Eastern Nazarene College

Photo by: Gardner Hall. Retrieved from: www.usnews.com

Located in Quincy, Massachusetts and just miles away from Boston, Eastern Nazarene College offers students numerous opportunities to not only get a quality education, but hands-on experience that they can use for the future.

Eastern Nazarene is a four-year liberal arts school that is affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. The college enrolls over 1,000 students and offers over 50 majors and minors. Some of the majors they are known for are science and religion. The school has satellite campuses in Boston, Brockton, Fall River, and Swansea.

The Church of Nazarene takes education very seriously. Although one of the first three colleges affiliated with the Church of Nazarene and one of only eight Nazarene liberal arts colleges in the nation, students do not have to be of the church to attend. Faculty however must be Christian.

History

Eastern Nazarene was founded in New York in 1900. When the Holiness movement took place, numerous clergy and laymen believed there was need for a co-educational college. It was named the Pentecostal College Institute and was located in Saratoga Springs, New York. It provided liberal education, ministry training and was also a theological seminary.

When the Pentecostal College Institute closed down, a new school opened up in North Scituate, Rhode Island in 1902. Fifteen years later, founders decided that the school should be a liberal arts college and a year later Eastern Nazarene College was chartered.

A year later the school moved yet again. This time to Quincy, Massachusetts where it currently is today. Founders wanted the college to be closer to Harvard or Yale so graduates of East Nazarene could attend graduate school at either or. Believing that educational standards were somewhat higher in Massachusetts, the founders decided to go with Massachusetts. Although in the future presidents would try to relocated the school again, they would fail after much debate and resistance among students and faculty.

Campus Life

Although students are not required to be of Nazarene faith, they are still required to go to Chapel at least 20 times a semester. The college wants each student to see chapel as a required class and must schedule work, homework, and social activities around chapel. The only exemptions given are to upperclassmen who commute, have teaching assignments, or have work related to their major. Furthermore students are required to refrain from illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco. They cannot attend bars or engage in sexual relations with anyone other than their spouse. Although the college has received some critiques for this,  Boston Globe  has called Eastern Nazarene a “trendsetter” and the college is “slightly more liberal bent” then other Christian colleges in the nation.

Students are required to live on campus through their senior year, but some exceptions are allowed. Around 50% of all students live off campus. Students live in same-sex resident halls with allotted visiting hours and a set curfew. By doing this, the college hopes to give students freedom but to also allow students to “demonstrate, personal honesty, discipline, and responsibility.”

Students can participate in many activities on campus such as; playing in the symphony orchestra or writing for the literary magazine. Students can also play ultimate frisbee or dance in the dance ensemble. Eastern Nazarene participates in Division III athletics and offers sports such as women’s volleyball, golf, and basketball.

Financial Aid

The financial aid department works with each student to find grants, loans, and scholarships that are right for the student. A year at Eastern Nazarene is $38,000 but 100% of students who are found to need financial assistance receive some form of it. Students can expect to get approximately 73% of their needs met as the financial aid department gives out an average award of $23,272 per student each year.