Carolina University

Last updated
Carolina University
Former name
Piedmont Baptist College
Piedmont Bible College
Piedmont International University
Motto
GRATIAE ET VERITATIS
Motto in English
Grace and Truth
Type Private university
Established1945 (1945)
FounderCharles H. Stevens
Religious affiliation
 Christian
President Charles Petitt [1]
Provost Heather Burkard [2]
Students826
Undergraduates 350
Postgraduates 476
Address
420 S. Broad St
,
Winston-Salem
,
NC
,
27101
,
United States

36°05′16″N80°15′00″W / 36.0879°N 80.2501°W / 36.0879; -80.2501
CampusUrban
LanguageEnglish
Colors     Blue, gold, & red
Nickname Bruins
Sporting affiliations
 NCCAA - South Region
MascotBaron the Bruin
Website carolinau.edu

Carolina University (CU), formerly Piedmont International University (PIU), is a private Christian university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. [3] Carolina University offers both residential and online programs including dual enrollment, undergraduate, and graduate degrees. It is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) [4] and is a member of the American Association of Christian Schools (AACS). [5]

Contents

History

In 1945, Charles Stevens and a group of North Carolina Baptist leaders founded Piedmont Bible Schools, Inc. and opened Piedmont Bible Institute. Three years later, the institute added two years of junior college. Although the academy associated with Piedmont Bible Schools, Inc. was discontinued in 1952, the Bible institute and the college continued. [6]

In 1956 Piedmont completed the accreditation requirements of the Accrediting Association of Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges (now The Association for Biblical Higher Education). Their acceptance allowed Religious Education and Theology bachelor's degrees to be awarded, starting in 1957, with the acceptance of the State Department of Education.

The college added a graduate program in 1994 and joined the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) one year later. In 2004, Spurgeon Baptist Bible College of Mulberry, Florida merged with PIU to create Piedmont's Spurgeon School of Online Education, which allowed several undergraduate and graduate programs to be available entirely online, including a master's degree in Biblical Studies offered in Spanish. [7] [6] The accreditation of two international branch campuses in restricted access nations sprang from partnerships with nationals in Asia and the Middle East.

In 2012, Piedmont officially changed their name from Piedmont Baptist College and Graduate School to Piedmont International University. [8]

In the mid-2010s, three institutions were merged into Piedmont. In 2015, Tennessee Temple University of Chattanooga, Tennessee, dissolved and merged with Piedmont. [9] Southeastern Bible College of Birmingham, Alabama, closed in 2017, merging with PIU later that year. [10] In 2018, John Wesley University, a small evangelical college approximately 19 miles from Piedmont's Winston-Salem campuses, merged with Piedmont. [11]

In 2019, PIU started partnerships collaborating with Sheriff's Offices in North Carolina and Tennessee to create a collaborative criminal justice degree program with law enforcement. [12] [13] [14]

On June 24, 2020, the Piedmont International University Board of Trustees voted to change the university's name to Carolina University. The Piedmont School of Divinity (or Piedmont Divinity School) was created to "honor Piedmont's historic name and heritage of training ministers and teaching Bible and theology." [15]

Mergers and acquisitions

Several Christian colleges and universities have merged with Carolina University over the years.

Spurgeon Baptist Bible College

Spurgeon Baptist Bible College was established in 1970 in Lakeland, Florida, as a college for training preachers and missionaries. The first president of the college was Dr. G. Arthur Woolsey, a Baptist Bible Seminary graduate. The college merged with Piedmont International University in 2003, and PIU's Spurgeon School of Online Education was created as a result of the merger. [16]

Atlantic Baptist Bible College

Atlantic Baptist Bible College was located in Chester, Virginia, where it served to prepare men and women for effective ministry in churches. The school merged with Piedmont International University in December, 2008. [17] [18]

Tennessee Temple University

Tennessee Temple University and Temple Baptist Seminary were located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The university opened in 1946, followed by the opening of the seminary in 1948. During the 65-year life of the school, it served over 100,000 students. TTU became the third school to merge with Piedmont International University, the process of which was completed in 2015. [9] As a result of the merger, degree programs including Sign Language Interpretation were added to PIU's offerings. Additionally, the Temple Baptist Seminary name transitioned to Piedmont International University. [19] The John Wesley School of Leadership was also created from TTU assets. [20]

Southeastern Bible College

Southeastern Bible College was located in Birmingham, Alabama, where they provided Bible, theology, ministry, and missions degree programs. The school was founded in 1935 by Edgar J. Rowe. In 2017, the school closed due to financial struggles, but after three months, SEBC merged with Piedmont International University. [21]

John Wesley University

John Wesley University (located in High Point, North Carolina, merged with Piedmont International University in 2018, becoming the fifth school to do so. Founded in 1903, it was the oldest undergraduate theological education institution in North Carolina.

Academics

Carolina University comprises five undergraduate and graduate schools.

The School of Arts and Sciences is home to several new undergraduate programs in areas including Public Health, Esports, Information Systems, Psychology, Sociology, Criminal Justice and Interdisciplinary Studies. [22] CU's Patterson School of Business offers both undergraduate and graduate business programs including the BBA and MBA. [23] The Moore School of Education at CU offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. Key programs include the BS in Deaf Studies, the BS in Elementary Education, and the Master of Education. [24] The John Wesley School of Leadership, named as a result of the merger with John Wesley University, is home to two graduate leadership programs: the M.A. in leadership and the Ph.D. in leadership. [25] The Piedmont Divinity School at Carolina University comprises all the ministry and Bible-related degree programs at the university. [26] These schools offer programs such as the 5-Year BA and M.Div., various Biblical Studies degrees, and two Graduate Certificates. [27]

Athletics

Carolina University athletic teams are the Bruins. The university participates in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) at the Division I level in the South Region. [28] The university currently fields 11 teams. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, men's volleyball, and track and field. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, track and field, and volleyball. [29]

The university's athletic department expanded in recent years, growing from three sports in 2017 to nine in two years. [30] CU plans to add several more over, including the additions of men's volleyball and women's cheerleading in 2020–21. The university also moved the athletics department from NCCAA Division II to the Division I level and added athletic scholarship opportunities. [30] [6] One notable former coach is Josh Howard, a former NBA All-Star player and Dallas Mavericks player, Howard got his start in collegiate coaching as the CU men's basketball head coach from 2016 to 2020. [31] [32]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary</span> Theological seminary in Massachusetts

Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary (GCTS) is an evangelical seminary with its main campus in Hamilton, Massachusetts, and three other campuses in Boston, Massachusetts; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Jacksonville, Florida. According to the Association of Theological Schools, Gordon-Conwell ranks as one of the largest evangelical seminaries in North America in terms of total number of full-time students enrolled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wake Forest University</span> Private university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, US

Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, has been located north of downtown Winston-Salem since the university moved there in 1956. The Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist medical campus has two locations, the older one located near the Ardmore neighborhood in central Winston-Salem, and the newer campus at Wake Forest Innovation Quarter downtown. The university also occupies laboratory space at Biotech Plaza at Innovation Quarter, and at the Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials. The university's Graduate School of Management maintains a presence on the main campus in Winston-Salem and in Charlotte, North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anderson University (South Carolina)</span> University in Anderson, South Carolina, US

Anderson University is a private Christian university in Anderson, South Carolina. It offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in over 100 areas of study. Anderson is affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention and is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Anderson participates in NCAA Division II athletics and is a member of the South Atlantic Conference.

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

Tennessee Temple University was a private Christian university in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Temple Baptist Seminary was the university's graduate school of Christian theology, also operating in Chattanooga. The university merged with Piedmont International University in 2015.

Tyndale University is a Canadian private interdenominational evangelical Christian university in Toronto, Ontario, which offers undergraduate and graduate programs. Tyndale students come from over 40 different Christian denominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary</span> Seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) is a Baptist theological institute in Wake Forest, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. in Wake Forest, North Carolina. It was created in 1950 to meet a need in the SBC's East Coast region. It was voted into existence on May 19, 1950, at the SBC annual meeting and began offering classes in the fall of 1951 on the original campus of Wake Forest University in Wake Forest, North Carolina. The undergraduate program is called The College at Southeastern. The current president is Daniel L. Akin.

Baptist Bible College (BBC) is a private Baptist bible college in Springfield, Missouri. Founded in 1950, BBC focuses on training Christian professionals and ministers. It offers accredited associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees.

The Bachelor of Theology degree is a three- to five-year undergraduate degree or graduate degree in theological disciplines and is typically pursued by those seeking ordination for ministry in a church, denomination, or parachurch organization. Candidates for this degree typically must complete course work in Greek and(or) Hebrew, as well as systematic theology, biblical theology, ethics, homiletics, hermeneutics, counseling and Christian ministry. The Bachelor of Theology may include a thesis component and may consist of an additional year beyond the coursework requirements for the degrees of Bachelor of Religious Education and Bachelor of Arts. In some denominations, such as the Church of England or the Presbyterian Church of America, it is considered sufficient qualification for formal ordination.

A Bible college, sometimes referred to as a Bible institute or theological institute or theological seminary, is an evangelical Christian or Restoration Movement Christian institution of higher education which prepares students for Christian ministry with theological education, Biblical studies and practical ministry training.

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS) is a private Baptist seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary also houses an undergraduate college, Spurgeon College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanderbilt University Divinity School</span>

The Vanderbilt Divinity School and Graduate Department of Religion is an interdenominational divinity school at Vanderbilt University, a major research university located in Nashville, Tennessee. It is one of only six university-based schools of religion in the United States without a denominational affiliation that service primarily mainline Protestantism.

Temple Baptist Seminary is the graduate school of Christian theology of Piedmont International University. Originally established as "Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary" in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1948, the name was changed to Temple Baptist Theological Seminary five years later, after the Southern Baptist Convention founded its own Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. The seminary became a part of Piedmont when its parent school, Tennessee Temple University, merged with it in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Baptist Theological Seminary</span> Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, USA

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) is a Baptist theological institute in Louisville, Kentucky. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The seminary was founded in 1859 in Greenville, South Carolina, where it was at first housed on the campus of Furman University. The seminary has been an innovator in theological education, establishing one of the first Ph.D. programs in religion in the year 1892. After being closed during the Civil War, it moved in 1877 to a newly built campus in downtown Louisville and moved to its current location in 1926 in the Crescent Hill neighborhood. In 1953, Southern became one of the few seminaries to offer a full, accredited degree course in church music. For more than fifty years Southern has been one of the world's largest theological seminaries, with an FTE enrollment of over 3,300 students in 2015.

John Wesley University was a private interdenominational Christian college in High Point, North Carolina. In 2018, the university merged into Piedmont International University in Winston-Salem.

Western Seminary is an interdenominational Evangelical Christian seminary with campuses in Portland, Oregon; San Jose, California; and Sacramento, California. Western Seminary also has online-only degrees and programs and provides non-credit classes through the Center for Leadership Development.

Southeastern Bible College was a private Christian Bible college in Birmingham, Alabama. The school's 22-acre campus was located in the suburbs south of the downtown Birmingham area. It was accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wake Forest University School of Divinity</span>

Wake Forest University School of Divinity is an ecumenical divinity school located on the campus of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The School offers a Master of Divinity degree as well several joint degree programs in cooperation with other graduate programs at the university in bioethics, counseling, education, law, and sustainability. The school has 19 faculty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heritage College & Seminary</span> Canadian evangelical institution in Ontario

The Heritage College & Seminary is a Baptist theological institute in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. It is affiliated with the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada.

References

  1. ↑ "Petitt, Dr. Charles". Carolina University. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  2. ↑ "Burkard, Dr. Heather". Carolina University. Retrieved 2023-06-14.
  3. ↑ "Mission & Strategic Plan". Carolina University. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  4. ↑ "Transnational Association Of Christian Colleges and Schools". Tracs.org. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  5. ↑ "American Association of Christian Schools". aacs.org. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  6. 1 2 3 Gigley, Chris (July 30, 2018). "The Evolution of Piedmont International University". The Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  7. ↑ "History". Carolina University. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  8. ↑ "History". Carolina University. 2019-12-16. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  9. 1 2 "Tennessee Temple University To Close After Almost 70 Years". The Chattanoogan . 2015-03-02. Retrieved 2015-03-04.
  10. ↑ "Southeastern Bible College to sell campus, merge with N.C. school". AL.com. 2017-09-22. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  11. ↑ "John Wesley Merging Into Piedmont International". Inside Higher Ed. 2017-09-21. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  12. ↑ "Some are retooling higher education to meet modern law-enforcement training needs". 2019-08-25. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  13. ↑ "HCSO Collaborates In New Criminal Justice Program With Piedmont International University". 2019-10-18. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  14. ↑ "New criminal-justice degree program joint effort of Forsyth sheriff's office, Piedmont International University". 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  15. ↑ "Announcing Our New Name". Piedmont International University. 24 June 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  16. ↑ "Spurgeon Baptist Bible College Legacy". Carolina University. 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  17. ↑ "Atlantic Baptist Bible College Legacy". Carolina University. 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  18. ↑ "Piedmont, Atlantic colleges to merge this year". Winston-Salem Journal. 2008-12-11. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  19. ↑ "Tennessee Temple University Legacy". Carolina University. 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  20. ↑ "John Wesley School of Leadership | PIU". leadership.carolinau.edu.
  21. ↑ "Southeastern Bible College Legacy". Carolina University. 2020-03-02. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  22. ↑ "Academic Programs - School of Arts and Sciences". Carolina University. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  23. ↑ "Academic Programs - Patterson School of Business". Carolina University. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  24. ↑ "Academic Programs - Moore School of Education". Piedmont International University. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  25. ↑ "Academic Programs - John Wesley School of Leadership". Carolina University. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  26. ↑ "Piedmont Divinity School - CU". Carolina University. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  27. ↑ "Academic Programs - Temple Baptist Seminary". Carolina University. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  28. ↑ "2019-2020 Membership Directory" (PDF). NCCAA. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  29. ↑ Vaughan, Jayme (February 11, 2019). "A&M-Texarkana athletics to add men's and women's basketball". TXK Today. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  30. 1 2 "Vision 2020". Carolina University. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Josh Howard opens up about PIU job". The Chronicle. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  32. ↑ Cobb, David (April 17, 2020). "Former ACC Player of the Year and NBA All-Star Josh Howard to coach new NAIA program". CBS Sports . Retrieved April 18, 2020.

36°05′16″N80°15′00″W / 36.0879°N 80.2501°W / 36.0879; -80.2501

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.