At North Park we are quick to remind our students that
Chicago is our classroom, and all Chicagoans are our teachers.
Our location inspires our mission. It is why we dedicate our
wholehearted effort to shaping a generation of young leaders who will link
their skills, their privileges, their dedication to justice, their commitment
to loving kindness, and their passion for walking with God to the well being of
the city.
Students in nursing, education, and business all draw on the
rich tradition of the city to enhance the applied side of their education. Clinical
experiences, classroom visits, and business internships are all enhanced by our
place in Chicago.
But the advantage of learning in Chicago also extends to
students in the liberal arts. The
arts and sciences draw students with a deep interest in some of the classical
academic disciplines. Students who major in these areas develop not only expertise in
their respective disciplinary fields, they also strengthen their abilities in
writing, speaking, critical thinking, and persuasion. But
in today’s environment these same students want (and need) to know how their
classroom studies link to the world of work. Our
programs open these doors for students—for example, biology professor Jeff
Nelson takes his anatomy students to the cadaver lab at Rush Medical Center,
and sociology professor Lida Nedilsky helps her senior students explore
intercultural identity with a practicum experience at nearby Hibbard Elementary School.
Could we build on this, I wonder? Might we set in motion the expectation that students from
every discipline in the humanities, social sciences, arts, and natural sciences
will complete an internship in an appropriate workplace in the city? This is a lofty goal, but one well worth
reaching for our students to take full advantage of learning in the city. 
Some of our faculty members have also discovered Chicago to
be a wonderful resource for their research and writing. I’ll
name just three examples from this past year: (1) business professor Al Kamienski completed his doctoral
program at Loyola University by writing a dissertation based on research linked
to the place, role, and success of charter schools in Chicago; (2) professor of
communication arts Chad Eric Bergman presented a conference paper on the topic,
“Big Ideas through Bantam Stages: Using Chicago’s Storefront Theatre Model as
the Foundation for a Theatre Curriculum;” and (3) professor of Africana Studies
Rupert Simms presented a conference paper titled, “Thomas Dorsey, [Chicago’s]
‘Father of Gospel Music’: A Case for Christian Rap.” Each of these three is a good example of faculty members
successfully embracing Chicago as a place for professional scholarship.
I deeply believe that North Park University is perfectly
positioned to offer an excellent and profoundly transformative urban-infused education.
We can do this because our home is in Chicago.
–Dr. David Parkyn, North Park University President
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