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Corban University

Coordinates: 44°52′57″N 122°57′31″W / 44.88250°N 122.95861°W / 44.88250; -122.95861
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Corban University
Clock tower overlooking the Willamette Valley
Motto"Dedicating Heart and Mind to God" and "To educate Christians who will make a difference in the world for Jesus Christ." (Matthew 28:19-20)
TypePrivate
Established1935
EndowmentUS$3 million
PresidentDr. Sheldon C. Nord
ProvostDr. Matt Lucas
Students2,068
Location
Salem
,
Oregon
,
United States

44°52′57″N 122°57′31″W / 44.88250°N 122.95861°W / 44.88250; -122.95861
ColorsBlue and Gold
NicknameWarriors
AffiliationsIndependent Baptist
MascotCADMAR The Warrior
WebsiteCorban.edu

Corban University is a private, independent Baptist college in Salem, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1935 as Western Baptist Bible College in Arizona, the school moved to Oregon near Salem in 1969 and changed its name to Corban College in 2005, and to the present moniker in 2010. The school of about 2,000 students offers undergraduate work in Bible studies as well as liberal arts, and graduate studies in business, education, and counseling. Corban is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and athletically is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, competing in the Cascade Collegiate Conference.

History

First established in 1935 in Phoenix, Arizona as the Phoenix Bible Institute, the college moved in 1946 to Oakland, California and took the name Western Baptist Bible College, being affiliated with the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches (GARBC).[1] In the mid-1950s the school moved to El Cerrito, California,[1] occupying the site of a former home for orphaned Chinese boys.[2] In 1969 the college moved again, to Salem, Oregon, where it operates today.[1]

The school shortened the name to Western Baptist College in 1973.[3] In the 1970s, Western added liberal arts programs in addition to ministry programs. Reno Hoff became the president of the institution in 1999, replacing David Miller.[4] In 2001, Beth Bartosik became the first Fulbright Scholar in the school's history.[5] Corban received a $2.1 million donation in 2001 to go towards a new performing arts center and chapel, the largest donation ever for the school.[6]

In 2004, U.S. News and World Report ranked the school as the eighth best in the western United States for comprehensive colleges, and ninth the following year.[7] The college's name was changed from Western Baptist College to Corban College on May 7, 2005, using the word "Corban", a Hebrew word meaning a gift dedicated to God.[8] Later in 2005 the college opened Davidson Hall, a residence hall, and had their largest incoming class to that point with 207 freshman and an overall enrollment of 860.[9] In 2006, U.S. News and World Report listed the school at eight, the fifth year in a row the school was in the top ten.[10]

While Corban was founded a Baptist school, Corban accepts Christian students from many evangelical denominations. Students are required to provide their testimony of their saving relationship with Jesus Christ in their application to Corban. In the summer of 2007, Corban's name was extended to Corban College and Graduate School in order to reflect the institution's graduate programs in education and business.[11] As of 2009, the college has an endowment of about $3 million.[12] In honor of the institution's 75th anniversary, the school became known as Corban University on May 1, 2010.[13] Dr. Reno Hoff retired as president on June 30, 2013, and was succeeded by Dr. Sheldon Nord, who serves as the university's 10th president.

Academics

Residence hall at the college

Corban's motto is "Dedicating heart and mind to God," and Corban's mission is "To educate Christians who will make a difference in the world for Jesus Christ." (Matthew 28:19-20) Corban offers a unique mix of being both a liberal arts college and a Bible college. All graduates from Corban, regardless of major, graduate with a minimum of 24 semester units of Bible classes. Also, all classes are taught from a Biblical perspective to "show that Christ should be integrated in all areas of life." Corban is theologically conservative and baptistic in thought, yet attracts men and women from a wide variety of denominations and traditions. Students must complete a minimum of 50 hours of community service prior to graduation.[14] The school was ranked as the fifth best amongst western regional colleges by U.S. News & World Report in 2011.[15]

Campus

Corban's campus is on a wooded hillside on the outskirts of Salem, and the college owns approximately 142 acres (0.57 km2) of the wooded hillside. The trees are mainly Douglas Fir and Oregon White Oak with a smattering of Big Leaf Maple. Over one hundred bird species have been identified on campus. The site was previously the site of the Oregon Institute for Deaf-Mutes and then the Oregon State Tuberculosis Hospital.[16] Some buildings on campus date to those facilities.[16] The school also operates the Corban School of Ministry in Tacoma, Washington, after the Northwest Baptist Seminary was merged with Corban in 2010.[17]

Throughout the years Corban has emphasized community. Freshmen and Sophomores, unless they are over the age of 21 or are married, must live on campus.[9] They have six resident halls to choose from: Aagard, Farrar, Prewitt, Van Gilder, Balyo, and Davidson. Each dorm has unique characteristics. For example, Balyo is often noted for having a picturesque view of lower campus, and its community boasts a rare blend of academics and leisure activities. It is not uncommon to hear cries of "Storm the Keep!" which signals residents to congregate and watch TV shows together. A favorite is Avatar: The Last Airbender. Also on campus is the 683-seat Psalm Performing Arts Center opened in 2005 at a cost of $3.7 million.[18] The library also houses the Prewitt-Allen Archaeological Museum with collections from Greece and the Middle East.[19] Visitors from the general public are encouraged to visit. The library staff is friendly and can point out the major areas of interest.

Radio station

Corban University operates KWBX (90.3 FM), a non-commercial educational radio station with its transmitter in Salem, Oregon. It is part of the Air-1 Network, a Christian Hit Radio format. KWBX breaks from the network on the 20s for local news, weather, and announcements.

Athletics

Jeffers Sports Center

Corban University teams, nicknamed athletically as the Warriors, are part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball. The school colors are navy and gold.[8]

The C. E. Jeffers Sports Center is a multi-purpose 1,500 seat sports arena in Salem, Oregon which is home to the Corban Warriors.[20] It was opened in 1979 and houses the basketball and volleyball teams. The student section, which is reserved for "Fanatics," is small but passionate. The building namesake, Clarence E. Jeffers, was a Corban graduate and building contractor.[21] The exterior of the arena was renovated in 2013.[22]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ a b c Liao, Ruth (May 4, 2008). "Mid-Valley: Corban graduates told to 'have direction'". Statesman Journal. p. 1. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  2. ^ "Western Bible College". Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  3. ^ Day, Shawn (May 2, 2004). "Western Baptist plans name change". Statesman Journal. pp. 3C. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  4. ^ Hernandez, Romel (October 12, 1999). "Baptist college president steps down in Salem; David Miller resigns after eight years as leader of Western Baptist College". The Oregonian. pp. D4. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  5. ^ Knowlton (April 24, 2001). "Western Baptist College has its first Fulbright Scholar". Statesman Journal. pp. 1C. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  6. ^ Carter, Steven (December 10, 2002). "Salem's Western Baptist College receives a record $2.1 million gift". The Oregonian. pp. D4. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  7. ^ Yeager, Angela (August 21, 2005). "Willamette Valley". Statesman Journal. pp. 3C. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  8. ^ a b Day, Shawn (October 27, 2004). "W. Baptist renamed Corban College". Statesman Journal. p. 1C. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  9. ^ a b Day, Shawn (August 28, 2005). "New students find changed Corban campus". Statesman Journal. pp. 1C. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  10. ^ Hellesto, Rachel (August 29, 2006). "Magazine gives Corban College a high ranking". Statesman Journal. p. 11. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  11. ^ "Brief: Corban College gets a new name". Statesman Journal. August 29, 2007. p. 8. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  12. ^ Daley, Jillian (January 7, 2009). "South Salem Today: Willamette endowment shrinks; Corban's stays flat". Statesman Journal. p. 1. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  13. ^ "Offering academics with a side of culture". Statesman Journal. May 30, 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  14. ^ Parks, Geoff (September 17, 2008). "South Salem Today: Corban purrs with volunteerism". Statesman Journal. p. 10. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  15. ^ Siemers, Erik (September 14, 2011). "UofO 101st, OSU 138th in U.S. News rankings". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  16. ^ a b Casper, Beth (October 15, 2008). "South Salem Today: Corban replaces its 19th century boiler". Statesman Journal. p. 19. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  17. ^ "School of Ministry". Ministry. Corban University. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  18. ^ Monaghan, Matt (October 15, 2005). "Performing arts center dedicated". Statesman Journal. pp. 1C. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  19. ^ Hamlin, Holly (January 27, 2009). "Life: Library at Corban College has a surprising museum". Statesman Journal. p. 1. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  20. ^ "C. E. Jeffers Sports Center". Corban University. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  21. ^ "C.E. Jeffers Sports Center". Corban University Athletic Department. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  22. ^ "C.E. Jeffers Sports Center gets new look". Salem, Oregon: Corban University. 30 December 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  23. ^ Damon, Anjeanette (6 March 2011). "State senator clarifies misinformation about her education". Las Vegas Sun.
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