Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities is a higher education association of more than 180 Christian institutions, primarily in the United States and Canada. Founded in the 1970s to advance the interests of church-related colleges through government lobbying and public relations, the council also provides professional development for employees of member schools and runs the Best Semester off-campus study programs for students at nine locations around the world.
History
In 1976, presidents of colleges in the Christian College Consortium called a meeting in Washington, D.C. to organize a Coalition for Christian Colleges that could expand the objectives of the consortium. Representatives from 38 colleges participated in the founding meeting to establish a new organization to provide a unified voice representing the interests and concerns of Christian colleges to government decision makers and the general public. The Coalition and the Consortium shared facilities in Washington, D.C. until 1982, when the Consortium relocated to St. Paul, Minnesota and the Coalition formally incorporated as an independent organization. In 1995, the organization changed its name to the Coalition for Christian Colleges and Universities; in 1999 it changed again to the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.Location
The CCCU is headquartered in the historic district of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The Council also owns facilities in Oxford, England, for its Oxford student programmes and San Jose, Costa Rica, for its Latin American Studies Program. The CCCU leases spaces for the remaining Best Semester student programs around the world. In 1989, the Council purchased the townhouse adjacent to The Dellenback Center for guest housing in its Capitol Hill location. In 1999, the Council purchased and renovated an existing townhouse to use as its main headquarters. The original two-story townhouse was constructed in the 1850s and is one of the few remaining wooden clapboard structures on Capitol Hill.Leadership
In September 2014, Shirley V. Hoogstra, J.D., was named the Council's seventh president. Before that, she was the vice president for student life at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after having served for four years on Calvin's Board of Trustees. While at Calvin, Hoogstra also served as a cabinet member who became familiar with team building, campus-wide planning and communications. She was also the co-host of Inner Compass, a nationally televised show on PBS. She has served in a variety of volunteer leadership roles for CCCU institutes and commissions, and is the Council's first female president. The previous president, Edward O. Blews Jr., served from January 1, 2013, to October 22, 2013. William P. Robinson, former president of Whitworth University, was named the interim president before Hoogstra was appointed.The council has a 17-member board of directors, most of whom are presidents of member institutions. The chair is Shirley A. Mullen, president of Houghton College.
Activities
Advocacy
The CCCU seeks to provide a unified voice for faith-based institutions of higher learning on policy matters that affect its constituency and to equip members to engage in effective advocacy on the state and local level. The advocacy agenda as of 2019 included concerns about religious liberty, institutional autonomy, student financial aid, immigration, environmental stewardship, and government regulation affecting higher education.Services
The CCCU provides programs and services for presidents and administrators, trustees, faculty, and students of member institutions. These include many professional development opportunities, such as annual gatherings for its college and university presidents, and annual conferences for member Chief Institutional Development Officers; Communication, Marketing and Media Officers; Chief Enrollment Officers; Chief Financial Officers; Campus Ministry Directions, and other leadership development programs. Other member services include webinars, grant-making opportunities for scholarship and research, discipline specific forums, networking communities, a tuition waver exchange program, and an online career center. Members also receive access to the Council's biannual magazine called CCCU ADVANCE, as well as regular news updates, website resources on scholarship, and information related to Christian higher education policy and issues. In 2019 the Council launched an online consortium to allow participating schools to share online courses.Best Semester
The CCCU administers a number of student study programs around the world through its Best Semester programs. Its first off-campus program, the American Studies Program, was established in Washington, D.C. in the 1970s. Since then it has added a contemporary music program in Nashville and a film studies program in Los Angeles, as well as study abroad programs in Australia, Latin America, the Middle East, Northern Ireland, Oxford, England, and Uganda. More than 700 students take part in these academic programs each year, which include course work, field experiences, cross cultural events and internships. A program in Russia operated from 1994 to 2010.Membership
The CCCU's membership includes more than 150 in the U.S. and Canada and nearly 30 more from an additional 18 countries. All members self-identify as having a Christian identity and mission. Most institutions are accredited, comprehensive colleges and universities with curricula rooted in the arts and sciences. Member institutions are divided into four major categories depending on type of institution, agreement the council's defining commitments, and geographical location.Following a dispute in 2015 about same-sex marriage that led to eight institutions withdrawing from the council, the CCCU adopted a new membership policy that was announced in 2016 and went into effect in July 2017. The policy defined six criteria according to which affiliated schools would be designated as governing members, associate members, or collaborative partners. Schools located outside of the United States or Canada are classified as International Affiliates.
Governing Member Institutions
Governing members must fulfill all six criteria:- Christian mission
- Institutional type and accreditation
- Cooperation and participation
- Institutional integrity
- Employment policies, and
- Christian distinctions and advocacy.
name | town | province | affiliation | joined |
| Abilene Christian University | Abilene | Texas | Churches of Christ | 1982 |
| Anderson University | Anderson | Indiana | Church of God | 1982 |
| Anderson University | Anderson | South Carolina | South Carolina Baptist Convention | 2011 |
| Asbury University | Wilmore | Kentucky | - | 1976 |
| Azusa Pacific University | Azusa | California | - | 1976 |
| Belhaven University | Jackson | Mississippi | - | 1979 |
| Bethany Lutheran College | Mankato | Minnesota | Evangelical Lutheran Synod | 2017 |
| Bethel University | Mishawaka | Indiana | Missionary Church | 1984 |
| Bethel University | Arden Hills | Minnesota | Baptist General Conference | 1976 |
| Biola University | La Mirada | California | - | 1976 |
| Bluefield College | Bluefield | Virginia | Baptist General Association of Virginia | 2008 |
| Bushnell University | Eugene | Oregon | Christian churches and churches of Christ and Christian Church | 1981 |
| California Baptist University | Riverside | California | Southern Baptist Convention | 1990 |
| Calvin University | Grand Rapids | Michigan | Christian Reformed Church | 1981 |
| Campbellsville University | Campbellsville | Kentucky | Southern Baptist Convention | 1976 |
| Central Christian College of Kansas | McPherson | Kansas | Free Methodist Church | |
| Charleston Southern University | North Charleston | South Carolina | South Carolina Baptist Convention | |
| College of the Ozarks | Point Lookout | Missouri | Presbyterian Church USA | 1996 |
| Colorado Christian University | Lakewood | Colorado | - | 1985 |
| Concordia University Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor | Michigan | Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod | 2019 |
| Concordia University Irvine | Irvine | California | Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod | 2011 |
| Concordia University Wisconsin | Mequon | Wisconsin | Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod | 2019 |
| Corban University | Salem | Oregon | Baptist | 1992 |
| Cornerstone University | Grand Rapids | Michigan | - | 1991 |
| Covenant College | Lookout Mountain | Georgia | Presbyterian Church in America | 1976 |
| Crown College | St. Bonifacius | Minnesota | Christian and Missionary Alliance | 1997 |
| Dallas Baptist University | Dallas | Texas | Baptist General Convention of Texas | 1984 |
| Dordt University | Sioux Center | Iowa | Christian Reformed Church | 1981 |
| East Texas Baptist University | Marshall | Texas | Baptist General Convention of Texas | 1995 |
| Eastern Nazarene College | Quincy | Massachusetts | Church of the Nazarene | 1982 |
| Eastern University | St. Davids | Pennsylvania | American Baptist Churches USA | 1976 |
| Emmanuel College | Franklin Springs | Georgia | International Pentecostal Holiness Church | 2011 |
| Erskine College | Due West | South Carolina | Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church | 1981 |
| Evangel University | Springfield | Missouri | Assemblies of God Church | |
| Faulkner University | Montgomery | Alabama | Churches of Christ | |
| Fresno Pacific University | Fresno | California | Mennonite Brethren Church | 1981 |
| Geneva College | Beaver Falls | Pennsylvania | Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America | 1976 |
| George Fox University | Newberg | Oregon | Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends | 1976 |
| Gordon College | Wenham | Massachusetts | - | 1976 |
| Grace College and Theological Seminary | Winona Lake | Indiana | Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches | 1976 |
| Greenville College | Greenville | Illinois | Free Methodist Church | 1976 |
| Hannibal–LaGrange University | Hannibal | Missouri | Southern Baptist Convention | 2010 |
| Hardin–Simmons University | Abilene | Texas | Baptist General Convention of Texas | 2003 |
| Harding University | Searcy | Arkansas | Churches of Christ | 2015 |
| Hope International University | Fullerton | California | - | 1994 |
| Houghton College | Houghton | New York | Wesleyan Church | 1976 |
| Houston Baptist University | Houston | Texas | Southern Baptist Convention | 2000 |
| Howard Payne University | Brownwood | Texas | Baptist General Convention of Texas | 2000 |
| Huntington University | Huntington | Indiana | United Brethren Church | 1978 |
| Indiana Wesleyan University | Marion | Indiana | Wesleyan Church | 1976 |
| John Brown University | Siloam Springs | Arkansas | - | 1976 |
| Judson College | Marion | Alabama | Southern Baptist Convention | |
| Judson University | Elgin | Illinois | American Baptist Churches USA | |
| Kentucky Christian University | Grayson | Kentucky | Christian churches and churches of Christ | 1999 |
| King University | Bristol | Tennessee | Presbyterian Church USA | 1979 |
| Lee University | Cleveland | Tennessee | Church of God | 1981 |
| LeTourneau University | Longview | Texas | - | 1985 |
| Lipscomb University | Nashville | Tennessee | Churches of Christ | 1999 |
| Lubbock Christian University | Lubbock | Texas | Churches of Christ | 2018 |
| Malone University | Canton | Ohio | Evangelical Friends Church - Eastern Region | 1976 |
| Messiah University | Grantham | Pennsylvania | - | 1976 |
| MidAmerica Nazarene University | Olathe | Kansas | Church of the Nazarene | 1978 |
| Milligan University | Carter County | Tennessee | Christian churches and churches of Christ | 1984 |
| Mississippi College | Clinton | Mississippi | Southern Baptist Convention | 2003 |
| Missouri Baptist University | St. Louis | Missouri | Baptist | 2005 |
| Montreat College | Montreat | North Carolina | - | 1985 |
| Mount Vernon Nazarene University | Mount Vernon | Ohio | Church of the Nazarene | 1982 |
| Multnomah University | Portland | Oregon | ||
| North Central University | Minneapolis | Minnesota | General Council of the Assemblies of God in the United States of America | 2010 |
| North Park University | Chicago | Illinois | Evangelical Covenant Church | 1981 |
| Northwest Nazarene University | Nampa | Idaho | Church of the Nazarene | 1979 |
| Northwest University | Kirkland | Washington | Assemblies of God Church | 1992 |
| Northwestern College | Orange City | Iowa | Reformed Church in America | |
| Nyack College | Nyack | New York | Christian and Missionary Alliance | 1976 |
| Ouachita Baptist University | Arkadelphia | Arkansas | Arkansas Baptist State Convention | 2018 |
| Oklahoma Baptist University | Shawnee | Oklahoma | Southern Baptist Convention | 1994 |
| Oklahoma Christian University | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | Churches of Christ | 1998 |
| Olivet Nazarene University | Bourbonnais | Illinois | Church of the Nazarene | 1978 |
| Oral Roberts University | Tulsa | Oklahoma | - | 1997 |
| Palm Beach Atlantic University | West Palm Beach | Florida | - | 1982 |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego | California | Church of the Nazarene | 1979 |
| Point University | West Point | Georgia | Nondenominational | 2018 |
| Redeemer University | Ancaster | Ontario | Christian Reformed Church | 1986 |
| Regent University | Virginia Beach | Virginia | ||
| Roberts Wesleyan College | North Chili | New York | Free Methodist Church | 1982 |
| San Diego Christian College | El Cajon | California | - | 2008 |
| Simpson University | Redding | California | Christian and Missionary Alliance | 1976 |
| Southeastern University | Lakeland | Florida | Assemblies of God Church | 2002 |
| Southern Nazarene University | Bethany | Oklahoma | Church of the Nazarene | 1978 |
| Southern Wesleyan University | Central | South Carolina | Wesleyan Church | 1978 |
| Southwest Baptist University | Bolivar | Missouri | Southern Baptist Convention | 1995 |
| Spring Arbor University | Spring Arbor | Michigan | Free Methodist Church | 1978 |
| Sterling College | Sterling | Kansas | Presbyterian Church USA | 1980 |
| Tabor College | Hillsboro | Kansas | Mennonite Brethren Church | 1979 |
| Taylor University | Upland | Indiana | - | 1976 |
| Toccoa Falls College | Toccoa Falls | Georgia | Christian and Missionary Alliance | 2008 |
| Trevecca Nazarene University | Nashville | Tennessee | Church of the Nazarene | 1980 |
| Trinity Christian College | Palos Heights | Illinois | Christian Reformed Church | 1980 |
| Trinity International University | Deerfield | Illinois | Evangelical Free Church | 1976 |
| Trinity Western University | Langley | British Columbia | Evangelical Free Church | 1986 |
| University of Mary Hardin-Baylor | Belton | Texas | Baptist General Convention of Texas | 2008 |
| University of Northwestern – St. Paul | Roseville | Minnesota | - | |
| University of the Southwest | Hobbs | New Mexico | Baptist | 2008 |
| Vanguard University of Southern California | Costa Mesa | California | Assemblies of God Church | |
| Warner University | Lake Wales | Florida | Church of God | 1982 |
| Westmont College | Santa Barbara | California | - | 1976 |
| Wheaton College | Wheaton | Illinois | - | 1976 |
| William Jessup University | Rocklin | California | Nondenominational Christianity | |
| Wisconsin Lutheran College | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod | 2015 |
| York College | York | Nebraska | Churches of Christ |
Associate Member Institutions
Associate members must meet all the same criteria as governing members except institutional type and accreditation. Thus, institutions that do not offer a comprehensive undergraduate program can be associate members.| Institution | Location | Denominational affiliation | Year Joined |
| Ambrose University College | Calgary, Alberta | Christian and Missionary Alliance; Church of the Nazarene | |
| Arizona Christian University | Phoenix, Arizona | - | |
| Asbury Theological Seminary | Wilmore, Kentucky | - | |
| Booth University College | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Salvation Army | |
| Briercrest College and Seminary | Caronport, Saskatchewan | ||
| Cairn University | Langhorne, Pennsylvania | - | |
| Columbia International University | Columbia, South Carolina | Nondenominational Christianity | - |
| Crandall University | Moncton, New Brunswick | Canadian Baptist | |
| Dallas Theological Seminary | Dallas, Texas | - | |
| Denver Seminary | Littleton, Colorado | 2019 | |
| Fuller Theological Seminary | Pasadena, California | - | |
| Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary | South Hamilton, Massachusetts | - | |
| Johnson University | Knoxville, Tennessee | ||
| Kuyper College | Grand Rapids, Michigan | ||
| Life Pacific University | San Dimas, California | International Church of the Foursquare Gospel | |
| Lincoln Christian University | Lincoln, Illinois | Christian Churches and Churches of Christ | |
| McMaster Divinity College | Hamilton, Ontario | Canadian Baptist | |
| Mid-Atlantic Christian University | Elizabeth City, North Carolina | Christian Churches and Churches of Christ | |
| Moody Bible Institute | Chicago, Illinois | ||
| Ohio Christian University | Circleville, Ohio | Churches of Christ in Christian Union | |
| Ozark Christian College | Joplin, Missouri | Christian churches and churches of Christ | 2019 |
| Prairie College | Three Hills, Alberta | ||
| Providence Christian College | Pasadena, California | - | |
| Providence University College and Theological Seminary | Otterburne, Manitoba | - | |
| Southwestern Christian University | Bethany, Oklahoma | International Pentecostal Holiness Church | |
| The King's College | New York City, New York | - | |
| Tyndale University | Toronto, Ontario | - | |
| University of Valley Forge | Phoenixville, Pennsylvania | Assemblies of God |
Collaborative Partner Institutions
Collaborative partners must meet the first four criteria set for governing members, but may depart from last two: employment policies and Christian distinctions and advocacy. Institutions that do not require all of their faculty to be professing Christians and/or do not agree with all elements of the CCCU's advocacy agenda, but nevertheless wish to take part in the council's programs and partnerships, may be collaborative partners.| Institution | Location | Denominational affiliation | Year Joined |
| Baylor University | Waco, Texas | Baptist | |
| Campbell University | Buies Creek, North Carolina | Southern Baptist | |
| Friends University | Wichita, Kansas | - | |
| The King's University | Edmonton, Aleberta, Canada | Christian Reformed Church in North America | |
| Pepperdine University | Malibu, California | Churches of Christ | |
| Samford University | Homewood, Alabama | Southern Baptist | |
| Seattle Pacific University | Seattle, Washington | Free Methodist | 1976 |
| Warner Pacific College | Portland, Oregon | Church of God | 1982 |
| Whitworth University | Spokane, Washington | Presbyterian Church | 1981 |
International Affiliates
The CCCU has more than 30 colleges and universities in countries outside the U.S. and Canada.| Institution | Location | Denominational affiliation | Year Joined |
| Africa International University | Nairobi, Kenya | ||
| Africa Nazarene University | Nairobi, Kenya | Church of the Nazarene | |
| Alphacrucis College | Parramatta, New South Wales | Assemblies of God | |
| Avondale College | Cooranbong, New South Wales | ||
| Central University College | Accra, Ghana | International Central Gospel Church | |
| Baekseok University | Cheonan, South Chungcheong, South Korea | 2019 | |
| Christelijke Hogeschool Ede | Ede, Netherlands | ||
| Christian Heritage College | Brisbane, Australia | ||
| Christ's College | Taipei, Taiwan | Presbyterian Church in America | |
| CSI Bishop Appasamy College of Arts and Sciences | Coimbatore, India | Church of South India Trust Association | |
| Eastern College Australia | Melbourne, Australia | 2019 | |
| Emmaus University of Haiti | Cercaville, Acul du Nord, Haiti | Wesleyan | 2019 |
| Excelsia College | Macquarie Park, New South Wales | ||
| Handong Global University | Pohang, South Korea | ||
| Jerusalem University College | Jerusalem, Israel | ||
| John Wesley Theological College | Budapest, Hungary | ||
| Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary | Budapest, Hungary | ||
| KC University | Seoul, South Korea | Church of Christ | |
| Laidlaw College | Auckland, New Zealand | ||
| LCC International University | Klaipėda, Lithuania | ||
| Liverpool Hope University | Liverpool, United Kingdom | 2020 | |
| Morling College | Macquarie Park, New South Wales | 2020 | |
| North Haiti Christian University | Limbé, Nord, Haiti | American Baptist | |
| Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary | Seoul, Republic of Korea | Presbyterian Church of Korea | 2019 |
| Queensland University | Port-au-Prince, Haiti | ||
| Seoul Theological University | Bucheon, South Korea | Korean Evangelical Holiness Church | 2017 |
| Sheng-te Christian College | Taoyuan City, Taiwan | ||
| Tabor | Adelaide, Australia, Australia | ||
| Tokyo Christian University | Inzai, Chiba, Japan | ||
| Uganda Christian University | Mukono, Uganda | ||
| Universidad Evangélica Boliviana | Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia | ||
| Universidad Nacional Evangelica | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | ||
| Universitas Pelita Harapan | Banten, Indonesia | ||
| University of the Holy Land | Jerusalem, Israel | ||
| Wycliffe Hall | Oxford |
Former Members
The following institutions have withdrawn from the Council.| Institution | Location | Denominational affiliation | Year Joined | Year Left |
| Union University | Jackson, Tennessee | Baptist | 2015 | |
| Oklahoma Wesleyan University | Bartlesville, Oklahoma | Wesleyan Church | 2015 | |
| Goshen College | Goshen, Indiana | Mennonite Church USA | 2015 | |
| Eastern Mennonite University | Harrisonburg, Virginia | Mennonite Church USA | 2015 | |
| Bluffton University | Bluffton, Ohio | Mennonite Church USA | 2015 | |
| The Master's College | Santa Clarita, California | 2015 | ||
| Cedarville University | Cedarville, Ohio | Baptist | 2016 | |
| Shorter University | Rome, Georgia | Baptist | 2016 | |
| Louisiana College | Pineville, Louisiana | Baptist | 2019 |
Controversies
In 2015, Union University and Oklahoma Wesleyan University withdrew from membership in the CCCU because of a policy change by two member institutions to hire same-sex couples. A potential split within the CCCU was avoided with the announcement on September 21, 2015 that both Goshen College and Eastern Mennonite University, the two colleges that changed their policies to hire same-sex couples, had withdrawn from the council. The council issued a statement affirming the traditional Christian view of marriage as between a man and a woman. A task force was appointed to examine the rationale for the existing associational categories plus address how to remain rooted in traditional Christianity, leading to the announcement of a new membership policy in 2016. Bluffton University also withdrew its membership in the council in December 2015 when it announced a policy change to allow hiring gay and lesbian employees.On November 3, 2015, The Master's College announced their withdrawal from the CCCU due to the college's "concerns about the direction of the CCCU" on issues such as Creation and Evolution and same-sex marriage, stating that "the vast majority of member schools do not accept the Genesis account of creation or the inerrancy of Scripture". Cedarville University and Shorter University also withdrew from the council over concerns that the council's rejection of same-sex marriage was not swift or complete enough.