Evidence of Christmas can be seen all over the campus as the FPU community gets into the spirit of the season.

At the annual Thanksgiving lunch the entire FPU family celebrates together.

Every year faculty, staff, students and administrators from the main campus and regional centers celebrate Thanksgiving in the Special Events Center. Highlights of this year’s event, on November 22, included the table décor awards, singing, a message from MB Pacific Conference Minister Gary Wall, honoring board members and past FPU presidents as well as the Parade of Nations, where students carried flags from each of the 36 countries represented on campus.

More than 350 graduates will receive degrees during the fall commencement Saturday, December 17. 

The graduate and traditional undergraduate ceremony begins at 10:00 a.m. Bachelor’s degree completion students receive their diplomas at 2:00 p.m. Both commencements will be in the Special Events Center on the main FPU campus, 1717 S. Chestnut Ave., Fresno, south of the Chestnut-Butler intersection. In all, 273 bachelor’s degree completion graduates will receive diplomas, along with 44 master’s students and 35 traditional undergraduates.

Many new faces visited the main campus this year for The Encounter. Your next chance comes in February.

 FPU was well represented at Fresno’s National Philanthropy Day celebration November 15.

Nadene and Marvin and Steinert, Linda Calandra and Wells Fargo were among those honored at a luncheon sponsored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals California Valley Chapter at University Square Hotel, Fresno. All were nominated by Charity Brown, director of alumni and church relations.

Representatives of FPU programs of study gathered in Alumni Plaza on October 27 for the annual Festival of Majors. Students could stop by booths and talk to faculty and others about program requirements, as well as the options in careers and graduate school offered by each major.

The annual Dinner of the Diamond fundraiser gave families and friends of Sunbirds baseball a chance to mingle, meet the coach and support the students.

Fresno-area educators gathered on campus for the BLEND conference October 14-15 to discuss teaching strategies, pedagogy and experiences in the classroom. Better Learning through Engagement, Networking and Delivery (BLEND) focuses on technology as it is used in the classroom.

This year’s guest was Michael Wesch, Ph.D., an anthropologist from Kansas State University. In his keynote speech, Wesch shared his research regarding ways modern media influences student learning.

“Management is a technology from the 1850s,” author Daniel Pink said at the FPU Business Forum. About 930 people gathered for breakfast October 26 in the Fresno Convention & Entertainment Center New Exhibit Hall. “How many technologies from the 1850s are in use today?”

Don’t manage employees, engage them.

Mock Rock was the place to be October 13. This lip-sync competition, now in its fourth year, has become one of the most highly anticipated student events at FPU.

First place went to the Freshman Friends for their stunning Journey medley. A team from Strasbourg 3 residence hall took second dancing to Rebecca Black’s YouTube classic “Friday,” while third place went to a group of friends acting out the Harry Potter Puppet Pals remix.