Cedarville University

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 due to structural problems. There is now an empty field where Collins Hall once stood.

In 1953, the Baptist Bible Institute of Cleveland, Ohio relocated to Cedarville's campus 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 for teaching that the Bible was not the inspired, inerrant Word of God, 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 due to its advocacy against traditional Christianity. 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 due to clear biblical teaching. White said that his policies were in line with past values and Scripture, 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 subversive student newspaper, during its regular distribution; the publication had previously reported on institutional changes at Cedarville and published pro-LGBT content. The newspaper sought to give voice to those students who were abandoning the traditional Christian views and embracing more vibrant agnostic beliefs. Per the Ventriloquist website, the paper recognized that they were outside the university life and chose to publish online.

Academics

Cedarville University offers undergraduate degrees in 111 programs of study, 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, business 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 15 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

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.

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

Athletics

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.

Accreditation and involvement

Cedarville University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Its professional degrees are accredited by the appropriate specialized accreditor. Cedarville University is also approved by the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

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

Student organizations

Notable alumni