General Information
Ca rrying on a tradition of educational excellence that dates back over 80 years, Biola Un ive rsit y now encom passes: the School of Arts and Sciences, Talbot Schoo l of Theology, Rosemead School of Psychology, the School of Intercultural Studies, the School of Business, and the School of Professional Studies. Offering three baccalaure ate degrees in 25 majors , 14 masters and five doctoral degrees, Biola's commitment to academic exce llence is firmly rooted in its adherence to an in-depth, knowledge ab le and living Ch ri stianity. Each year. over 3,000 students find Biola 's unique blend of faith and learning conducive to their academic and vocationa l goa ls. HISTORICAL SKETCH The cornerstone of the origina l Bi hie Institute building in Los Angeles was laid on May 31, 1913, and dedicated with these words: "For the teaching of the truths for which the Institute stands, its doors are co be open eve ry day of the year, and all people, without reference to race, color or class wi ll ever be welcome to its pri vileges. " Spoken by Lyman Stewart, president of the Institute and co-founder of the Union O il Company, these words capture the vis ion of Bio la 's fou nde rs. Stewart, together with T.C. Horton, initiated the Bihle Institute, with the first permanent organization taking shape in 1908. By 1912, the school had grown sufficient ly in its outreach and con stituency to ca ll R.A. Torrey, a leader in the field of C hrist ian education, as the first clean. The next eight decades have witnessed tremendous growth in the development and outreach of the schoo l. Under the leadership of Dr. Louis T. Talbot, president from 1932 to 19S2. the Bible Institute program became a four-year course. leading to degrees in theology. Christian education, and sacred music. The School of Miss ionary Medicine came into being in 1945, laying the foundation for Bio la's current baccalaureate nursing program. In 1949, the Bible Institute was renamed Biola College. Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland became president in 1952, and with his leadership the college obtained regional and professional accreditation. Add iti onally, man y new pro grams of study were introduced, including Talbot Theolog ical Semina ry. The demands imposed by the growing stu dent body and the en larged cu rricu lum prompted the pur chase of a 75-acre site in La M irada. Biola moved to the new site in 1959. Dr. Sutherland retired as president in 1970, hut contin ued to lend leadership as a member of Bio la's Board of Trustees. That same yea r, Dr. J. Richard Chase became Biola ' s si xth president. In 1977, the graduate programs of Rosemead Graduate School of Professional Psychology were acquired hy Biola and relocated on the La Mirada campus. The undergradu ate programs in psychology were merged with Rosemead's graduate programs in the fall of 1981 , forming the present Rosemead School of Psychology. Under the leadership of Dr. J. Richard Chase. Biola College became Biola Universi ty on July 1, 1981. The Un iversity was
composed of the School of Arts and Sciences, Talbot Theologi ca l Seminary and Rosemead School of Psychology. Dr. C lyde Cook became the seventh president of Biola on June 1, 1982. Under his leadership, the School of Intercul tural Studies was instituted as part of the Unive rsity in 1983. Talbot Theologica l Sem inary became Talbot School of The ology in the fall of 1983 as a result of the merger between the appropriate undergraduate and graduate level programs. The Board approved the establishment of the School of Business in 1993, and the School of Continuing Studies in 1994, now ca lled the School of Profess ional Studies. Because of the University's heritage and commitment. its academ ic basis is broader than that of the standard college of arts and sciences. Terminal and preparatory programs lead to se rvice in church-related vocations and the man y other vocat ions and professions embraced hy the present cu rric ula. In add iti on, the Un ivers ity is a C hristi an institution of higher education witho ut any denominational affiliation. From an institute to a university, Bio la's corne rston e has remained the same: commitment to Jesus Christ. the inerrancy of Scripture and biblical Christianity (w ithin an evange li cal Protestant framework) , as well as to the spiri tual , academic and holistic growth of those who are person all y committed to Him. THE ROLE AND MISSION OF BIOLA UNIVERSITY The mission of Biola Un iversity is biblically-centered education, scho larsh ip, and service - equipping men and women in mind and character tO impact the world for the Lord Jesus Christ. Stude111s. We ex ist for committed C hristian students. Our quest is to graduate fo llowers of the Lord Jesus Christ who are equipped with technical and relational skills to live and work with integrity, diligence , humility, and spiritual discernment. We expect our graduates to enter famil ies, comm uniti es, and careers to serve as leaders, role models, and competent professionals in their respective fi e lds. Education. Our mission focuses on teaching and learn ing. Our goals are inspirational teaching from facult y who exhibit joy in learning coup led with excellent communica tion skills, and graduates who capture this excitement and dedication. and leave Biola empowered to think and prac tice in their fields of service from a Ch ristian world view. Toward this objective, al l students in vest at least 20% of their course hours in biblical studies and the integration of their academic disciplines with theology. Res1:arch. Discerning Christ-centered scholarship charac terizes the work of facu lty and students. Our undergraduate and graduate faculty grapple with the major intellectual, eth ical , and cultural issues of our time relating them to a consis tent biblical framework. The university seeks ta nourish fac ulty and students alike in a Christ ian environment which prizes research of the highest quality, and dialogue and criti cal thought within the context of common faith. Vrtl11rs. Serv ice to a di ve rse constituency, modeled upon the examp le of the Lord Jesus Christ, is our first priority. We comm it to love and respect for a ll persons , integrity in our words and transactions, and diligence in our labor. We aspi re to excellence. creativi ty, and awe of God in the fulfillment of
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