Cliff College
Cliff College is a Christian theological college in Calver, Derbyshire, that teaches Biblical Theology at the undergraduate level and a number of mission courses to postgraduates. There are currently about 50 full-time undergraduates, 80 part-time undergraduates and 100 part-time postgraduates. There are also a number of research (MPhil and PhD) students and full-time postgraduates enrolled at the College. College courses up to and including MA level are validated by University of Manchester, and students at higher levels are jointly enrolled at both institutions.
History
Cliff College was established in 1883. The founder, Henry Grattan Guinness, was motivated by the prior success of Harley College, which had then outgrown its site in Bromley-by-Bow. For a time, the new institution was known as "Hulme Cliff College" after Elizabeth Hulme, who had donated "Cliff House" in Curbar, Derbyshire, England to further Guinness's work. Today, called 'Cliff College', the school trains and teaches undergraduate and post-graduate students at their campus in Calver, Derbyshire.
In the later 19th Century, many of the college's graduates worked with Hudson Taylor and his China Inland Mission as missionaries. Many Cliff College graduates still choose to do Christian missionary and evangelistic work both in the United Kingdom and abroad.
The Wesleyan Minister and theologian, Samuel Chadwick, was principal of the college from 1913 to 1932.
Faculty
Since the summer of 2008, the Principal of Cliff College has been Chris Blake. Stephen Skuce serves the college as Academic Dean. Phil Meadows, former head of the postgraduate department, supervises most research degree students, and he and Stephen Skuce were joined in June 2009 by Steve Emery-Wright.
Ben Pugh, Kirsi Cobb, and Justin Thacker are head of year for first (certificate), second (diploma) and final (Hons degree) year full-time undergraduates respectively, while Ian White runs the part-time undergraduate youth and children's ministry as well as the part-time BA degree courses. Piers Lane currently runs as the head of Evangelism.
Most of the undergraduate degrees and all of the MA degrees are validated by the University of Manchester.The current Student President of Cliff College is Lauren Eason and the Vice President is Sam Taylor. Steven Donnison currently is in charge of Male Welfare, Rebecca Rudge as Female welfare and Imogen Rush as the Social Rep. Together they make up the Student Leadership Team of the college
Festival
Each year, over the May Whitsun Bank Holiday, Cliff College holds an annual festival at which the community and its visitors participate in such activities as Interactive Bible Studies and seminars conducted by tutors of the college. This festival is held on the college's campus in the Hope Valley of the Peak District National Park, near Sheffield and Chesterfield.