Cedarville University

Cedarville University

Motto	Pro Corona et Foedere Christi: For the Crown and Covenant of Christ
Type	Private
Established	1887
Affiliation	Baptist, Evangelical
Endowment	US$16.1 million (FY 2010) [1]
President	Dr. Thomas White
Academic staff	243
Students	3,711
Undergraduates	3,357
Location	Cedarville , Ohio , USA
Campus	Rural, 400 acres
Colors	Blue and Gold
Nickname	Yellow Jackets
Affiliations	Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU)
Mascot	Yellow Jacket
Website	www.cedarville.edu

Cedarville University is a private, co-educational university located in Cedarville, Ohio, United States.

At its founding, the school was affiliated with the conservative General Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America. Today, Cedarville is an independent Baptist school known for its adherence to the Christian tradition. Across all academic disciplines, student life is influenced by codes of personal conduct, community service, and theological study.

Chartered by the state of Ohio and accredited by the Ohio Board of Regents, Cedarville University is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

History

Cedarville College was chartered in 1887 by the New Light Reformed Presbyterian Church; at the time, the surrounding township was largely Presbyterian. The first classes were held in 1892, though the college did not officially open until 1894. David McKinney was the college's first president.

Elements of the school's heritage remain on today's campus in the form of two original buildings: Founder's Hall (Old Main) and Collins Hall (Science Building). However, in early 2014, Collins Hall was demolished.

In 1953, the Baptist Bible Institute of Cleveland relocated and transitioned into management of Cedarville College through a merger arrangement with the college's Presbyterian board of trustees, who each resigned in turn. The Baptists were affiliated with the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches, a fundamentalist group which later dissociated itself from the college.

The university's seal has remained essentially unchanged from the Presbyterians' original design and still contains the Latin phrase 'Pro Corona et Foedere Christi,' which is translated, 'For the crown and covenant of Christ.' The original seal is surrounded with a slogan adopted by the former Baptist Bible Institute, 'For the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ.'

The current president, Dr. Thomas White, assumed the office in 2013, succeeding Dr. William Brown. The institution's first Baptist president, Dr. James T. Jeremiah, retired in 1978. David Jeremiah his son, is a noted alumnus and a Cedarville trustee, as of May 2013.

The university experienced many changes during 2012–14. A theology professor, Michael Pahl, was placed on leave in August 2012 and later dismissed, and President Brown announced his resignation in October 2012. In January 2013, Inside Higher Ed characterized the university as being in the midst of an "ongoing, tangled doctrinal controversy." Vice President for Student Life Carl Ruby resigned in January 2013 amid ongoing speculation that the board of trustees would soon eliminate the university's philosophy program. The Board of Trustees eliminated the philosophy major shortly thereafter. Thomas White took office as president in July 2013. In December, twenty-year Cedarville professor Joy Fagan resigned, saying she did not fit the changing policies, including the new restriction of only female students allowed in the Bible classes taught by female professors. White said that his policies were in line with past values, and were "not a new shift." In early 2014, White said that university was preparing to codify their complementarian stance concerning gender roles. He also said he was eliminating layers of leadership such that the presidential cabinet would have direct authority over the university. In April 2014, President White and Vice President of Student Life Jon Wood forcibly confiscated copies of The Ventriloquist, an independent student newspaper, during its regular distribution; the publication had previously reported on institutional changes at Cedarville and published pro-LGBT content.

Academics

Cedarville University offers 8 undergraduate degrees in 111 programs of study, including 73 undergraduate degrees programs, which cover most areas of the liberal arts, professional sciences, and theological studies. It also offers 40 minors, including a Bible minor, which is required for all students. The university also awards a limited number of graduate degrees in the areas of education and pharmacy (pending accreditation by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education). In November 2009, the university announced the addition of a Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) degree beginning in the fall of 2010, pending accreditation and approval by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and the Ohio Board of Regents.

Cedarville's teaching body is composed of 197 full-time faculty members who profess to be Christians and support the University's doctrinal statement. The university integrates a Biblical worldview into each discipline. The university is organized into five schools: the School of Biblical and Theological Studies, the School of Humanities, the School of Natural and Applied Sciences, the School of Pharmacy, and the School of Social Science and Human Performance.

The student/teacher ratio is 13:1, and the average class size is 20 students.

Spiritual life

According to its mission statement, the University is, "a Christ-centered learning community equipping students for lifelong leadership and service through an education marked by excellence and grounded in biblical truth."

With a stated goal of "helping [the student] increasingly reflect the character of God in [his or her] life," Cedarville University is a religious university. All matriculants are required to earn a 16 credit hour Bible minor. Students are also required to attend weekday chapel services on-campus in the Dixon Ministry Center. In addition to these requirements, students are also encouraged to participate in various community service and ministry programs off-campus.

Campus

Dixon Ministry Center

The university's original campus and facilities are in the village of Cedarville. Since about 1970, the school has purchased and consolidated surrounding farm lands which now total approximately 400 acres to the north and west of the village.

Cedarville's campus includes many flat, low-rise mid-century buildings. Among the few turn-of-the-century structures are Founders Hall, which houses the president's office and administrative functions, and Collins Hall—which houses the Department of History and Government, Travel Study Office, and today contains but one classroom.

Students who choose to reside on campus live in single-sex dormitories. The university has nine residences for men and seven for women. All of these dormitories have coed lounges. Some students live in a suite-like setting, with three to four bedrooms sharing a comparatively small lounge in each unit. Others live in a single-room, hall-style format with a communal lounge on each floor.

Newer athletic facilities cover the farthest northwestern reaches of campus, including a soccer stadium and baseball/softball fields.

Publications

BBI publications

Before Baptist Bible Institute merged with Cedarville College and relocated from Cleveland, Ohio, BBI published: 1) Marturion (a student yearbook), and 2) B. B. Eye, the only known archives of which are in the Cedarville University library and in the Louisiana Serials list.

Present Cedarville publications

• Inspire: magazine for alumni of Cedarville University
• The Torch: published for "alumni and friends of Cedarville University"
• Cedars: paper by students for students

Athletics

File:CedarvilleJackets.png

Official athletics logo.

Known as the Yellow Jackets, Cedarville competes in 14 sports. The official school colors are blue and gold. Cedarville is a dual member of two national athletics associations; the university is a NCAA Division II member as well as a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). The university became a full member of NCAA Division II on July 12, 2012. In 2013 the university will join five other regional institutions to form the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

Prior to joining the NCAA, Cedarville competed as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in the American Mideast Conference (AMC). Cedarville ended their affiliation with the NAIA after the 2010-11 academic year, after competing in the NAIA for over 60 years. The university was one of the founding members of the AMC, then known as the Mid-Ohio League, in 1949. In 2007, the women's track program placed 2nd in the nation amongst all NAIA divisions. Both the men's and women's basketball teams have advanced to the NAIA Division II national basketball championships. In 2005, the men's team made it to the NAIA Division II final four, and in both 2004 and 2005 the women's team competed in the NAIA Division II championship game. Cedarville's women's sports won the American Mideast Conference (AMC) All-Sports Award for the 2004-2005 season. The women's cross country team won the school's only NAIA national title in any sport in 2001. The Lady Jackets also claimed the 2008 All-Ohio Intercollegiate Cross Country Championship which features all of the colleges and the universities in the state. They are the only NAIA program to ever win the All-Ohio women's title.

Men's

• Baseball
• Basketball
• Cross-Country
• Golf
• Soccer
• Tennis
• Track and Field

Women's

• Basketball
• Cross-Country
• Soccer
• Softball
• Tennis
• Track and Field
• Volleyball

Accreditation and involvement

Cedarville University is regionally accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). Its professional degrees are also accredited by the relevant commission.

In addition, Cedarville is a member of the following organizations:

• Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio
• Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
• Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences
• Council of Independent Colleges
• National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
• Ohio College Association
• Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges
• Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education
• National Association of Schools of Music

Student organizations

• Alpha Chi (AX): a society for men that endeavors to cultivate Christian personality and leadership in its members.
• Alpha Delta Gamma (ADG): a women's service organization focusing on serving women in the community.
• Alpha Delta Nu (ADN): provides criminal-justice students with the opportunity to enhance their professional development. Members are students who believe that a career in criminal justice is a ministry in a God-ordained institution, which is government. This organization promotes Christian character, leadership, and service through training, information, and networking to supplement academic studies. The society assists students to prepare for a transition to their professional field as practitioners.
• Alpha Delta Omega (ADO): an organization for women designed to encourage the development of its membership primarily through personal services to students and others.
• Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD): Local chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, National English Honors Society
• Alpha Psi Omega (APO): Local chapter of the National Honorary Theatre Organization
• Alpha Sigma (AS): an organization devoted to promote critical thinking through philosophical and theological inquiry into issues central to the Christian worldview and our contemporary culture.
• Amplified: focuses on urban ministry
• Association for Computing Machinery (ACM): Local chapter of the largest educational and scientific computing society
• Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP)
• Cedarville University College Democrats
• Cedarville University College Republicans
• Chemistry Club - A group of both chemistry majors and non-majors who are interested in the study of chemistry.
• Chi Theta Pi: A pre-health organization that brings in doctors, dentists, and PAs to discuss life as a professional in the hospital.
• CUEMS: an organization of trained students who provide prompt and professional prehospital care and transportation to Cedarville students in need.
• Discipleship Groups: Groups on campus that read scripture together and help each other grow in Christ. They are either all men or all women.
• Delta Omega Epsilon (DOE): a men's organization whose projects and activities provide social and service benefits for the University.
• Delta Pi Sigma (DPS): a women's organization promoting spiritual and social growth within its members and the University.
• Gamma Chi: a women's service organization formed for women with a passion for their local church. They help girls connect with local churches in or near Cedarville believing that committed involvement in local churches during their years at Cedarville will prepare them to serve at churches in their future.
• Lambda Eta Pi: A highly elite organization pursuing excellence in all facets of life both within and far beyond the limits of the campus. Lambda Eta Pi is headquartered on the Cedarville campus.
• MENC: Cedarville's Chapter of the Music Educator's National Conference
• Multi-Cultural Community: a group of students from ethnic minorities and/or international backgrounds
• Phi Epsilon Beta (PEB): a women's organization promoting spiritual and social growth within its members.
• Phi Gamma Psi (PGP): a women's organization promoting social interaction and enhancing spiritual growth among women at the University.
• Photography Club: The Cedarville Photography Club is a group of students who are passionate about the art of photography. They meet once a month and provide members and visitors alike the opportunity to participate in photo contests, outings, and photo advice. They also showcase members and professional photographers at their meeting in order to gain an appreciation for each other's work and recognize talent.
• Resound Radio Cedarville's Professional Student Radio Station. (http://resoundradio.com/)
• Student Government Association
• SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise) : student business organization
• Sigma Phi Lambda (SPL): a men's organization that seeks to further the cause of Christ through various activities and service opportunities.
• Tau Delta Kappa (TDK): Honors organization. Composed entirely of past and former students who have gone through the Making of the Modern Mind, the freshman honors class. TDK exists to provide honor students with service opportunities in the community and on campus, and to fellowship with each other.
• Theta Rho Epsilon (OPE): a men's organization that seeks to develop character and friendships through social and service opportunities.
• The Inversions: Cedarville's A Cappella Group (Established 2011 by Jeremy Witt)
• TPCu: an organization for students in the technical and professional communication major
• Turning Point USA: "A 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded on June 5, 2012 by Charlie Kirk. The organization’s mission is to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government."
• Women of Vision: dedicated to the education of the University family in support of many different issues related specifically to women around the world.
• SWE: Society of Women Engineers.
• Zeta Pi Sigma (ZPS): a men's organization dedicated to the principles of leadership by example, encouragement through service, and spiritual growth through discipleship and accountability.

Notable alumni

• Mark Keough, incoming Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives; pastor in The Woodlands
• DeMaurice Smith, Executive Director of the National Football League Players Association
• Paula Faris, American television correspondent for ABC News
• Abbie Cobb, actress and author

External links

• Cedarville University Official Website
• Cedarville Yellow Jackets Official Athletics Website
• Baptists in North America: An Historical Perspective
• Cedars: the official campus newspaper
• 2014 Commencement Program, Cedarville University