New Saint Andrews College

Last updated
New Saint Andrews College
New Saint Andrews College.png
Type Private college
Established1994;30 years ago (1994)
Accreditation
Religious affiliation
 Christian
President Benjamin R. Merkle
Academic staff
27
Students221 (2020) [1]
Undergraduates 272 FTE, 2023
Location
Moscow
,
Idaho
,
United States

46°43′54″N117°00′06″W / 46.7316°N 117.0017°W / 46.7316; -117.0017
Campus Rural
Affiliations Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS), and Association of Reformed Institutions of Higher Education (ARIHE)
Website https://nsa.edu/

New Saint Andrews College is a private classical Christian college in Moscow, Idaho. It was founded in 1994 by Christ Church, [2] and modeled in part on the curriculum of Harvard College of the seventeenth century. The college offers no undergraduate majors, but follows a single, integrated classical liberal arts curriculum from a Christian worldview in its associate's and bachelor's degree programs. The college also offers master's degrees in theology and letters and classical Christian studies. The New Saint Andrews board, faculty, and staff are confessionally Reformed (Calvinist). Board members are affiliated with the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC).

Contents

History

New Saint Andrews College began with four students in the fall of 1994 and graduated its first two students in 1998. It moved to its present location in downtown Moscow when it purchased the historic Skattaboe Block (built in 1892). [3] [4] The college was featured on the Christian Broadcasting Network in March 2006. In August 2006, New Saint Andrews was named by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute as one of the top 50 schools for "conservatives, old-fashioned liberals, and people of faith." [5] The college was also featured in The New York Times Magazine in September 2007. [6]

Roy Atwood served as president until 2014, and was succeeded by Ben Merkle. [7] The college purchased a second building in downtown Moscow, a former nightclub, with the intention to develop it into a music conservatory; a permit for the expansion was approved by the city in 2017. [8] [9]

A 2020 recruitment advertisement published online by the college led the town's mayor to state that the video "conveys a message of intolerance to anyone who does not fit traditional male-female gender identities" and was not reflective of the city's positions on gender identity; [10] according to The Guardian , the advertisement was "seen as transphobic by many in Moscow". [11]

Academics and student life

The college's classical Christian program of studies follows the Trivium and Quadrivium in its single, integrated undergraduate curriculum in liberal arts and culture. The curriculum stresses learning from great books and developing the skills to be a lifelong learner. Rather than using textbooks, the college requires reading of primary works in the classical and Christian literature of Western civilization. The college uses "Oxford-style" small group recitations, in which six to eight students meet with individual faculty members to discuss the assigned readings. Students have examinations every eight weeks, many of which are conducted orally. Seniors are required to write theses and defend them before a faculty panel. The college offers associate and bachelor's degrees in liberal arts and culture, a Master of Arts in Trinitarian theology and culture, and a Master of Studies (and Graduate Certificate) in Classical Christian Studies.

The college has three halls, named after what the college judges to be significant battles: Jericho, Ashdown, and Malta. [12]

The college limits new student enrollment to about 50–60 new undergraduates and 10–15 graduate students each year. The student body numbers about 160 students (150 full-time equivalent) from about 30 states, five foreign countries, and more than 20 Christian denominations. Approximately half of the college's students were home-schooled and a quarter attended Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS) affiliated high schools.

The college provides no dormitories or food services, by board policy. Instead, it encourages students to live as responsible members of the local community, and assists students and their families in arranging appropriate housing.

As of the May 2010 Commencement, the college had more than 200 alumni.[ citation needed ] Approximately one-third of the college's graduates pursue graduate school or advanced professional studies, one-third go on to teach at classical and Christian schools, and one-third pursue other callings or professions. [13]

Sports

New Saint Andrews College does not participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), but does offer a variety of intramural sports, namely men's rugby, women's volleyball, and co-educational soccer.

Accreditation

NSA is a fully accredited member of both the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS). Both are institutional accreditors recognized by the United States Department of Education (ED) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA); TRACS is also a member of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE). NWCCU awarded the college full accreditation in July 2023, and TRACS awarded it a second 10-year Reaffirmation of Accreditation in May 2020. The college's authorization to issue degrees is also recognized by the Idaho State Board of Education. The college is a charter member of the Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS) and a member of the Association of Reformed Institutions of Higher Education (ARIHE).

Notable faculty

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberal arts education</span> Traditional academic course in Western higher education

Liberal arts education is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. Liberal arts takes the term art in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the fine arts. Liberal arts education can refer to studies in a liberal arts degree course or to a university education more generally. Such a course of study contrasts with those that are principally vocational, professional, or technical, as well as religiously based courses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drew University</span> Private university in Madison, New Jersey

Drew University is a private university in Madison, New Jersey. Drew has been nicknamed the "University in the Forest" because of its wooded 186-acre (75 ha) campus. As of fall 2020, more than 2,200 students were pursuing degrees at the university's three schools.

Northland Scholars Academy, is a college prep high school, formerly a college, in Dunbar, Wisconsin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest Nazarene University</span> Christian university in Nampa, Idaho, US

Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) is a private Nazarene university in Nampa, Idaho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Henry College</span> Private Conservative Christian college in Purcellville, Virginia

Patrick Henry College (PHC) is a private liberal arts non-denominational conservative Protestant Christian college located in Purcellville, Virginia. Its departments teach classical liberal arts, government, strategic intelligence in national security, economics and business analytics, history, journalism, environmental science and stewardship, and literature. The university has full accreditation from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS-COC) as of 2022. Patrick Henry College continues to be accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS), which is also recognized as an institutional accreditor by the United States Department of Education. Its graduation rate is 67%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity Christian College</span> Private Christian college in Palos Heights, Illinois, U.S.

Trinity Christian College is a private Christian college in Palos Heights, Illinois. It was founded in 1959 by a group of Chicago businessmen who wanted to establish a college providing students with a Christian higher education in a Reformed tradition as a college in Illinois. The college offers degrees in more than 70 programs of study.

The Association of Reformed Institutions of Higher Education (ARIHE), recently renamed Association of Reformed Colleges and Universities, is an affiliate of the International Association for Promotion of Christian Higher Education, as the latter's North American Region. ARIHE's member institutions, all of which belong to the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, currently include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gutenberg College</span>

Gutenberg College is a private, four-year Great Books college in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1994, the school currently has 20 students as of 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools</span> Institutional accrediting body

The Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) is a U.S. based institutional accreditation organization that focuses on Christian colleges, universities, and seminaries seeking collegiate accreditation in the United States. TRACS, which is based in Forest, Virginia, is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Andrews University (North Carolina)</span> Private Presbyterian college in Laurinburg, North Carolina, U.S.

St. Andrews University is a private Presbyterian university in Laurinburg, North Carolina. It was established in 1958 as a result of a merger of Flora MacDonald College in Red Springs and Presbyterian Junior College; it was named St. Andrews Presbyterian College from 1960 until 2011 when the college changed its name to St. Andrews University. That same year, it merged with Webber International University of Babson Park, Florida. It is also home to the St. Andrews Press. In 2013, St. Andrews added its first graduate program, an MBA in business administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ Church (Moscow, Idaho)</span> Church in Idaho, United States

Christ Church is a Calvinist church in Moscow, Idaho, pastored by Douglas Wilson, and a member of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches. The congregation has received international coverage for its views, which include advocating for a theocracy, and its desire to make Moscow a "Christian town". It has formal and informal affiliations with a number of ministries, including a three-year ministerial training program, a private accredited college, a campus ministry, and formerly a publishing operation and magazine. The church is estimated to have between 900 and 2,000 members.

The University of Idaho College of Law is the law school of the University of Idaho. Its main location is in Moscow, and a second campus is in the state capital of Boise. As of the entering class of 2017–18, students may take all three years of instruction at either location. The UI College of Law was established in 1909, has been a member of the Association of American Law Schools since 1914, and has been accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) since 1925. In the 2023 rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked Idaho Law at #142 of ABA-accredited law schools in its annual law school rankings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas More College of Liberal Arts</span> Liberal arts college in New Hampshire

The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts is a private Roman Catholic liberal arts college in Merrimack, New Hampshire. It emphasizes classical education in the Catholic intellectual tradition and is named after Saint Thomas More. It is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. It is endorsed by The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College.

Classical Christian education is an approach to learning rooted in the long story of Christian engagement with the classical tradition as exemplified first by figures such as the Cappadocian Fathers, Augustine and Jerome as well as the fullness of Christian monastic traditions. Its current revival in American K-12 schools started with three schools founded in 1980 to 1981: Cair Paravel-Latin School, Trinity School at Greenlawn, and Logos School. Various classical Christian schools emphasize and articulate different things in their approaches, but most include biblical teachings and incorporate a teaching model from the classical education renewal known as the Trivium, consisting of three parts: grammar, logic, and rhetoric.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilmington University</span> Private university in Wilmington Manor, Delaware, U.S.

Wilmington University (WilmU) is a private university with its main campus in Wilmington Manor, Delaware, with a New Castle street address. It was founded in 1968 as Wilmington College by educator Donald E. Ross. As of 2016, the university served a total student body of 20,522 undergraduate and postgraduate students in nearly 100 degree and certificate programs. The university's programs are offered at its main campus in historic New Castle as well as at six additional campuses in Delaware, several partnership locations in New Jersey, and a single partnership location in northeastern Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midwest University</span>

Midwest University is a private Evangelical Christian university in Wentzville, Missouri. Founded in 1986 by James Song as the Midwest College and Theological Seminary, the school aspires to provide biblically-based higher education to its students. Described by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 2000 as a “Korean seminary” with students from more than sixty countries, Midwest has sought to expand its local student population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Classical education movement</span> Renewal of a traditional liberal arts education

The classical education movement or renewal advocates for a return to a traditional education based on the liberal arts, the canons of classical literature, the fine arts, and the history of civilization. It focuses on human formation and paideia with an early emphasis on music, gymnastics, recitation, imitation, and grammar. Multiple organizations support classical education in charter schools, in independent faith-based schools, and in home education. This movement has inspired several graduate programs and colleges as well as a new peer-reviewed journal, Principia: A Journal of Classical Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morthland College</span>

Morthland College (MC) was a private Christian liberal arts college in West Frankfort, Illinois. The school was founded in 2009 by Dr. Tim Morthland and opened in 2011 as a small, co-educational liberal arts college. The college had an initial enrollment of forty students and 300-400 students prior to its closure in 2018. Morthland College athletic teams were known as the Patriots. The college was a member of the NCCAA in the Division-I Mid-East Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjamin R. Merkle</span> American theologian

Benjamin R. Merkle is president of New Saint Andrews College, a Christian college in Idaho, United States.

References

  1. ↑ "New Saint Andrews College". DataUSA. 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Doug Wilson's Religious Empire Expanding in the Northwest". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  3. ↑ "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Skattaboe Block". National Park Service . Retrieved August 2, 2018. With accompanying pictures
  4. ↑ "Moscow Historic Preservation Commission Orchid Awards 1998 to 2005" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 14, 2006. Retrieved August 18, 2006.
  5. ↑ Zmirak, John (2006). "All-American Colleges: Top Schools for Conservatives, Old-Fashioned Liberals, and People of Faith". Intercollegiate Studies Institute.
  6. ↑ Worthen, Molly (September 30, 2007). "Onward Christian Scholars". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  7. ↑ Quinn, Shanon (April 23, 2015). "Merkle assumes presidency of New Saint Andrews College". Moscow-Pullman Daily News . Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  8. ↑ Babcock, Josh (July 20, 2017). "Moscow board approves permit for NSA expansion". The Lewiston Tribune . Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  9. ↑ Simmons, Tracy (November 17, 2019). "Controversial church aims to 'make Moscow a Christian town'". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  10. ↑ Palermo, Angela (July 3, 2020). "NSA video riles many in Moscow". Moscow-Pullman Daily News . Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  11. ↑ Wilson, Jason (November 2, 2021). "'Make it a Christian town': the ultra-conservative church on the rise in Idaho". The Guardian . Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  12. ↑ Sumpter, Jesse (December 13, 2023). "What Are the NSA Halls?". New Saint Andrews College. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Alumni, 1994–2010". New Saint Andrews College. 2010. Archived from the original on July 17, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.