Spring Arbor University Concept
Spring Arbor University is an evangelical Christian university. The mission of the University, its purpose, its curriculum and the philosophical base for its community is expressed in the Spring Arbor University Concept:
“Spring Arbor University is a community of learners distinguished by our lifelong involvement in the study and application of the liberal arts, total commitment to Jesus Christ as the perspective for learning, and critical participation in the contemporary world.”
The balanced integration of faith, living and learning is the continuing educational goal of Spring Arbor University. The faculty and administration are committed to Jesus Christ as the foundation for their teaching, advising and leading. Their personal relationships with Christ provide a basis for evaluating information, forming a worldview and shaping their daily participation in the lives of those around them. The University strives to help its students develop as Christian men and women equipped to meet all aspects of life with confidence.
A Brief History of Spring Arbor University
Spring Arbor University was founded in 1873 by leaders of the Free Methodist Church. In 1863, Edward Payson Hart began evangelistic meetings in Michigan. Hart was the driving force behind the establishment of Spring Arbor Seminary-an academy for elementary and secondary grades. In 1929, the school became Spring Arbor Seminary and Junior College. As the emphasis shifted toward higher education, primary and intermediate classes were discontinued in 1930. In 1960 when the school achieved accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the trustees changed the name of the institution to Spring Arbor College. Soon the high school program was dropped as plans were developed to make Spring Arbor a four-year college. Under the leadership of President David McKenna, Spring Arbor College launched its four-year program in 1963, graduating its first class in 1965.
Graduate education began at Spring Arbor College in 1994 with the inauguration of the Master of Arts in Management (MM) degree, which is now the Master of Business Administration (MBA). The University has consistently developed graduate programs in subsequent years.
On April 30, 2001, Spring Arbor College became Spring Arbor University.
Spring Arbor University Demographics
Spring Arbor University is a liberal arts university located eight miles west of Jackson (the greater Jackson area has a population of about 160,000) and is affiliated with the Free Methodist Church. More than 40 denominations are represented in its student body. While most students are from Michigan, the University also attracts students from over 20 states and several foreign countries. Spring Arbor University delivers education to approximately 3,100 students on its main campus, at various sites located in Michigan and Ohio, and online. Over 1,300 of those students are registered in SAU graduate programs.
Affiliations
Spring Arbor University is affiliated with the Free Methodist Church, though it is nondenominational in its admissions and hiring policies. More than 30 denominations are represented in the student body and faculty. Faculty members are dedicated Christians, committed to an open atmosphere of investigation, and a life of faith and Christian service.
Among its many associations, Spring Arbor University is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), the Association of Free Methodist Educational Institutions (AFMEI), the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), Campus Compact, the Michigan Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (MAICU), and the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC). With intercollegiate sports teams, Spring Arbor is also part of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and has long been committed to the gender equity principles of Title IX.
Accreditation
All degrees offered by Spring Arbor University have been granted accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission, 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602.
Specific Accreditations
The School of Education is nationally accredited by The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), 1140 19th St. NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036.
The Master of Science in nursing (MSN) program has been granted accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036.
The Master of Arts in counseling (MAC) program in both the Clinical Mental Health and School Counselor tracks has been granted accreditation by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), 1001 North Fairfax St., Ste. 510, Alexandria, VA 22314.
The Master of Social Work (MSW) program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), 1701 Duke Street, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314-3457.
Statement of Faith
As an institution affiliated with the Free Methodist Church, Spring Arbor University affirms the Articles of Religion contained in the church’s Book of Discipline. The University acknowledges that the specific doctrinal confession to which it adheres does not define orthodoxy for the whole body of Christ nor is it comprehensive of every Christian truth. Spring Arbor University gladly embraces all who faithfully adhere to the essentials of biblical Christianity as fellow believers and co-laborers in Christ’s cause.
We believe in one God, the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as revealed in the Christian Scriptures known as the Holy Bible.
We believe that Jesus Christ is God’s incarnate Son who lived a perfect life on earth, proclaiming God’s reign and establishing a community of disciples; who sacrificially died on the cross for the sins of all people; who rose in triumph from death, accomplishing salvation for all who truly believe in him; who is now at the Father’s right hand interceding for us; and who will return to earth in victory, judging all people and establishing his everlasting kingdom.
We believe in the Holy Bible as the inspired and authoritative Word of God. It bears unerring witness to Jesus Christ, the living Word. It is the trustworthy record of God’s revelation, completely truthful in all it affirms, attested by the early church and subsequent councils, faithfully preserved and true in human experience.
We believe that human beings, men and women equally, are created in the image of God and are called to be his faithful stewards on earth. Although all people have become alienated from God and affected in every part because of sin, by God’s grace, all who truly repent of their sin and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are justified by faith and adopted into the church, the people of God.
We believe that repentance and belief in Christ are evidenced by commitment to a life of obedience to the authority and commandments of the Holy Bible as interpreted through sound exegesis and a traditional biblical hermeneutic.
We believe that the value of human beings does not depend on their marital status, but that human families were established by God to perpetuate humankind and to provide a stable community for nurturing children in faith and righteous living. Marriage between one man and one woman is the instruction of the Holy Bible for establishing families, and physical sexual expression is to be confined to that marriage relationship.
We believe that God not only counts believers as righteous, but that he makes them righteous, freeing them of sin’s dominion at conversion, purifying their hearts by faith, perfecting them in love by his Spirit, and providing for their growth in grace through God’s participation at every stage of their spiritual life, enabling them through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to live a victorious life of righteousness, justice, and practical usefulness.
We believe God’s kingdom promises to establish “a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13 TNIV) and where resurrected believers will participate in God’s everlasting Kingdom.
|