Cornerstone University

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Cornerstone University is a private, independent, non-denominational Christian liberal arts college located on East Beltline on the Northeastern side of Grand Rapids, Michigan. It offers programs in the humanities, sciences, business, religion, education, and fine arts, and includes a seminary. The university is situated on 119 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds including a 9-acre pond encircled by a walking path. The school colors are navy and "old gold." The mascot is The Golden Eagle.

There is an unrelated university by the same name located at 804 Fifteenth Street; Lake Charles, Louisiana 70601; and headed by Dr. John Thomas Longsworth, President.

All subjects are taught with the trinitarian belief in the triune God and the literal interpretation of the Bible. Students are required to abide by a "Lifestyle Statement" intended to reflect those beliefs. The university offers students 60 academic program choices, including programs in the arts, sciences, humanities, Bible, teacher education, computers and business.

Cornerstone University is nationally accredited by both the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada[1] and the National Association of Schools of Music.[2] In sports, it is a member of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference and the NAIA. Cornerstone's social work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

As of 2006, Cornerstone has an enrollment of 1,400 traditional undergraduate students, 2,750 total students including professional and graduate studies, seminary, and Asia Baptist Theological Seminary.The 2006-2007 costs for an incoming student, taking 12-17 credit hours per semester and living on campus at Cornerstone University are:

  • Tuition & Fees $17,080 (includes laptop computer)
  • Room & Board $ 5,860
  • TOTAL COST $22,940

Contents

[edit] History

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Cornerstone was founded in 1941 as the Baptist Bible Institute. It was accredited in 1972 as a degree-granting college. It merged with the Grand Rapids School of Bible and Music in 1993.

[edit] Timeline

January 1941-1944: Baptist Bible Institute of Grand Rapids, Michigan

  • (modeled after the Baptist Bible Institute of Toledo, Ohio)
  • (located in educational wing of Wealthy Street Baptist Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan)

1944-1948: Baptist Bible Institute and School of Theology of Grand Rapids, Michigan

1948-1963: Grand Rapids Baptist Theological Seminary and Bible Institute

  • (first seminary graduating class of 2 students, Spring 1949 -- one of whom was Victor M. Matthews, who immediately began teaching at the school)

1963-1972: Grand Rapids Baptist Bible College and Seminary

  • (Fall 1964, first students arrive at new campus/Leonard& East Beltline NE)

1972-1994: Grand Rapids Baptist College and Seminary

  • January 1977, the new Leon J. Wood Seminary Building opened
  • February 1977, the Leon J. Wood Seminary Building dedicated

1993 - merged with Grand Rapids School of the Bible & Music

1994-1999: Cornerstone College and Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary (3-28-94) (legally renamed as Cornerstone Baptist Educational Ministries -- C.B.E.M.)

1999-present: Cornerstone University (4-8-99)

[edit] Presidents of Cornerstone University

[edit] Clock Tower

  • On Saturday, Oct. 7, 2006 the W. Wilbert and Meryl Welch Tower was dedicated during Cornerstone's 2006 Homecoming. The clock tower has a four faced clock near its top. The tower stands 110 feet tall, and also has a WOOD-TV traffic camera on the southeast side of the tower. The clock tower is located between the Gainey Conference Center and Bolthouse Hall on campus. It is visible from the East Beltline, Interstate 96 and Leonard Street. This tower is the highest point in Grand Rapids as well.

[edit] Cornerstone Journalism Institute

Founded in 2003, this annual summer camp for high school students is held the last week of July on the campus of Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. High school students live on campus for a week while receiving instruction from university professors as well as from guest instructors who are full-time newspaper reporters and editors from newspapers such as The Grand Rapids Press, Grand Rapids, Mich., and the Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis, Indiana. The Cornerstone Journalism Institute is run by CJI Director Alan D. Blanchard, assistant professor of journalism. www.cornerstone.edu/events/cji

[edit] The Herald

The Herald is the campus newspaper at Cornerstone University. The Herald, which is a weekly publication during the school year, is paginated in a house that the university owns on 1128 Leffingwell Street on the west side of campus. The Herald celebrated its 40 year anniversary on Oct. 10, 2006. During the spring 2006 semester, The Herald went online at http://herald.cornerstone.edu. The Herald has a weekly circulation of 2,000, which includes faculty, staff, students and 80 local businesses.

[edit] Unique traditions

  • SNOC, which stands for Sunday Night on Campus, is Cornerstone University's riff on Saturday Night Live. It features SNL-like skits presented from a Christian worldview. It is on the first Sunday night that Freshmen are on campus (For 2005, it was on August 21), and traditionally starts at 8:17 P.M. Eastern. SNOC often ends with a large dance number featuring every person involved.
The main actors are the Residence Life staff of Cornerstone University. As such, RAs (Resident Assistants) and RDs (Resident Directors) feature heavily in every skit.
For 2005, the theme was Game Shows. Several of the skits were mocks of popular game shows, including Jeopardy!, The Price is Right, and Family Feud. The dance finale made fun of Cornerstone University having its first upcoming dance, and featured all of the RAs and RDs dancing to Michael Jackson's Thriller.
For 2006, the theme was Trivial Pursuit. The skits answered trivia questions regarding the University, and made fun of all things Cornerstone-related, including the W. Wilbert and Meryl Welch Tower, Candlelight's, and Leadership Journey. The dance finale included all of the RA's performing Evolution of Dance, a mixsong that features everything from Elvis, AC/DC, and Eminem.
  • Candlelighting is a tradition linked to betrothal. When two Cornerstone students become engaged to be married, the bride-to-be is given a special midnight ceremony beginning in her dorm lounge and leading to the Bell Tower, where the groom-to-be is waiting with his dorm brothers. He must climb the bell tower, touch the bell, and then descend back down, where his brothers are waiting to take him down to the pond and throw him in. After he emerges from the pond, the bride-to-be hugs (but is encouraged to kiss) her drenched finance.

[edit] Athletics

The Cornerstone University Golden Eagles compete in the NAIA and are members of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. CU competes in volleyball, men's soccer, women's soccer, men's cross country, women's cross country, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's track and field, women's track and field and softball.

National Championships:

  • 1999 - Men's Basketball - NAIA Division II

National Runners-up:

  • 2002 - Women's Basketball - NAIA Division II

[edit] External links

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