Former names | Southern Baptist College (1941–1991) Williams Baptist College (1991–2018) |
---|---|
Type | Private university |
Established | 1941 |
Religious affiliation | Arkansas Baptist State Convention, Southern Baptist Convention |
President | Stan Norman |
Students | 584 (Fall 2022) |
Location | , , United States 36°07′32″N90°56′25″W / 36.12544°N 90.94023°W |
Colors | Blue & White |
Nickname | Eagles |
Sporting affiliations | NAIA – American Midwest |
Mascot | Eagle |
Website | williamsbu.edu |
Williams Baptist University is a private Baptist university in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. Founded in 1941, this institution began as a two-year school. It began granting bachelor's degrees in 1984 and master's degrees in 2017. The name of the school was changed in 1991 from Southern Baptist College to Williams Baptist College in honor of its founder and first president, H. E. Williams. In 2018, its name was changed to Williams Baptist University.
Williams has been accredited since 1963 by the Higher Learning Commission. [1] The university is owned and operated by the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.
WBU has been granted a partial exemption to Title IX that allows it to discriminate against LGBT students for religious reasons. The school does not allow same-sex dating or any type of sex outside of a heterosexual marriage. [2]
The Williams Baptist athletic teams are called the Eagles. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the American Midwest Conference (AMC) since the 2001–02 academic year. The Eagles previously competed in the TranSouth Athletic Conference (TranSouth or TSAC) from 1995–96 to 2000–01, and in the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) from about 1990–91 to 1994–95.
Williams Baptist competes in 18 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming, track & field, wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading.
Blue Mountain Christian University (BMCU), formerly Blue Mountain College, is a private Baptist college in Blue Mountain, Mississippi. Founded as a women's college in 1873, the college's board of trustees voted unanimously for the college to become coeducational in 2005. The university offers baccalaureate degrees as well as graduate programs.
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The William Jewell Cardinals are the athletic teams that represent the William Jewell College, located in Liberty, Missouri, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) since the 2011–12 academic year. Prior to joining the NCAA, the Cardinals previously competed in the Heart of America Conference (HAAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1971–72 to 2010–11; and in the Missouri College Athletic Union (MCAU) from 1924–25 to 1970–71.
The Oklahoma Baptist Bison are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma Baptist University, located in Shawnee, Oklahoma, in intercollegiate athletics as a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Great American Conference (GAC) since the 2015–16 academic year. They were also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Central Region of the Division I level.
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