.S. ing a company that allows News & World Report 2013, 2014, music artists to pre-sell tickets 2015. HPU is also ranked for the and measure demand for 2nd consecutive year on the list for Best Undergraduate Teaching. concerts. The Sales Club is another To learn more, visit highpoint.edu.
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opportunity for students interested in business to network, improve skills, and land job offers. Students prepare for sales competitions — where they will pitch products to big-name employers like IBM and Facebook — by studying advanced selling techniques and practice-pitching to each other and to their coaches. Educators at HPU believe mentorship is one of the most effective tools to students’ success, as evidenced through its well-connected National Board of Advisors, such as General Colin L. Powell, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and Bill Cosby. “Our distinguished Board has helped enormously to open doors for our students,” Qubein explains. “These leaders hire a number of students upon graduation and come to campus to lecture.” Some of the most influential public figures in the country have served as commencement speakers at HPU, including First Lady Laura Bush, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and the 2015 guest speaker, broadcast legend Tom Brokaw. Building for the Future ’s forward momentum is set to continue in coming years. Parents of current HPU students have already committed $18 million to cover the total cost of a new Center for Student Success, a two-story, 40,000-square-foot, LEEDcertified building, which will house offices for Career and Internship Services, Study Abroad, Entrepreneurship, Service Learning, and more. This central hub of activity for students is scheduled for completion in April 2015. More construction is underway too: New residential facilities, a basketball arena, an undergraduate science building, and a 220,000-square-foot building dedicated to pharmacy, physical therapy, and physician assistant studies. This center will foster inter-professional education among health profession programs on campus, while also facilitating biomedical research. HPU’s School of Pharmacy will become the only one in the Piedmont Triad, and just the fourth in the state. Dr. Ron Ragan, an educator with 25 years of experience in pharmacology and toxicology, serves as dean of the school and will welcome the inaugural class in 2016. The School of Health Sciences is led by Dr. Dan Erb, dean, who hails from Duke University. With high levels of enrollment demands, HPU remains committed to being an innovative, student-centered school with a deliberate focus on individual growth and excellence.
HPU
Four-Year Career Plan
The four-year plan encourages students to prepare for their professional success as soon as they step foot on campus as freshmen. It assists students in securing internships and careers at companies and nonprofit organizations that include: Internship Sites
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Abernathy and MacGregor ■ Animal Planet ■ AOL ■ Bank of America ■ BB&T ■ Bloomberg Financial Markets ■ BNY Mellon ■ Caterpillar ■ Citi Cards ■ Clear Channel Media ■ David Tutera ■ Epilepsy Foundation ■ Entertainment Tonight ■ ESPN ■ Fox News ■ JetBlue ■ Lenovo ■ Lexmark ■ Mack Trucks World Headquarters ■ Maslansky & Partners ■ Merrill Lynch ■ Nautica ■ NASCAR Digital Media ■ The Nielsen Company ■ Trone Brand Energy ■ Northwestern Mutual ■ Office Depot ■ PGA ■ Senator Rubio’s Office
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Senator Coble’s Office Seventeen Magazine ■ Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine ■ Sklar Furnishings ■ Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum ■ Susan G. Komen Foundation ■ UBS ■ U.S. House Science Space and Technology Committee ■ Waldorf Astoria ■ Wells Fargo ■ WTOP Radio (Washing- ton, D.C.)
Career Sites Apple Association of American Medical Colleges ■ Bank of America ■ BB&T ■ BNY Mellon ■ CBS Radio ■ CDW ■ Charlotte Magazine ■ Cisco Systems ■ Discovery Communications ■ ESPN ■ Ernst & Young ■ ■
Food Network Furnitureland South ■ Gilbarco Veeder-Root ■ Hanesbrands, Inc. ■ HGTV Home ■ JetBlue ■ Kay Hagan for U.S. Senate Campaign ■ Krispy Kreme ■ Lenovo ■ Living Social ■ Merrill Lynch ■ Microsoft ■ Mitt Romney Presidential Campaign ■ Odyssey Networks ■ Office Depot ■ Oracle ■ Our State Magazine ■ Peace Corps ■ Philadelphia 76ers ■ Phoenix Suns ■ Pittsburg Pirates ■ Pricewaterhouse Coopers ■ Restoration Hardware ■ Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum ■ Teach for America ■ Turner Studios ■ The X Factor ■ The Mathworks, Inc. ■ Travelers Insurance
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WCVB (Boston ABC affiliate)
Graduate School Sites Boston University Creighton University Medical School ■ College of William and Mary Law School ■ Duke University ■ Florida State University ■ Fordham University ■ Indiana University ■ Mercer University ■ Miami University ■ North Carolina State University ■ Notre Dame University ■ Ohio University Medical School ■ St. George’s University ■ Syracuse University ■ UNC Chapel Hill: Dental School, Law School, Pharmacy School ■ Johns Hopkins University ■ University of Georgia ■ University of Maryland ■ University of New Hampshire Law School ■ Vanderbilt University ■ ■
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