Grace College & Seminary

Grace College & Seminary
Motto Character, Competence, Service
Type Private
Established 1948 (1948)
Endowment $10 million[1]
President Dr. William J. Katip
Location Winona Lake, Indiana, United States
Campus rural: 180 acres (0.73 km²)
Affiliations Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches
Website http://www.grace.edu/

Grace College & Seminary is an evangelical Christian community of higher education which applies biblical values in strengthening character, sharpening competence, and preparing for service.[2] The institution of higher education is located in Winona Lake, Indiana. Its five divisions, or "schools," are located on the grounds of the main campus: The School of Arts and Sciences, The School of Behavioral Sciences, The School of Business, The School of Ministry Studies, and The School of Professional & Online Education (SPOE).[3] Grace Theological Seminary, which began as the parent institution, now exists as part of the School of Ministry Studies and is also located on the Winona Lake campus under the direction of Jeffrey A. Gill. Since 2011, several commuter campuses have also started. While the college and seminary are historically affiliated with the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, the student body and faculty of both institutions have diverse denominational backgrounds.[4]

History

Foundation

The institution began with the organization of Grace Theological Seminary under the leadership of Alva J. McClain in 1937.[5] A two-year "undergraduate division" of the seminary was added in 1948 and has since transitioned into a four-year Liberal Arts college.

Leadership

Alva J. McClain served as president until 1962, when he was succeeded by his colleague and fellow co-founder Herman A. Hoyt.[5][6] He remained in this position until he retired in 1976, and was followed by then Dean of Grace Theological Seminary Homer Kent, Jr., who retained this position until his own retirement in 1986. Dr. John J. Davis then served in the position from 1986 to 1993.[7] Ronald E. Manahan replaced Davis and led the institution until 2013 at which time William J. Katip, who had been Provost since 2007, replaced Manahan. New initiatives implemented in the fall of 2013 included an adjusted calendar in which each of the semesters were divided into two 8-week sessions.

Secondary locations

Prison program

For many years Grace College maintained a ministry to the incarcerated in Indiana at various correctional facilities throughout the state directed by Dr. John Teevan. However, due to legal changes in the state of Indiana, this ministry has transitioned to a GED program. The institution now manages the GED program for five correction facilities in northern Indiana. [8]

Commuter Schools

Since 2011, the institution has rolled out several satellite campuses in Columbus, Detroit, and Indianapolis.[9][10][11] Currently, there are plans to open three new branches of the Grace College campus in Detroit, MI with funding from former student affairs director and administrator Charlie Francis Miller. It is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2015.

Accreditation

In 1994, the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools gave accreditation to Grace College and Seminary, thereby joining the two previously individually accredited institutions.[12] Its counseling program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and the School of Business has accreditation through the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). The institution is also a member of several organizations including the Council of Independent Colleges, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Indiana Conference of Higher Education, the Independent Colleges and Universities of Indiana, and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] It is also approved by the Association of Christian Schools International.[22][23] Grace College's School of Education also holds separate accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)[24] and is recognized as a REPA Approved Teacher Preparation Program [25] by the Indiana Department of Education

Grace Theological Seminary has separately been awarded accreditation by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada.[26]

The Westminster Hotel on campus, now a Billy Sunday museum and resident hall

Tuition

The full-time tuition cost for the 2014-2015 school year was $24,670. In the fall of 2015, a program called "The Measure of Grace" caused full-time tuition to decrease to $22,450 (9% decrease). For every consecutive year a student attends, his or her tuition will decrease by $500. Textbook rentals will also be free for all students.[27]

Main Campus

Grace College has a total of 21 buildings on its 165-acre campus. Eleven of these buildings are residence halls, with the Lancer lofts and the Lodge being as the most recent additions.

Campus activities

College newspaper

The college newspaper, The Sounding Board, is published biweekly. Dr. Paulette Sauders, who chairs Grace's department of Languages, Literature, and Communication, serves as the paper's faculty adviser.[28]

Chapel

Grace College students attend chapel sessions from 10:30 to 11:20 a.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays in the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center on campus.[29]

Athletics

Grace College sponsors 15 intercollegiate sports. Their students compete as "Lancers" with their mascot, Sir Red, cheering them on. The college is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division 1, and competes in the Crossroads League, formerly known as the Mid-Central College Conference (MCCC). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, tennis, and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field, and volleyball.

Grace's men's basketball squad, coached by Jim Kessler, won the NAIA Division II men's championship in 1992, and in 2013, advanced to the Final Four. On October 31, 2014, Coach Kessler achieved his 700th career coaching win.[30]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "US News Education, #35 Regional Colleges (Midwest)". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 2012-12-05.
  2. ↑ "About Grace | Grace College & Seminary". www.grace.edu. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
  3. ↑ "Undergraduate Majors | Grace College & Seminary". www.grace.edu. Retrieved 2015-05-29.
  4. ↑ "About Grace | Grace College & Seminary". Grace.edu. Retrieved 2014-07-10.
  5. 1 2 "McClain, Alva J". BMH Books. Retrieved 2012-12-05.
  6. ↑ "Hoyt, Herman A". BMH Books. Retrieved 2012-12-05.
  7. ↑ "Davis, John J". BMH Books. Retrieved 2012-12-05.
  8. ↑ "State’s GED Prison Program to be Passed on to Grace College". Retrieved 2015-05-26.
  9. ↑ "Verbatim: Grace College adds 3-year degree option". The Journal Gazette. 2010-06-15. Retrieved 2014-07-10.
  10. ↑ "Fast Facts". Grace College and Seminary. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  11. ↑ "3 & 4-year Degree Programs". Grace College and Seminary. Retrieved 2012-12-05.
  12. ↑ "Directory of HLC Affiliated Institutions: Grace College and Seminary". Retrieved 2005-12-16.
  13. ↑ "Accreditation/Affiliations".
  14. ↑ "Council of Independent Colleges website".
  15. ↑ "Current Institutional, International, and Associate Members". Retrieved 2005-12-17.
  16. ↑ "National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities website".
  17. ↑ "Alphabetical List of Members: G". Retrieved 2005-12-17.
  18. ↑ "Independent Colleges and Universities of Indiana website".
  19. ↑ "Campus Profile". Retrieved 2005-12-17.
  20. ↑ "Council for Christian Colleges and Universities website".
  21. ↑ "Members: Grace College & Seminary". Archived from the original on 2005-12-06. Retrieved 2005-12-17.
  22. ↑ "Association of Christian Schools International website".
  23. ↑ "Membership: School". Retrieved 2005-12-17.
  24. ↑ "NCATE Accredited Institution". Retrieved 2012-12-05.
  25. ↑ "REPA Approved Teacher Preparation Programs". Retrieved 2012-12-05.
  26. ↑ "Grace Theological Seminary | The Association of Theological Schools". Ats.edu. Retrieved 2014-07-10.
  27. ↑ Seminary, Grace. "A Measure of Grace | Home". www.grace.edu. Retrieved 2015-05-26.
  28. ↑ "The Sounding Board | About". gcsbnews.com. Retrieved 2015-05-26.
  29. ↑ "FAQ's | Grace College & Seminary". www.grace.edu. Retrieved 2015-05-26.
  30. ↑ "Kessler Wins 700th Game in Lancers’ Season Opener". Retrieved 2015-05-26.

External links

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