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Asbury University professor Dr. Kim Okesson smiles during Academic Convocation
Academic Excellence Homepage News August 28, 2026

Academic Convocation Chapel Sets the Tone for a New Year at Asbury University

Faculty and campus leaders begin the academic year with a shared commitment to academic excellence and spiritual vitality

President Dr. Kevin Brown speaks during Asbury University's Academic Convocation Chapel

Asbury University’s Academic Convocation Chapel brought the campus community together to celebrate exceptional faculty and reaffirm the University’s commitment to integrating Christian faith with academic learning.

Asbury University faculty, Cabinet members and students gathered in Hughes Auditorium for Academic Convocation Chapel, marking the beginning of a new academic year centered on academic excellence and spiritual vitality. 

The annual chapel provides an opportunity for the University community to recognize the important role faculty play in shaping students academically, professionally and spiritually. 

Asbury President Dr. Kevin Brown highlighted the distinctive investment professors make in their students.

Our faculty are thought leaders in their fields, and they care about our students’ lives."
Asbury University President Kevin Brown. Dr. Kevin Brown Asbury University President

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Sherry Powers addressed the campus community during Convocation and emphasized that Asbury does not separate intellectual growth from spiritual formation. Instead, Asbury intentionally brings the two together as students pursue their education.

Asbury University is a community committed to intellectual pursuit and spiritual formation that works hand-in-hand to facilitate the integration of Christian faith with academic learning."
Asbury University's Sherry Powers headshot. Dr. Sherry Powers Asbury University Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

The combination of academic expertise and personal investment shapes the Asbury experience. With a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio, students have opportunities to know their professors personally and develop meaningful relationships with faculty mentors throughout their college experience.

Academic Convocation reflects what makes an Asbury education distinctive: students learn from accomplished faculty who challenge them intellectually while intentionally investing in their spiritual and personal growth.

Provost Dr. Sherry Powers speaks during Asbury University's Academic Convocation Chapel

Across disciplines, Asbury faculty bring professional expertise, scholarship and a Christian worldview into the classroom while extending their mentorship beyond it. Through classroom discussions, research, creative work, advising and everyday conversations, professors help students connect what they learn with how they live, serve and lead.

Academic Convocation also sets the tone for the semester ahead. As students begin new courses and pursue new opportunities, the University continues its commitment to an educational experience that develops the whole person.

By beginning the academic year together in chapel, Asbury celebrates the faculty who make that mission possible and reminds students that their academic pursuits can become an important part of their spiritual formation and preparation for lives of purpose.


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