Corban College
Encyclopedia
Corban University is a private, independent Baptist
college in Salem, Oregon
, United States. Founded in 1935 as Western Baptist Bible College in Arizona
, the school moved to Oregon
near Salem in 1969 and changed its name to Corban College in 2005, and to the present moniker in 2010. The school of about 1,000 students offers undergraduate work in Bible studies as well as liberal arts, and graduate studies in business, education, and counseling. Corban is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
, and athletically is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
, competing in the Cascade Collegiate Conference
.
as a Bible
institute, the college moved in 1946 to Oakland, California
and took the name Western Baptist Bible College, being affiliated with the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches (GARBC). In the mid-1950s the school moved to El Cerrito, California
, occupying the site of a former home for orphaned Chinese boys. In 1969 the college moved again, to Salem, Oregon
, where it operates today.
The school shortened the name to Western Baptist College in 1973. In the 1970s, Western added liberal arts programs in addition to ministry programs. Reno Hoff became the president of the institution in 1999, replacing David Miller. In 2001, Beth Bartosik became the first Fulbright Scholar
in the school's history. Corban received a $2.1 million donation in 2001 to go towards a new performing arts center and chapel, the largest donation ever for the school.
In 2004, U.S. News and World Report ranked the school as the eight best in the western United States for comprehensive colleges, and ninth the following year. The college's name was changed from Western Baptist College to Corban College on May 7, 2005, using the word "Corban", a Hebrew word meaning a gift dedicated to God. Later in 2005 the college opened Davidson Hall, a residence hall, and had their largest incoming class to that point with 207 freshman and an overall enrollment of 860. In 2006, U.S. News and World Report listed the school at eight, the fifth year in a row the school was in the top ten.
While Corban is a Baptist school, Corban accepts Christian students from many evangelical denominations. Students are required to provide their testimony of their saving relationship with Jesus Christ in their application to Corban. In the summer of 2007, Corban's name was extended to Corban College and Graduate School in order to reflect the institution's graduate programs in education and business. As of 2009, the college has an endowment of about $3 million. In honor of the institution's 75th anniversary, the school became known as Corban University on May 1, 2010.
Corban's motto is "Dedicating heart and mind to God," and Corban's mission is "To educate Christians who will make a difference in the world for Jesus Christ." (Matthew 28:19-20) Corban offers a unique mix of being both a liberal arts college and a Bible college. All graduates from Corban, regardless of major, graduate with a minimum of 24 semester units of Bible classes. Also, all classes are taught from a Biblical perspective to "show that Christ should be integrated in all areas of life." Corban is theologically conservative and baptistic in thought. Students must complete a minimum of 50 hours of community service prior to graduation.
Corban is a residential campus, with six dorms, three men's dorms, and three women's. Each dorm is single gender, and each residence community is limited in size, in order to create a sense of community. Freshmen and sophomores must live on campus. Also on campus is the 683-seat Psalm Performing Arts Center opened in 2005 at a cost of $3.7 million. The library also houses the Prewitt-Allen Archaeological Museum
with collections from Greece and the Middle East.
The school's athletic teams are known as the Warriors, with school colors of navy and gold. Corban has 13 teams that compete in intercollegiate athletics as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
(NAIA). The school is part of the Cascade Collegiate Conference
with team in baseball, softball, and volleyball; and men's and women's teams in basketball, soccer, golf, track & field, and cross country.
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
college in Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, United States. Founded in 1935 as Western Baptist Bible College in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, the school moved to Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
near Salem in 1969 and changed its name to Corban College in 2005, and to the present moniker in 2010. The school of about 1,000 students offers undergraduate work in Bible studies as well as liberal arts, and graduate studies in business, education, and counseling. Corban is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities is an organization designed to help primarily Protestant and evangelical Christian institutions of higher education cooperate and communicate with one another...
, and athletically is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
, competing in the Cascade Collegiate Conference
Cascade Collegiate Conference
The Cascade Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Member schools are located in the Northwestern United States. Its basketball teams compete in Division II, the lower of the two levels of NAIA basketball competition. ...
.
History
First established in 1935 in Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix, 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...
as a Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
institute, the college moved in 1946 to Oakland, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and took the name Western Baptist Bible College, being affiliated with the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches (GARBC). In the mid-1950s the school moved to El Cerrito, California
El Cerrito, Contra Costa County, California
-Transportation:The city's primary transportation infrastructure consists of the El Cerrito Plaza and El Cerrito del Norte BART stations along with several local bus lines, operated by AC Transit, providing access to the surrounding area and the nearby cities of Albany, Berkeley and Richmond...
, occupying the site of a former home for orphaned Chinese boys. In 1969 the college moved again, to Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, where it operates today.
The school shortened the name to Western Baptist College in 1973. In the 1970s, Western added liberal arts programs in addition to ministry programs. Reno Hoff became the president of the institution in 1999, replacing David Miller. In 2001, Beth Bartosik became the first Fulbright Scholar
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
in the school's history. Corban received a $2.1 million donation in 2001 to go towards a new performing arts center and chapel, the largest donation ever for the school.
In 2004, U.S. News and World Report ranked the school as the eight best in the western United States for comprehensive colleges, and ninth the following year. The college's name was changed from Western Baptist College to Corban College on May 7, 2005, using the word "Corban", a Hebrew word meaning a gift dedicated to God. Later in 2005 the college opened Davidson Hall, a residence hall, and had their largest incoming class to that point with 207 freshman and an overall enrollment of 860. In 2006, U.S. News and World Report listed the school at eight, the fifth year in a row the school was in the top ten.
While Corban is a Baptist school, Corban accepts Christian students from many evangelical denominations. Students are required to provide their testimony of their saving relationship with Jesus Christ in their application to Corban. In the summer of 2007, Corban's name was extended to Corban College and Graduate School in order to reflect the institution's graduate programs in education and business. As of 2009, the college has an endowment of about $3 million. In honor of the institution's 75th anniversary, the school became known as Corban University on May 1, 2010.
Academics
Campus
Corban's campus is on a wooded hillside on the outskirts of Salem, and the college owns approximately 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of the wooded hillside. The site was previously the site of the Oregon Institute for Deaf-Mutes and then the Oregon State Tuberculosis Hospital. Some buildings on campus date to those facilities.Corban is a residential campus, with six dorms, three men's dorms, and three women's. Each dorm is single gender, and each residence community is limited in size, in order to create a sense of community. Freshmen and sophomores must live on campus. Also on campus is the 683-seat Psalm Performing Arts Center opened in 2005 at a cost of $3.7 million. The library also houses the Prewitt-Allen Archaeological Museum
Prewitt-Allen Archaeological Museum
The Prewitt-Allen Archeological Museum is a small archaeology museum at Corban University in Salem, Oregon, United States. Founded in the 1950s, the museum is located in the school’s library on the rural campus...
with collections from Greece and the Middle East.
Athletics
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
(NAIA). The school is part of the Cascade Collegiate Conference
Cascade Collegiate Conference
The Cascade Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Member schools are located in the Northwestern United States. Its basketball teams compete in Division II, the lower of the two levels of NAIA basketball competition. ...
with team in baseball, softball, and volleyball; and men's and women's teams in basketball, soccer, golf, track & field, and cross country.
Notable alumni
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- Gary MoncherGary MoncherDr. Gary Moncher is Patten University's third president in office and the first male president. He was appointed by Dr. Bebe Patten and the institution's board of directors and succeeded Dr. Priscilla C. Benham after seventeen years of service, fifty-six years after the establishment of the...
- Frank PrewittFrank PrewittJames Franklin Prewitt is an American attorney, government affairs consultant, and a confidential source the Federal Bureau of Investigation relied on to help prosecute "PolarPen," the Alaska political corruption probe...
- Steve ReeseSteve ReeseSteve Reese is an American soccer player who currently plays for Kitsap Pumas in the Professional Arena Soccer League.-College and Amateur:...