Mid-America Christian University

Mid-America Christian University
Former names
 South Texas Bible Institute
Gulf Coast Bible College
Mid-America Bible College
Motto Dream BIGGER. Do GREATER.
Type Private, Christian
Established 1953
Affiliation Church of God (Anderson)
President Dr. John Fozard
Students 2,558[1]
Location Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
Campus 65-acre (26 ha)
Colors         
Athletics National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
Affiliations Sooner Athletic Conference
Mascot Evangels
Website www.macu.edu

Mid-America Christian University (MACU) is a private liberal arts college in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. MACU is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and the Oklahoma Commission on Teacher Preparation.[2] As the Gulf Coast Bible College it was previously located in the Houston Heights, Houston, Texas.[3]

Academics

MACU offers Bible-based liberal arts programs and ministry education. The university extends over 25 major fields of study at the graduate and undergraduate level, leading to an Associate Degree, Bachelor's Degree, or a Master's Degree.[4]

Campus

The university campus consists of eight buildings set on a 65-acre (260,000 m2) plot. The main building has nearly two acres under the same roof. The college auditorium has the capacity of 670 seats, which is used for chapel, assemblies, and other special weeks.

Library

The Charles Ewing Brown Library, located on campus, offers the students and faculty access to resources for use in academic research as well as for personal pleasure. The Library's collection contains over 166,800 volumes, including: over 41,100 print book and periodical titles, over 58,200 electronic book titles, over 15,400 online periodical titles, and over 4,100 online government documents.[5] It seats over 150 students and has 33 computer stations, two meeting rooms, and an Education Resource Center for students in the School of Teacher Education.

The C. E. Brown Library participates in the OK-Share card system provided by the Oklahoma Council of Academic Library Directors (OCALD).[6]

Athletics

Mid-America Christian (MACU) teams, nicknamed athletically as the Evangels, are part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC). The Evangels also compete as a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA).[7] Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf and soccer; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball and volleyball. In 2016, the men's basketball team won the Buffalo Funds NAIA Championship in Kansas City, Missouri. This was the school's first and only NAIA national title (although they have won several NCCAA titles).

History

History at a glance
South Texas Bible Institute Established 1953
Gulf Coast Bible College Renamed 1955
Gulf Coast Bible College Accredited 1978
Mid-America Bible College Relocated and Renamed 1985
Mid-America Christian University Renamed 2003

The institution, now known as MACU, was founded on September 14, 1953, as the South Texas Bible Institute in Houston, Texas. It was chartered as a center for higher education. Dr. Max R. Gaulke established the institution with the help of the First Church of God.

In the fall of 1955, the curriculum of the institution was expanded to that of a four-year university and the name was changed to Gulf Coast Bible College. In 1966, Gulf-Coast Bible College became an associate member of the American Association of Bible Colleges and was granted full membership in 1968. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the regional accrediting association, granted full accreditation in 1978.

The Gulf Coast Bible College became a general agency of the Church of God (Anderson) in June 1968. The Executive Council of the Church of God accepted the college as a member organization. Additionally, the college also was granted membership on the Commission on Higher Education of the Church of God.

When the college was in the Houston Heights, it tried to establish a campus by buying houses and tearing them down. In 1984 the university announced that it was moving to Oklahoma City. Not all of the officials wanted to move to Oklahoma.[8]

In September 1984 Odus Eubank, the vice president for academic affairs said that he did not want to go to Oklahoma. He resigned in the spring of 1985. The Gulf Coast Bible College relocated to Oklahoma City in June 1985,[8] and changed its name to Mid-America Bible College. Eubank formed the Christian College of America of Houston with other pastors.[8]


The Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools has accredited the college. The institution adopted its current name, Mid-America Christian University in 2003.

References

  1. ↑ "About MACU".
  2. ↑ "MACU Accreditation and Affiliations".
  3. ↑ Directory of American Scholars. American Council of Learned Societies. 400. Retrieved from Google Books on September 25, 2011. ISBN 0-8352-0635-1, ISBN 978-0-8352-0635-8 "911 W. 11th St, Houston, TX 77008."
  4. ↑ "MACU Academics".
  5. ↑ "MACU Library".
  6. ↑ "Oklahoma Council of Academic Library Directors (OCALD)".
  7. ↑ "MACU Evangels".
  8. 1 2 3 Moore, Louis. "Ecumenism the byword on high-rise college campus." Houston Chronicle. Saturday August 31, 1985. Religion 1. Retrieved on September 25, 2011.

Coordinates: 35°20′52″N 97°34′42″W / 35.34778°N 97.57833°W / 35.34778; -97.57833

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