The transition from high school to college can be daunting for some students. Unfamiliarity with the campus, classroom etiquette, curriculum, dorm life and interacting with professors can all be sources of anxiety to incoming college freshmen. The Spring Arbor University Academic Summer Camp aims to relieve many of those concerns by offering an opportunity for 15-18 years old to experience three nights and four days in the life of a college student.
At the camp, students will stay in dorms, attend classes and participate in residential life activities like bonfires, movies on the lawn and recreational sports. The academic camp will familiarize students with college life while expanding their knowledge in the subject area of their choice with college level lectures, character building, and experiential learning. Students will find that the camp equips them with the tools to write the next chapter of their life in higher education.
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In this camp you will...
Jonathan earned his Master of Letters (MLitt) degree in Art History at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. He has lived in Toronto, Ontario; St. Stephen, New Brunswick; and Osaka, Japan. He frequently contributes articles and reviews to academic and popular publications. Jonathan is a blogger for Sculpture magazine (the publication of the International Sculpture Center), writing about contemporary artists who use art as a vehicle to address social justice. His research interests are varied, but he is particularly drawn to the ethos of John Ruskin, William Morris, and the British Arts and Crafts Movement, largely for its desire to use art to change society for the better.
Before coming to Spring Arbor University in 2001, Brian worked as a graphic designer in various fields including advertising, market research, corporate training and web design. Brian earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Spring Arbor University in 1990 with an emphasis in graphic design and illustration. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree in 2005 from Goddard College. He still accepts freelance jobs to incorporate real-life design problems into his lectures. As a side interest, Brian has illustrated children’s books for notable clients such as Sea World and the Smithsonian Institution. Also, Brian’s original acrylic paintings have been shown in numerous galleries around the country. His work has been juried into national shows and won critical acclaim for his realism and composition.
In this camp you will...
Rachel (Ryder) Buchanan is a graduate of both the undergraduate and masters of arts in communication degrees at Spring Arbor University. Buchanan has worked in broadcasting for nearly 20 years, as a student and professional at SAU Radio. She manages and programs both 106.9 HOME.fm and an online student training radio station called The Tune. She hosts and produces a nationally syndicated radio movie review feature and teaches as an adjunct faculty at the university. On-air, she enjoys making connections in the community through interviews and information mixed with Music that Makes You Feel Good® on HOME.fm. She lives in the Jackson community with her husband and loves to play and create with her two young, active sons.
Professor of English and Communication as SAU, Daniel V. Runyon, PhD, teaches professional writing courses during the school year and serves as master teacher for the summer Taiwan Chung Yung Christian University cultural immersion program. He has an MA in Communications/Journalism from the Billy Graham Graduate School of Communications at Wheaton College, a PhD in English from Keele University (United Kingdom), 22 years of experience as an international journalist, writing trainer and publishing consultant, and 21 years of teaching at SAU. The world is his classroom, and his favorite thing about teaching is when he can bust out of the four walls to provide students with hands-on learning adventures.
In this camp you will...
The main instructor for this course will be Professor Ron DeLap. Ron holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan, and served as a research engineer in the US Air Force at the NSA and Space Command. He currently serves as the Dean of the School of Engineering, slated to welcome its very first class of future electrical engineers in fall, 2019. His specialties include guidance and navigation systems, space-based radar systems, and sustainable energy.
In this camp you will...
Dr. Jack R. Baker (Associate Professor of English) was born and raised in Shelby, a small farming community in Western Michigan. He’s an author, professor, and amateur woodworker who has written on a Latin Charm Against Thieves in an early Robin Hood MS, Malory’s Lancelot, and why universities need gardens. He’s co-written a book titled Wendell Berry and Higher Education: Cultivating Virtues of Place (University Press of Kentucky, 2017) and co-edited two essay collections—Telling the Stories Right: Wendell Berry’s Imagination of Port William (2018) and The Saint John’s Bible and Its Tradition (2018). Baker is an advocate for localism and has written about such for Inside Higher Ed. He was recently interviewed along with Jeff Bilbro for the Chronicle of Higher Education and Mars Hill Audio Journal.
In this camp you will...
Hello, my name is Mindy Rice. I have been an instructor with the MSN program for 3 years am the Director of the Baccalaureate Nursing Pre-Licensure program. Previously, I worked in the ER for 12 years and taught at a local community college. I received my ADN from Jackson College, my BSN and my MSN from Spring Arbor University, and my DNP in Nursing Administration and Education from Samford University. I have been married for 20 years and we have three boys. I love camping, gardening, fixing up old furniture and decorating my house! I am always looking for a bargain at estate sales.
In this camp you will...
Dr. Richard Cornell is professor of biblical studies in the Department of Theology at Spring Arbor University. At SAU, he teaches biblical Greek, a course on the Four Gospels, a course on that deliciously strange final book of the Bible (the Revelation), and whenever he can, a course on J. R. R. Tolkien. He is a biblical scholar who longs to be a Tolkien scholar when he grows up. Towards this end he is currently pursuing a master’s degree in language and literature, with an emphasis on Tolkien, at Signum University. He is married to Lorie, who tolerates his obsession with Tolkien, and has two children, Nathanael and Autumn, who sort of, kind of, think Tolkien is interesting, but not as interesting as video games or volleyball.
Enjoy s'mores by a bonfire at the ogle villages!
Watch a movie with friends in the cougar den!
Have fun playing sand volleyball with peers!
Complete the registration form in order to reserve your spot at the camp today! Invest in your future as a student and be diligent in your preparation to the transition from high school to college life! There are limited spots for this unique opportunity, so register now to reserve your place. Find yourself both better prepared for higher education and a step ahead of those without this exclusive, inside look at college life.
The unique culture of Spring Arbor University allows for faculty and student collaboration through hands-on skill building and experiential learning. Students and faculty work closely to create a learning environment that challenges students intellectually and encourages character building. It was this environment that made it possible for a few business students and a faculty member to create the Gainey School of Business Service Bureau, a student run group that accepts and executes projects from departments and faculty in order to enhance the campus experience for current and future students while promoting the importance of academic work.
