We have recently completed a comprehensive review of the Delivery Boys and Entourage program at Vanguard University.  The review team of 9 members consisted of 3 faculty, 3 student life leaders, a youth pastor, and a current and former student.  Of these, 4 were former Delivery Boys & Entourage members.

The review included two phases – a research phase and then consideration of findings with recommendations for how to revitalize the teams.  The research component included interviews with previous team directors, a number of District Youth Directors and youth pastors, and several camp directors.  The review team conducted a series of focus groups with 28 former team members and with a number of current students.  The research phase also included a review of 24 student talent team programs at other colleges and universities.  The review team’s findings and recommendations have informed how the teams can be revitalized with greater emphasis on ministry and connection to training and leadership development within Student Life.

The review team has presented its report and recommendations to the President’s Cabinet.  I am pleased to now share some of the key outcomes:

• Delivery Boys and Entourage teams will have a future as part of Outreach Ministries in Student Life.
• The teams will be part of the Student Leadership Development program and participate in all student leadership events, including the Student Leadership Retreat.
• This summer an advisory group will be formed to assist with recruitment, selection, training, and care for the teams.
• Recruitment and selection of new teams will begin during the fall semester once we have finalized staffing and training to support the teams.
• The teams will be available for camp ministry summer 2013.

We are committed to our mission of equipping students for Spirit-empowered lives of Christ-centered leadership and service and believe that the reorganization of support and training for the teams will better enable us to equip our students for effective ministry.

I want to express my gratitude to the review team for their many hours of careful research and prayerful reflection and recommendations on how best to support effective student ministry teams.

With gratitude,

Dr. Carol Taylor
President

I want to let you know that my father, Cliff, passed away peacefully Monday, April 2, 2012 at 10:30am.  My mother, Betty, and I were with him along with my father’s very dear friend Marlin.  Dad began failing last week and Saturday evening we took him to the emergency room at St. Jude Hospital for assistance with his breathing.  Sunday morning Dad was moved to a hospice room and all afternoon and evening friends came by to say farewell.  While my father was no longer conscious, his room was filled with singing and stories of how he had touched so many lives.  Somehow it seems fitting that his home going is this Holy Week.  My father has been eager for heaven for several months and now is safely home.

My mother and I want to thank you for your many prayers and words of encouragement this year as my father finished his life here. My father was a man of prayer and deep faith, and he prayed every day for Vanguard University.

Dad’s memorial service will be Saturday, April 14th at Eastside Christian Church in Fullerton at 11:00am.  Eastside is located at 2505 Yorba Linda Blvd between State College and the 57 freeway in Fullerton, California.  In lieu of flowers, my parents’ wish is for charitable contributions to either Vanguard University or Eastside Christian Church.

Thank you again for you many prayers and encouragement.

Dr. Carol Taylor
President

UPDATE April 9, 2012
If you were the recipient of an inlaid wooden cross made by Cliff Taylor, the family would like to request that you please bring that cross with you to the memorial service on Saturday.

Vanguard was recently recognized in the Top 10 Schools for Online Early Childhood Education Degrees by the Super Scholar Smart Choice Awards and receiving a rank of #7.  Programs were selected and ranked based on publicly available information on their academic quality, student satisfaction, reputation in the field, and cost.  We are pleased to have received this recognition and opportunity to provide training for those whom Christ said represented the Kingdom of Heaven.  For more information visit http://earlychildhoodeducation.vanguard.edu/

I’d also like you to save the date for our second annual Celebration of the Arts event April 12-15. COTA will feature Vanguard’s national renowned theater, music and communication programs. Be entertained, inspired and informed as you enjoy some of the best Christian arts events in Southern California. For more information visit www.vanguard.edu/cota.

I am always impressed with our students and their passion for missions. Students visited Mexico and San Francisco over their spring break and I commend them as they to spread the word of God and minister to those who need God’s healing hand upon them.

I would also like to invite you to our annual Spring Concert on April 15 at 4:00pm at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach. The Vanguard music department, along with the St. Andrew’s Choir will be performing works of the composer Dan Forrest. To purchase tickets, please visit www.standrewstickets.com.

Lastly, during this Lenten season, I want to express my gratitude for you and your support of Vanguard University. I wish you and your family a wonderful Easter as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the sacrifice He made for all of us.

God Bless you and God Bless Vanguard,

Dr. Carol Taylor
President

Please join us Friday, February 24 from 6:30pm – 8:30pm in Newport-Mesa Church, as Dr. Jörg Haustein from the University of Heidelberg, Germany will be speaking at the annual Lewis Wilson Institute Seminar. Dr. Haustein received the John Templeton Award for young international scholars for his dissertation on the Historiography of Ethiopian Pentecostalism. The Lewis Wilson Institute for Pentecostal Studies seeks to encourage and support the study of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements by serving as a conference and research center for scholars, church leaders, students and others interested in probing the historical significance and contemporary global role of Pentecostalism and the Charismatic movements. For more information, please visit lwi.vanguard.edu

If you haven’t had a chance to attend an athletic event at Vanguard, I urge you to go to an upcoming game. Our Vanguard athletes are part of the Champions of Character program and their passion for sports and ethics on and off the court makes me proud of the talented students we have here at Vanguard. For more information on our athletic department, please visit www.vanguardlions.com.

Lastly, I want to encourage you to please save the date for our Global Center for Women and Justice conference, “Ensure Justice: Standing Together to End the Exploitation of Girls” March 2^nd and 3^rd. Speakers for that event include Jeremy Kohomban of New York’s Children’s Village, Judge William Voy of Las Vegas Juvenile Court, and our own Mary Wickman Director of Nursing. For more information, please visit gcwj.vanguard.edu.

God Bless you and God Bless Vanguard,

Dr. Carol Taylor
President

It is a blessing to have the campus filled with students again as the spring semester is in full swing. Students arrived back on campus in early January and their energy and excitement makes me thankful for Vanguard and what God has planned for this spring.

Our Undergraduate Admissions office is already diligently working on recruiting our fall 2012 students. We have many events this spring to introduce the Vanguard campus and community to potential students. On January 9, we hosted an onsite acceptance event and on January 20 there will be a campus visit day for potential students to visit the campus, meet current students and enjoy a day of fellowship.

If you haven’t had a chance to attend an athletic event at Vanguard, I urge you to go to an upcoming men or women’s basketball game this spring. Our Vanguard athletes are part of the Champions of Character program and their passion for sports and ethics on and off the court makes me proud of the talented students we have here at Vanguard. I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate our Women’s Basketball Head Coach, Russ Davis, on his 400th career win as the Lions won against Montana Tech at the Biola Holiday Classic.  Coach Davis has coached our women’s basketball program for 15 years, and has led the Lions to numerous championships, including one NAIA National Championship.  For more information on our athletic department, please visit www.vanguardlions.com.

Our Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE), a non-profit organization educating people on issues like market economics, entrepreneurship, and business ethics through educational outreach projects, will be hosting their annual event on February 10^th.  Each year, Vanguard students actively participate in this event to help bring positive change to the business world.  For more information on our Green Conference, please click here.

Vanguard is also looking forward to our annual Homecoming on February 10^th and 11^th. Each year it is wonderful to welcome back Vanguard alums, hear their stories, and see the impact Vanguard had on their lives. Our alums live out the mission of Vanguard around the globe in the many ways they provide Christ-centered leadership and service.

Please join us Friday, February 24 from 6:30pm – 8:30pm in Newport-Mesa Church, as Dr. Jörg Haustein from the University of Heidelberg, Germany will be speaking at the annual Lewis Wilson Institute Seminar. Dr. Haustein received the John Templeton Award for young international scholars for his dissertation on the Historiography of Ethiopian Pentecostalism. The Lewis Wilson Institute for Pentecostal Studies seeks to encourage and support the study of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements by serving as a conference and research center for scholars, church leaders, students and others interested in probing the historical significance and contemporary global role of Pentecostalism and the Charismatic movements. For more information, please visit lwi.vanguard.edu

I am delighted to share with you that our English Professor, Dr. Karen Lee appeared on the cover of Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, a national publication on diversity in higher education.  Dr. Lee was selected as one of twelve emerging scholars who are making their mark in the academy.  Her story provides a clear and winsome testimony of her faith.  To read her story and find the link to the magazine, please click here.

Lastly, I want to encourage you to please save the date for our Global Center for Women and Justice conference, “Ensure Justice: Standing Together to End the Exploitation of Girls” March 2^nd and 3^rd. Speakers for that event include Jeremy Kohomban of New York’s Children’s Village, Judge William Voy of Las Vegas Juvenile Court, and our own Mary Wickman Director of Nursing. For more information, please visit gcwj.vanguard.edu.

To kick off the Christmas season, I want to personally invite you to Vanguard’s 15th annual Christmas Fantasia concert. We offer two performances, one at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts on December 1 and another at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on December 2. Your spirit will soar as you watch Vanguard’s talented music department sing Christmas carols and get you in the Christmas spirit. For more information please click here.

Our Global Center for Women and Justice department has also been active this semester creating a number of community events that bring awareness and reflection on suffering and abuse and our call to serve compassionately. The GCWJ hosted a Solidarity Sleep Out where Vanguard students and community members spent the night away from the comfort of their homes to raise awareness about homelessness. To learn more about the Solidarity Sleep Out please visit www.solidaritysleepout.org

I continue to be thankful for the compassionate students we have here at Vanguard. Many of our students will be participating in missions trips this December.  One example of how Vanguard students will be serving is at a Children’s Christmas Party, which provides food and gifts to over 300 children in need. For more information, please click here.

This semester we also celebrated the opening of our renovated Towers Lobby with its new outdoor patio space.  We dedicated the new space with our Board of Trustees and then celebrated with our students. This is part of a larger project to renovate Huntington Hall, one of our oldest dorms on campus. This summer we completed renovation of the second floor and are continuing to seek funds to complete all floors of the dorm. For a video clip and photos of the new lobby space, please click here.

As all of us prepare to honor the birth of Jesus this Christmas season, it reminds me of all that I have to be thankful for this past year. Vanguard has been blessed so much that it is a true testament to God’s hand on Vanguard and the great plans He has in store for the University. I want to wish all of you a wonderful Christmas during this joyous time of year.

God Bless you and God Bless Vanguard,

Dr. Carol Taylor
President

I would like to invite everyone to join me in starting off your Christmas season with our annual Christmas Fantasia concert. We offer two performances, one at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts on December 1 and another at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on December 2. Your spirit will soar as you watch Vanguard’s talented music department sing Christmas carols and get you in the Christmas spirit. For more information about the event and to order your tickets, please visit vanguard.edu/fantasia.

The Love the Lobby Dedication Celebration on October 20 was a huge success. The immense gratitude from students was so evident and the Vanguard community is so appreciative to the generous donors who made the refurbishing of the lobby possible. Students can now enjoy a new space to gather in community and create lasting Vanguard memories. For photos of the celebration please visit vanguard.edu/lovethelobby.

This November 12, Vanguard’s Veterans Resource Center will be honoring all veterans with dinner and a presentation by John Van Sky, PhD. Dr. Van Sky is a combat veteran and adjunct professor at Vanguard. He will be discussing the challenges veterans face when returning home from combat and the critical role of higher education in preparing the next generation for leadership beyond the battlefield. It is sure to be a great event that truly honors our veterans.  For more information regarding this event, please contact Brent Theobald at (714) 966-5447 or via email at brent.theobald@vanguard.edu

I want to wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday; this season is a reminder of all the blessings God provides to each and every one of us.

God bless you and God bless Vanguard,

Dr. Carol Taylor
President