Dear Parents,

With the beginning of the ’21/’22 academic year just a few days away, there’s a lot of excitement on campus right now. Many of our student leaders have already arrived on campus, as have our fall athletes. 

As a Reminder: 

• Incoming students who are new to the University as freshmen or transfers will attend Student Welcome and Orientation from Thursday, August 26 through Sunday, August 29, 2021. Specific information regarding the schedule for Student Welcome and Orientation can be found at cairn.edu/swo.
• Returning resident student move-in occurs between 11 am–5 pm on Saturday, and between 1 pm–5 pm on Sunday. As usual, residential students should report directly to their resident site to take care of move-in paperwork and to receive their keys. If you have any questions concerning move-in, please contact Community Life at communitylife@cairn.edu.

As many of you have heard, a lot is happening at Cairn in regards to new construction! Back in April, Cairn University began construction for the G. Patrick Stillman Athletic Complex. The complex will house new soccer/lacrosse, baseball, and softball fields, providing new opportunities for campus life and community gatherings. Construction is moving quickly! Since April, large portions of campus have become completely unrecognizable as bulldozers, dump trucks, backhoes, and excavators have gone to work. This construction project is a significant contributor to our decision to cancel Homecoming this year. In addition to the construction on the Stillman Athletic Complex, returning students will notice that Cairn’s library has gone through a significant renovation, as has our campus walkway. 

In addition to these changes to the physical space on campus, this year students will have access to new services, including the newly created Pathway Center. The process by which students enter the professional workplace and find their vocation has changed significantly over the last decade. Recognizing these dramatic changes in the post-college professional landscape, Cairn has created a new and innovative approach to career services. Launching this year, The Pathway Center places reflection at the center of its interactions with students. Starting in their freshman year, students are asked to consider “Who am I?” and “What is my purpose, passion, and calling?” The Pathway Center emphasizes this personal development process early on. Starting with the first day freshmen set foot on campus during orientation activities, students learn about the process and the importance of utilizing their entire college experience—and not waiting until their senior year—to position themselves well to thrive personally and professionally after college. The Pathway Center works to develop guided career pathways to assist inquiring students in navigating the path from college into different professional fields and industries. These guided pathways are designed to bridge the gap between academic majors and careers by providing a roadmap of classes, extracurricular activities, resources, and alumni connections to help students achieve their goals.

These are just a few of the changes new and returning students can anticipate. This last year and a half has been challenging for all of us, but our University community hasn’t missed a beat. We continue to look for new and innovative ways to serve students, facilitate learning, and foster community. This year will, no doubt, bring new challenges, but I am confident that, with God’s grace, we will move forward in our mission to educate students to serve Christ in the church, society, and the world as biblically minded, well-educated, and professionally competent men and women of character. Thank you for being partners with us in this mission.  

Sincerely,