GENERAL INFORMATION
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arrying on a tradition of educational excellence that dates back 79 years, Biol □ University now encompasses four schools: The School of Arts and Sciences, Rosemead School of Psychology, Talbot School of Theology, and the School of lntercultural Studies. Offering three baccalaureate degrees in 24 majors, 14 masters and five doctoral degrees, Biala's commitment to academic excellence is firmly rooted in its adherence to an indepth, knowledgeable and alive Christianity. Each year, over 3100 students find Biol □' s unique blend af faith and learning conducive ta their academic and vocational goals. HISTORICAL SKETCH The cornerstone of the original Bible Institute building in Las Angeles - and the future university- was laid on May 31, 1913, and dedicated with these words : Far the teaching of the truths for which the Institute stands, its doors are ta be open every day al the year, and all people, without reference to race, color, class or creed will ever be welcome to its privileges. Spoken by Lyman Stewart, president of the Institute and co-founder of the Union Oil Company, the words captured the vision al Biol □' s founders. Stewart, together with T. C. Horton, had initiated the Bible Institute, with the first permanent organizationtaking shape in 1908. By 1912, the schaal had grown in its outreach and constituency sufficiently to call R. A. Torrey, a leader in the field al Christian education, as the first dean. The next seven decades have witnessed tremendous growth in the development and outreach al the school. Under the leadership af Dr. Louis T. Talbot, president from 1932 ta 1952, the Bible Institute program became afouryear course, leading to degrees in theology, Christian education and sacred music. The School of Missionary Medicine came into being in 1945,' laying the foundation for Biola's current baccalaureate nursing program. In 1949, the Bible Institute was renamed Biol □ College. Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland became·president in 1952 and with his leadership, the co ll ege obtained reg ional and professional accreditation. Additiona lly, many new programs of study were introduced, including Talbot Theological Seminary. The demands imposed by the growing student body and the enlarged curriculum prompted the purchase af a seventy-five acre site in La Mirada. Biol □ moved to the new site in 1959. Dr. Sutherlandretired as president in 1970, but continues to lend leadership as a member of Biola's Board of Trustees . That same year, Dr. J. Richard Chase became Biol □' s sixth president. In the fal l of 1981, the undergraduate programs in psychology were merged with Rosemead's graduate programs, forming the present Rosemead Schaal of Psychology. Dr. Clyde Coak became the seventhpresident of Bio l □ on June l, 1982. Under his leadership, the School of lntercultural Studies was instituted as part of the university, beginn ing in the fall of 1983. Talbot School of Theology also began in the fa ll of 1983 as the result of amerger between appropriate undergraduate programs and the graduate programs of Talbot Theological Seminary. Because al the university's he ri tage and commitment, its academic basis is broader than that of the standard" college of arts and sciences. Terminal and preparatory programs lead to service in both church-related vocations and the many other vocations and professions embraced by the present curricula. Inaddition, the university is a Christian institution of higher education without any denominational affil iation. From an institute to a university, Biol □' s real cornerstone has remained the same: commitment to Jesus Christ and biblical Christianity (within the evangelical Protestant framework) as wel l as to the spiritual, academic and holistic growth of those wha are persona llycommitted to Him. THE MISSION OF BIOLA UNIVERSITY The mission of Biol □ University is to be aChristian university, providing education at the baccalaureate and past-baccalaureate levels in biblical studies and theology, in the li beral arts andsciences, and in selected appl ied and professional fields. It is to be Christian in the sense that the biblical Christian world view serves as the all encompassing framework and integrating basis for the entire content and conduct of the institution. It is to be a university in the full trad itional meaning of the term, with knowledge and understanding being generated and disseminated, with students and facu lty continually developing to high levels their cognitive and
l The Lord Jesus, before His incarnation, existed in the form of God, and of His awn choice laidaside His divine glory and took upon Himself the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men. In His pre-existent state He was with God and was God. He is a divine person possessed al all the attributes of Deity, and shouldbe worshipped as God by angels andman. "In Himdwelleth al the full ness of the Godhead bodily." All the words that He spoke during His earthly life were the words of God. There is absolutely na error of any kind in them, and by the words af Jesus Christ the words of all other teachers must be tested. The Lord Jesus became in every respect a real man, possessed of all the essential characteristics of human nature. Our Lord Jesus was supernaturally conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and barn of a virgin - Mary, a lineal descendant of David. He lived and taught and wrought mighty works and wonders and signs exactly as is recorded in the four Gospels. He was put to death by crucifixion under Pontius Pilate. God raised from the dead the body that had been nailed to the cross. The Lord Jesus after His crucifixion showed Himself to be alive to His disciples, appearing unto them by the space of forty days. After this the Lord Jesus ascended int□ heaven, and the Father caused Himto sit at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him ta be Head over all things to the Church. By His death on the cross, the Lord Jesus made a pertect atonement fo rsin, by which the wrath of God against sinners is appeased and a ground furnished upon .which God can deal in mercy with sinners. He redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse in our place. He who Himself was absolutely without sin was made to be sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. The Lord Jesus is coming again ta this earth, personally, bodily, and visibly, The return of our Lordis the blessed hope of the believer, and in it God's purposes of grace toward mankind will find their consummation. affective potential, and with society being served beneficiallythereby. In combining the two terms, Christian and university, considerable emphasis is placed upon the scholarly integration of biblical faith with all of the fields of learning, and also upon the practical interrelationships andinterdependencies al faith, learning and livingas they are developed throughout the curriculum, the co-curriculum and the life-style. The mission of the university is to produce graduates who are ( □) competent in their fields of study, (b) knowledgeable inbibli calstudies, and(c) earnest Christians equipped to serve the Christian community and society at large. An expanded version of this statement is printed inthe catalog, for the institution as awhole and also for some of the specific programs. There are two additional "products" af the university, both of which are to be viewed as outgrowths of the task al producing graduates of its baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate programs and not as separate from it. One consists of the scholarly contributions to knowledge and understanding which are generated by students and faculty in the disciplines and inintegrationwith the biblical Ch ri stian world view. The other consists of public services as students, faculty and staff make their professional and personal expertise available to the Christian community and to society at large throughout the world. In brief, the mission of Biol □ University is ta equip Christians to impact the world for Jesus Christ, primarily through the ongoing lives of its graduates but also through the in-service work of its present students, faculty and staff. DOCTRINAL STATEMENT Inasmuch as the university is interdenominational and yet theologically conser vative, the Articles of Incorporation contain a doctrinal statement which is given below: The Bible, consisting of all the books of the Old and New Testaments, is the Word of God, a supernaturally given revelation from Gad Himself, concerning Himself, His being, nature, character, will and purposes; and concerning man, his nature, need and duty and destiny. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are without error or misstatement in their moral and spiritual teaching and record of historical facts. They are without error or defect of any kind. There is one God, eternally existing and manifesting Himself to us in three Persons - Father, ,San and HolySpirit.
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