CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY

'Cedarville University' is a private, nonprofit Baptist university sited on a 400-acre campus in Cedarville, Ohio, in the United States. Its environment and culture are underscored by its foundations in Biblical teachings which fundamentally influence student life and school policy.

Contents

History

Academics

Spiritual life

Residential life

Publications

BBI publications

Present Cedarville publications

Athletics

Accreditation and involvement

Student Organizations

Traditions

Criticisms and Controversy

Dancing

GARBC

Awards

Notable Alumni

Notes

References

External links

History

Cedarville was chartered in 1887 by the Presbyterian church. The first classes were held in 1892.
In 1953, the Baptist Bible Institute of Cleveland assumed management of the institution through a cooperative effort with the former board of trustees.
The Baptists retained the Presbyterian college seal, surrounding it with the Baptist Bible Institutes's motto, 'For the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ.'
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). Also, the University seal is essentially unchanged and still contains the Latin phrase 'Pro Corona et Foedere Christi' (For the crown and covenant of Christ).
The college early on also purchased the former Presbyterian church located near Founders Hall (Old Main), and renamed it the Alford Memorial building. Over the years it has been renovated numerous times and served as a gymnasium, class room space and a theater.

Academics

Cedarville University's sixty-nine (69) undergraduate degree tracks cover most of the liberal arts, professional sciences, and theological studies. It also offers forty minors, including a Bible minor required for all students. The university awards limited graduate degrees in education. A full list of programs offered is here.
Cedarville's teaching body is composed of 211 full-time and 70 adjunct professors 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 four schools, each named for its area of focus: Engineering, Nursing, and Science; Health and Human Performance; Humanities, Fine Arts, and Bible; and Social Science and Professional Studies.
The student/teacher ratio is 13:1, and the average class size is 20 students.

Spiritual life

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 Bible minor and to attend weekday chapel services on-campus. Students are encouraged to participate in various community service and ministry programs off-campus.

Residential life

Cedarville is a coeducational university and students who choose to reside on campus live in single-sex dormitories. The university has nine male residences and seven female residences. 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.

Publications

BBI publications

Before Baptist Bible Institute purchased Cedarville College and moved from Cleveland, Ohio, to Cedarville, Ohio, BBI published two publications: "Marturion" (a student yearbook) and "B. B. Eye", the only known archives of which are in the Cedarville University library and in the Louisiana Serials list ^[1].

Present Cedarville publications

★ Cedars: student newspaper of Cedarville University

★ Inspire: magazine for alumni of Cedarville University

★ The Torch: published for "alumni and friends of Cedarville University"

Athletics

Cedarville's athletic department, the Yellow Jackets, are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), and the American Mideast Conference (AMC). Cedarville offers men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, and women's volleyball during the fall, and men's and women's basketball and men's and women's track during the winter. Both the men's and women's basketball teams have advanced to the NAIA national basketball championships. In 2005, the men's team made it to the final four, and in both 2004 and 2005 the women's team competed in the championship game. Cedarville also offers spring sports including men's baseball and women's softball, and men's and women's tennis.
Cedarville's women's division won the AMC All-Sports Award for the 2004-2005 season.

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

''A more complete list of student organizations is available from the Cedarville University web page''

★ Alpha Chi (AX): a men's service organization

★ Alpha Delta Omega (ADO): Women's social and service organization

★ Amplified: focuses on urban ministry

★ Cedarville University College Republicans

★ CUEMS: an organization of trained students who provide prompt and professional prehospital care and transportation to Cedarville students in need.

★ Delta Omega Epsilon (DOE): Men's social and service organization

★ Eating Disorder Awareness Organization

★ Gamma Chi: a women's service organization

★ MENC

★ Multi-Cultural Community: a group of students from ethnic minorities and/or international backgrounds

★ Phi Epsilon Beta (PEB): Women's social and service organization

★ Student Government Association

★ Sigma Phi Lambda (SPL): Men's social and service organization

★ Theta Rho Epsilon (OPE): Men's social and service organization

★ Women of Vision: dedicated to the education of the University family in support of many different issues related specifically to women around the world.

Traditions

★ Acoustic Fire: live music shows in the Hive (the campus grill)

★ Canoe Race: freshman engineering students construct canoes out of cardboard and packing tape. The first group of students to row across the lake wins the race (and gets an A).

★ Elliv: annual campus talent competition with accompanying award show. Some students choose to dress formally for Elliv, however, most students wear costumes that are humorous or simply bizarre.

★ HALO Film Festival: annual showing of films made by university students

★ Laking: engaged male students are thrown into the campus lake by their friends

★ The Rock: students paint different slogans and messages on a large rock that sits by the student center.

Criticisms and Controversy

Dancing

Cedarville University has been noted for its unusual policies regarding dancing. The university does not sanction dancing, and prohibits certain types of provocative dancing both on and off campus. In addition, students are prohibited from attending or organizing dances (including ballroom and line dancing) either on or off campus.^[2] However, the University does feature classes in ballet and Scottish dancing.

GARBC

After many years of association, the GARBC (General Association of Regular Baptist Churches) approved a motion to separate itself from Cedarville University. The motion in part reads:
:"A motion was made and seconded that the Council of Eighteen present the reasons for the decision not to associate with Cedarville University with special attention given to the Biblical statements and principles that warrant such a decision; that this presentation be made publicly to the fellowship of churches at the 2006 GARBC Annual Conference; and that messengers at the Conference be given the opportunity by vote to express their support for or dissent from the Council's presentation. The motion further directed that copies of the Council's presentation be sent to all Fellowship churches not less than 90 days prior to the beginning of the 2006 GARBC Annual Conference. The motion passed."[1]
The GARBC considers Cedarville University's "unofficial but public partnership with Sourthern Baptists of Ohio to be "inconsistent with the Articles of Faith and purpose statement as adopted and practiced historically by the GARBC."^[3]
As a result, in September 2003, the NARB Council of Fifteen, approved a statement urging the GARBC to reconsider its decision to deny partnership status to Cedarville University, stating:
:"We believe that the council’s decision to sever relationships with Cedarville University runs contrary to the historic position of the GARBC on ecclesiastical separation."^[4]

Awards

★ U.S. News and World Report ranked Cedarville at 20th place in the Comprehensive Bachelors Colleges of the Midwest in 2000.

★ U.S. News and World Report ranked Cedarville at 14th place in the Comprehensive Bachelors Colleges of the Midwest in 2006.

★ U.S. News and World Report ranked Cedarville at 3rd place in the Comprehensive Bachelors Colleges of the Midwest in 2007.

Notable Alumni

★ Rex M. Rogers

★ James T. Jeremiah

★ David Jeremiah

★ Joseph M. Stowell

Notes

1. Louisiana Serials List
2. 2006-2007 Cedarville University Handbook, pp. 22
3. [2]
4. Baptist Network Northwest - News - September 2003

References

★ Baptists in North America: An Historical Perspective

★ Cradles of Conscience: Ohio's Independent Colleges and Universities

★ Cedarville University Catalog 2003-2004

★ Origins of Cedarville University - Introduction - 2007 Self-Study

★ Ecumenism Under the Umbrella of Creation Science

External links

★ Cedarville student handbook

★ Yellow Jackets homepage

★ Bill Brown's Xanga

★ CU's re:View Worldview Film Study

★ Ohio History Central - Cedarville

★ Has the GARBC rejected Cedarville?