Joseph Jones will be inaugurated as thirteenth president of Fresno Pacific University at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, October 28, 2017. The public is invited to the event, which will take place in the Special Events Center on the main FPU campus, 1717 S. Chestnut Ave., Fresno. Admission is free, but seating is limited, so please RSVP at fpu.edu/inauguration or by calling 559-453-7135. Light refreshments will follow the ceremony. Those who can’t attend may watch live at fresno.edu/live.
Jones, Ph.D., comes to FPU from Forman Christian College (FCC) in Lahore, Pakistan, where he was vice rector (provost). In addition to being chief academic officer, his responsibilities included academic administration, marketing communications and enrollment management. Forman offers programs from kindergarten to the Ph.D. and is the third-oldest university in the country’s history, with 6,347 students.
Prior to FCC, Jones spent more than two decades at institutions in the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, of which FPU is a member. An ordained, licensed minister, Jones graduated with a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice with cognates in planned change, restorative justice and administration from the University at Albany, part of the State University of New York system. His M.S. in Psychology is from Oklahoma State University and his B.A. in Psychology is from Colby College. Jones and wife Yvette have two adult daughters.
Fresno Pacific University connects every student’s untapped potential with unlimited opportunity for professional, personal and ethical development. Nonprofit, independent and Christian, FPU serves about 4,000 traditional undergraduate, adult degree completion, graduate and seminary students at the main campus in Southeast Fresno and regional campuses in North Fresno, Visalia, Bakersfield and Merced. Students can chase big ideas and explore deep faith through about 80 programs in five schools: The School of Business; the School of Natural Sciences; the School of Humanities, Religion and Social Sciences; the School of Education; and Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary.
Since class opened in 1944, FPU has encouraged first-generation students to achieve more, while building the region’s highest four-year graduation rate. FPU shows its commitment to helping students see what can happen by offering financial aid to more than 98 percent of traditional undergraduates—and a four-year graduation guarantee to those who qualify. Not just a Hispanic-Serving Institution, FPU is among the nation’s top 10 HSIs for highest Hispanic graduation rates, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. Other honors include a top-tier rating in U.S. News & World Report among Regional Universities—West. Both U.S. News and Washington Monthly include FPU on their “Best Value” and “Best Bang for the Buck” lists.
FPU’s commitment to preparing students to achieve more than they thought possible starts with faculty. More than 80 percent hold doctorates and are called to combine challenging scholarship with real-world application. Small classes and contact beyond the classroom support lifelong learning through faculty-student relationships.
Fresno Pacific University—possible happens here.