Randall University

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Randall University is a private Christian college in Moore, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1917, it offers associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees. It is one of several higher learning institutions associated with the Free Will Baptists. Randall University is also a member of the Oklahoma Independent Colleges and University. [1] In 2015, it had an enrollment of 365. [2]

Contents

History

Efforts to establish Free Will Baptist higher education in Oklahoma began before statehood. Records from the Indian Territory Association of Free Will Baptists in 1905 expressed support for "a higher system of education among the Free Will Baptists." [3] The western Free Will Baptists later opened Tecumseh College in 1917; its first president was John H. Wolfe, a Hillsdale College graduate. [3] After a fire destroyed the Tecumseh campus in 1927, Oklahoma churches maintained the goal of creating a permanent institution. Those efforts developed into Oklahoma Bible College (OBC), which officially opened in 1959 in the basement of First Free Will Baptist Church in Tulsa. The college relocated several times before settling in 1966 on its current campus south of Oklahoma City. [3]

In 1971, the board renamed the school Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College in honor of the historic Free Will Baptist institution in Michigan. In 2015, the Oklahoma State Association of Free Will Baptists voted to rename the school Randall University, honoring abolitionist preacher Benjamin Randall (1749–1808), founder of the Free Will Baptists in New England. The change became effective July 1, 2016. [4]

Randall University was granted an exception to Title IX in 2017, allowing the school to legally discriminate against LGBT students for religious reasons. [5]

Academics

Academic programs at Randall University are organized into four schools: Arts and Sciences, Christian Ministry, Education, and Professional and Graduate Studies. They offer ten bachelor's degree programs in more than twenty concentrations and master's degrees in Ministry and Public Administration. [6] The School of Professional Studies offers fully online, adult degree completion options. [3] The university is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS). [7]

Athletics

Randall University features six varsity sports teams which compete in the Association of Christian College Athletics (ACCA) and the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). The student-athletes are known as the Saints or the Lady Saints, for male and female competitors, respectively. The Saints and Lady Saints represent Randall in the following varsity sports: [8]

Baseball

The Randall University Saints have won five national championships since 1999 and produced four national championship runner-up appearances during the same span. [9]

Men's basketball

Throughout its history, the Saints have won nine national championships and four regional championships. [11]

Women's basketball

The Lady Saints won the ACCA national championship in the 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014 national tournaments.

Women's volleyball

The Lady Saints won the ACCA national championship in 2010 and 2016.

References

  1. ↑ "OICU: Oklahoma Independent Colleges & Universities". oicu.org. Archived from the original on 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  2. ↑ "Randall University | Cappex".
  3. 1 2 3 4 "2022–2023 Catalog" (PDF). Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  4. ↑ "Accreditation and Associations" . Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  5. ↑ "Worst List: The Absolute Worst Campuses for LGBTQ Youth". Campus Pride. 17 May 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Randall University Graduate Programs" . Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  7. ↑ "Accreditation and Associations" . Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  8. ↑ "Randall Athletics" . Retrieved 2017-01-07.
  9. ↑ "RU Saints Men's Baseball". www.ru.edu. Randall University. 2017-01-06. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
  10. 1 2 "Champions - Hank Burbridge Unlimited Potential Award - Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Coach of the Year" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-03-23.
  11. ↑ "Saints Basketball Top Stories". Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College. 2012. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
  12. ↑ "National Christian College Athletic Association" (PDF). www.thenccaa.org. Retrieved 2017-01-06.

35°18′03″N97°29′28″W / 35.30083°N 97.49111°W / 35.30083; -97.49111

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