Belmont University | FYI


September 5, 2008

BELMONT NEWS


Belmont’s First Annual Alumni Showcase to Raise Money for Chinese Orphan's Surgery
chfccopy.jpgBelmont University will welcome back several talented alumni to perform at "Coming Home for a Cause," the first annual Alumni Showcase on Sat., Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Curb Event Center. Co-sponsored by the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business and the Office of Alumni Relations, the showcase—featuring Sam & Ruby, Abby Burke and the Manly Band, KingBilly and Andy Davis—will serve to raise community support and awareness for the Shaohannah’s Hope foundation (www.shaohannahshope.org), an organization started by Belmont alumnus Steven Curtis Chapman.

Gospel artist Chapman, a former Belmont student and Curb College Advisory Board member, and his wife Mary Beth founded Shaohannah’s Hope to care for orphans and to help more people experience the miracle of adoption by reducing financial barriers. johnchfc.jpgFor the "Coming Home for a Cause" benefit, Shaohannah’s Hope has specifically identified an 18-month-old orphan in China, John (pictured left), who needs surgery for a cleft lip. Belmont’s donations will go directly towards John’s surgery. Buckets were distributed across campus this week to allow the Belmont community to participate and contribute to changing this orphan’s life. The "Change for Orphans" campaign buckets can be found at all residence hall/clubhouse front desks, the Beaman Student Life Center desk, Belmont Central, Corner Court, Department of Student Affairs front desk, Cafeteria, What's Bruin? and the Curb Cafe.

“The purpose of this event is to provide a unique learning opportunity for CEMB students by utilizing the showcase series to profile Belmont talent, on and off the stage, and to highlight the community service endeavors of close Belmont affiliates,” explains Julie Bunt, associate director of Alumni Relations. “For this first annual event and out of Belmont’s Christian response to one of our own, Shaohannah’s Hope was selected as the nonprofit partner.”

The “Coming Home for a Cause” concert is free and open to the public. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. event. Click here for more on this story.

Belmont Tops 5,000 with Record Fall Enrollment
playfair.jpgBelmont University enrollment stands at 5,023 students at the end of the registration period, marking an increase of five percent since last year and a rise of 69 percent since 2000 when the school enrolled 2,976 students. As part of its Vision 2010 plan, the university established a goal to surpass the 5,000 mark in enrollment and has now met that goal two years ahead of schedule. The Belmont student body currently comprises 817 graduate students and 4,206 undergraduates, representing record enrollment in both categories.

Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “What is unusual about our growth is not just the growing enrollment numbers, but also that the students entering Belmont are better prepared academically and are being successful here and graduating at a significantly higher level. This points to the strength of our programs and the dedication and talents of this university’s faculty and staff.”

Since 2000, Belmont’s full-time undergraduate enrollment has increased by more than 2,000 students, and this year’s incoming class represents 41 states and five foreign countries. The university received a record number of applications—more than 3,000—of which a competitive 63 percent were accepted, down from 79 percent in 2000. The average ACT score for the 2007-08 freshman class is 26. One-third of new freshmen at Belmont were in the top 10 percent of their graduating class and 70 percent were in the top quarter. This year’s freshman class of 932 students held an average cumulative high school GPA of 3.52, with five percent graduating as either valedictorians (31) or salutatorians (17).

In the annual U.S. News & World Report ranking of America’s best colleges and universities, Belmont was cited most as a Top School to Watch and is ranked 11th in the South in the “Best Universities – Masters” category, making Belmont the highest ranked university in Tennessee in this category. The rankings are based on several quality indicators including student retention rates, graduation rates, student-faculty ratios and scores on college entrance exams.

Campolo Delivers Message of 'Red Letter' Alternatives to Political Issues
JMK_7845 .jpgDr. Tony Campolo, a world-renowned sociologist, author and speaker, visited Belmont on Wednesday to address “Citizenship and Faith,” the first topic in a Speaker Series covering subjects pertinent to Belmont’s hosting of the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate. Campolo admitted that as a Christian he has difficulty falling completely in line with either major political party; rather than claiming a Republican or Democratic party platform, he instead chooses to base his beliefs on the "red letter" words of Jesus as found in the New Testament, the topic of his most recent book, Red Letter Christians: A Citizen’s Guide to Faith and Politics.

Campolo said, "There is this tendency to recast God in the political ideologies to which we're committed. We've got to transcend that. To do that is idolatry. It's idolatry to turn the God that is into a God that is a projection of our own values."

In his hour-long lecture, Campolo addressed four hot button issues in the current election season: the war in Iraq, abortion, gay marriage and immigration. While recognizing the positions of the major political parties on each issue, Campolo offered alternative ideas that he believes best represent the heart of the Christian message. At the end of his talk, Campolo then opened the floor to questions from the packed room in MPAC.

Click here to read the full story and to view a brief video excerpt from Campolo's lecture.

BusinessWeek Ranks Belmont University College of Business Administration’s Ethics Program No. 8 Nationwide
BusinessWeek magazine has named the Belmont University College of Business Administration’s ethics program as one of the top 10 university programs in the country. Belmont appeared on the magazine’s Undergraduate Specialty Program Rankings at No. 8, outranking many top business schools. Belmont’s program is directed by the Center for Business Ethics.

Belmont’s Center for Business Ethics seeks to bring people together in the discussion of business ethics, to help empower business leaders to face the current crisis in business ethics and to educate ethical business leaders for a better society. It will play a vital role in the national dialogue on ethics as Belmont hosts the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate on Oct. 7, 2008. In conjunction with the debate, the center will present four dynamic events as part of its Ethics Leadership Speakers Series.

On Sept. 9, 2008, David Callahan, author of the bestseller, The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead and of the new book, The Moral Center: How Progressives Can Unite America around Our Shared Values, will speak on "The Cheating Culture: Ethics and Democracy."

Callahan has had numerous articles published in The New York Times, The Washington Post and USA Today. He has also been a frequent commentator on CNN, CBS, PBS, MSNBC and Fox News, and has been a regular guest on radio talk shows across the United States. He lectures frequently about issues of ethics and integrity to universities, associations and businesses. Click here to read the rest of this story.


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