Amridge University
Encyclopedia
Amridge University is an accredited
coeducation
al private university
affiliated with the Churches of Christ
with its main campus
in Montgomery
, Alabama
. It was previously known as Alabama Christian School of Religion, Southern Christian University, and Regions University, and is a successor institution to Alabama Christian College.
Founded in 1967 as the Alabama Christian School of Religion, its primary function historically has been as a theological seminary
to train ministers in Bible and Christian Counseling
. However, Amridge has expanded its curricula to other degrees. Seminary training offered by the Turner School of Theology, named in honor of founder Rex Allwin Turner, Sr. and his wife Opal Shipp Turner, continues to be a core undertaking, with all levels of ministry and theological degrees available. Amridge offers both residential and online education opportunities.
just north of Interstate 85
at the Taylor Road exit. The campus consists of a single two-story complex, the Morgan W. Brown Building, that houses classrooms and the library on the ground floor and administrative offices upstairs. Classrooms are equipped with extensive multimedia equipment to allow live Internet streaming of instruction and lecture. Instructors can also transmit computer data, video, or still pictures. Each student's desk has a computer workstation
. There is building-wide Wi-Fi
access.
Additionally, Amridge University maintains satellite campus
es in Phoenix, Arizona
and Nashville, Tennessee
.
. Its card catalog is accessible for online searching by students, faculty, and staff.
. Consequently, on January 31, 2008, the board of regents resolved to change the institution’s name again, this time to Amridge University, preserving its mission and vision to expand its operations worldwide.
In 2007, a former student sued Amridge University and its board of directors, alleging that they breached an implied contract
to provide her with a complete education and that they discriminated
against her because of her religion. The university filed a motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction
. In July 2007, a district court
in Delaware granted Amridge's motion to dismiss the complaint. An appeal by the student was later turned down by the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in August 2008.
The Appeals court agreed that this case should have a change of venue to the former students home state. In 2008/2009, the student brought the case to her home state's courts, where it is now pending, with an Amended Complaint filed as recently as January 21, 2010 by her attorney.
Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
coeducation
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
al private university
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...
affiliated with the Churches of Christ
Church of Christ
Churches of Christ are autonomous Christian congregations associated with one another through common beliefs and practices. They seek to base doctrine and practice on the Bible alone, and seek to be New Testament congregations as originally established by the authority of Christ. Historically,...
with its main campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
in Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. It was previously known as Alabama Christian School of Religion, Southern Christian University, and Regions University, and is a successor institution to Alabama Christian College.
Founded in 1967 as the Alabama Christian School of Religion, its primary function historically has been as a theological seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
to train ministers in Bible and Christian Counseling
Christian counseling
Christian counseling is counseling which draws upon psychology and Christian teaching. Efforts to combine counseling with Christian or other religious perspectives or approaches are sometimes called "integration."...
. However, Amridge has expanded its curricula to other degrees. Seminary training offered by the Turner School of Theology, named in honor of founder Rex Allwin Turner, Sr. and his wife Opal Shipp Turner, continues to be a core undertaking, with all levels of ministry and theological degrees available. Amridge offers both residential and online education opportunities.
Key institutional events
- 1942 Montgomery Bible School, founded by Rex Allwin Turner, Sr., Calvin Leonard Johnson, and Joseph B. “Joe” Greer, offered both high school and first year college courses, and became a junior collegeJunior collegeThe term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
with an elementary and secondary department - 1949 Expanded curricula to include a third year of Bible and related courses
- 1953 Granted first baccalaureate degrees
- 1954 Institution’s name changed to Alabama Christian College
- 1966 Discontinued upper‑level program in religious studies to satisfy accreditation requirements as a junior college
- High school department became Alabama Christian Academyhttp://www.aca.pvt.k12.al.us/, a regionally accredited elementary and secondary school
- Junior college department became what today is Faulkner UniversityFaulkner UniversityFaulkner University is a private Christian university, located in Montgomery, Alabama, USA, and affiliated with the Church of Christ. The University was founded in 1942 as Montgomery Bible School. In 1953 the school's name was changed to Alabama Christian College . In 1965, the college was moved to...
- 1967 Alabama Christian School of Religion founded to assume the upper-level program, offering classes in the new facilities of the College Church of Christ at 5315 Atlanta Highway
- 1972 Expanded curricula to include graduate degree programs
- 1974 Moved to new property jointly purchased with the Landmark Church of Christ at 6020 Atlanta Highway
- 1977 Expanded curricula to include a three‑year graduate program offering the Master of Theology degree
- 1985 Applied for accredited membership in the Southern Association of Colleges and SchoolsSouthern Association of Colleges and SchoolsThe Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
- 1988 Replaced the Master of Theology degree to conform to standard nomenclature and practice with the Master of Divinity degree, generally recognized as the first professional degree in ministry
- 1987 Sold its interest in the jointly owned property to the Landmark Church of Christ and built its own new campus on 9 acres (36,421.7 m²) of land on Interstate 85 alongside Auburn University at Montgomery. The School of Religion moved to this new campus at 1200 Taylor Road that summer.
- 1989 Received accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and SchoolsSouthern Association of Colleges and SchoolsThe Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
to grant degrees at the bachelor’s and master’s levels - 1991 Institution’s name changed to Southern Christian University to reflect the widened geographical area served by the institution and emphasized the academic level and the emerging direction of the institution
- 1992 Expanded curricula by adding the Doctor of Ministry degree and the distance-learning program
- 1994 Reaffirmation by the Southern Association of Colleges and SchoolsSouthern Association of Colleges and SchoolsThe Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
including the two aforementioned substantive changes - 1994 Changes in Alabama state licensure law in Family TherapyFamily therapyFamily therapy, also referred to as couple and family therapy, family systems therapy, and family counseling, is a branch of psychotherapy that works with families and couples in intimate relationships to nurture change and development. It tends to view change in terms of the systems of...
grandfatheredGrandfather clauseGrandfather clause is a legal term used to describe a situation in which an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations, while a new rule will apply to all future situations. It is often used as a verb: to grandfather means to grant such an exemption...
the institution to permit reconfiguration of its counseling program - 1999 Selected by the US Department of Education to help pilot the Distance Education Demonstration Program
- 2002 Purchased 185 acre (0.7486691 km²) of land alongside Interstate 85, located 15 miles (24.1 km) from the main campus to accommodate future growth
- 2003 Southern Association of Colleges and SchoolsSouthern Association of Colleges and SchoolsThe Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
approved Doctor of Philosophy in Family Therapy degree program - 2005 Decadal reaffirmation by the Southern Association of Colleges and SchoolsSouthern Association of Colleges and SchoolsThe Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
including the following substantive changes in its curricula- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – General Business
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Information Communication
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Information Systems Management
- Doctor of Philosophy in Biblical Studies degree
- 2006 Southern Association of Colleges and SchoolsSouthern Association of Colleges and SchoolsThe Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
approved Associate of Arts degree program - 2006 Institution’s name changed to Regions University
- 2008 Institution’s name changed to Amridge University
Presidents
- Rex Allwin Turner, Sr., J.D.Juris DoctorJuris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
1967 – 1983 - Rex Allwin Turner, Jr., Ed.D.Doctor of EducationThe Doctor of Education or Doctor in Education degree , in Latin, Doctor Educationis, is a research-oriented professional doctorate that prepares the student for academic, administrative, clinical, or research positions in educational, civil, and private organizations.-Differences between an Ed.D...
1983 – August 2008 - Stanley Douglas Paterson, Ed.D.Doctor of EducationThe Doctor of Education or Doctor in Education degree , in Latin, Doctor Educationis, is a research-oriented professional doctorate that prepares the student for academic, administrative, clinical, or research positions in educational, civil, and private organizations.-Differences between an Ed.D...
(interim) August 2008 - March 2009 - Michael Clark Turner, D.O.Doctor of Osteopathic MedicineDoctor of Osteopathic Medicine is a professional doctoral degree for physicians in the United States. Holders of the MD degree, Doctor of Medicine, have the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as osteopathic physicians in the United States.The American Osteopathic Association’s Commission...
March 2009 - present
Accreditation
- Amridge University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and SchoolsSouthern Association of Colleges and SchoolsThe Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
since 1989 to award Associate of Arts, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Divinity, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees - The Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education has authorized Amridge University to operate a private school pursuant to the Alabama Private School License Law
- The Tennessee Higher Education CommissionTennessee Higher Education CommissionThe Tennessee Higher Education Commission is the established by the Tennessee General Assembly in 1900, primarily to achieve coordination between the various public higher education institutions in the state.-Composition:...
has authorized Amridge University, which must be renewed each year and is based on an evaluation by minimum standards concerning quality of education, ethical business practices, health and safety, and fiscal responsibility - Amridge University’s Turner School of Theology is an Associate Member of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and CanadaAssociation of Theological Schools in the United States and CanadaThe Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada is an organization of seminaries and other graduate schools of theology. ATS has its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and has more than 250 member institutions...
(ATS) - Amridge University is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant students
Programs of study
In keeping with its Christian heritage, Amridge University provides educational opportunities through five schools; these are: the College of Business and Leadership, the College of General Studies, the School of Human Services, the Turner School of Theology, and the School of Continuing Education.Campuses
The institution’s main campus in Montgomery, Alabama lies alongside Auburn University MontgomeryAuburn University Montgomery
Auburn University at Montgomery is a coeducational public university located in Montgomery, Alabama, USA. It is governed by the Auburn University Board of Trustees, but is not a branch campus of Auburn University. It was established by an act of the Alabama Legislature in 1967...
just north of Interstate 85
Interstate 85
Interstate 85 is a major interstate highway in the Southeastern United States. Its current southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus interchanges with Interstate 95 in Petersburg, Virginia, near Richmond...
at the Taylor Road exit. The campus consists of a single two-story complex, the Morgan W. Brown Building, that houses classrooms and the library on the ground floor and administrative offices upstairs. Classrooms are equipped with extensive multimedia equipment to allow live Internet streaming of instruction and lecture. Instructors can also transmit computer data, video, or still pictures. Each student's desk has a computer workstation
Workstation
A workstation is a high-end microcomputer designed for technical or scientific applications. Intended primarily to be used by one person at a time, they are commonly connected to a local area network and run multi-user operating systems...
. There is building-wide Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
access.
Additionally, Amridge University maintains satellite campus
Satellite campus
A satellite campus or branch campus is a campus of a college or university that is physically detached from the main university or college area, and is often smaller than the main campus of an institution....
es in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
and Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
.
Libraries
The Amridge University library features a large collection of religious books and theological reference works. It holds 80,000 titles, 1,200 serial subscriptions, and 800 audiovisual materials. The library is linked with other libraries across the US to ensure availability of books that may be borrowed through interlibrary lendingInterlibrary loan
Interlibrary loan is a service whereby a user of one library can borrow books or receive photocopies of documents that are owned by another library...
. Its card catalog is accessible for online searching by students, faculty, and staff.
Controversies
On August 2, 2006, Southern Christian University’s board of regents voted to change the institution’s name to Regions University. They expected this would enhance the institution’s opportunities, complementing its purpose and vision while expanding its scope of educational and religious heritage to all the regions of the world. The name change, however, sparked a civil lawsuit by Regions Financial Corporation filed on September 29, 2006 for trademark infringementTrademark infringement
Trademark infringement is a violation of the exclusive rights attaching to a trademark without the authorization of the trademark owner or any licensees...
. Consequently, on January 31, 2008, the board of regents resolved to change the institution’s name again, this time to Amridge University, preserving its mission and vision to expand its operations worldwide.
In 2007, a former student sued Amridge University and its board of directors, alleging that they breached an implied contract
Breach of contract
Breach of contract is a legal cause of action in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other party's performance....
to provide her with a complete education and that they discriminated
Religious discrimination
Religious discrimination is valuing or treating a person or group differently because of what they do or do not believe.A concept like that of 'religious discrimination' is necessary to take into account ambiguities of the term religious persecution. The infamous cases in which people have been...
against her because of her religion. The university filed a motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction
Personal jurisdiction in internet cases
Personal jurisdiction in Internet cases refers to a growing set of judicial precedents in American courts where personal jurisdiction has been asserted upon defendants based solely on their Internet activities...
. In July 2007, a district court
United States District Court for the District of Delaware
The United States District Court for the District of Delaware is the Federal district court having jurisdiction over the entire state of Delaware. The Court sits in Wilmington...
in Delaware granted Amridge's motion to dismiss the complaint. An appeal by the student was later turned down by the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in August 2008.
The Appeals court agreed that this case should have a change of venue to the former students home state. In 2008/2009, the student brought the case to her home state's courts, where it is now pending, with an Amended Complaint filed as recently as January 21, 2010 by her attorney.
Further reading
- Adkins, R. M. (1998). The differences in students' perception of learning between extended learning program students and on-campus students at Southern Christian University. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Auburn University, Auburn, AL.
- Carnevale, D. (2002). Questions linger over rise and fall of online program. Chronicle of Higher Education, 48(21), A27.
- Clifford, A. C. (2007). Focus on teachers: Shaping professionally and becoming technology integrators. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN.
- McQueen, A., & Wright, S. W. (1999). Distance learning just got a little easier. Community College Week, 11(24), 28.
- Peterson's (2004). Guide to four-year colleges 2005. pp. 2404-2405. Lawrenceville, NJ: Nelnet. ISBN 0768913799.
- Smith, N. C., & Jackson, J. F. L. (2004). Religious institutions in the United States: Research challenges. New Directions for Institutional Research, 2004(124), 31-48.
- Turner, Rex A. (1972). Sermons and addresses on the fundamentals of the faith. Montgomery, AL: Alabama Christian College. ISBN 0913586048.
- Turner, Rex A. (1977). A study of the present status of faculty tenure as perceived by boards, administrators, and faculty of public universities in Alabama with projections and implications for the future. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL.
- Waller, S., & Waller, L. (2004). Higher education doctoral degrees of certain American clergy: Ethics and antics. Christian Higher Education, 3(2), 171-183.
- Woodrow, J. (2004). Institutional image: Secular and marketing influences on Christian higher education. Christian Higher Education, 3(2), 115-125.