Piedmont International University

Piedmont International University (PIU) is a private Christian university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.[6] Piedmont offers both residential and online programs including dual enrollment, undergraduate, and graduate degrees. It is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS),[7] and is a member of the American Association of Christian Schools.[8] The university has experienced significant growth in recent years and has added a number of new degree programs in areas such as business, leadership, information systems, criminal justice, public health, and social work.

Piedmont International University
University Logo
Other name
PIU
Former name
Piedmont Baptist College
TypePrivate
Established1945 (1945)
FounderDr. Charles H. Stevens
Religious affiliation
Christian
ChancellorDr. Steve Condon[1]
PresidentDr. Charles Petitt[2]
Vice-ChancellorDr. Sandeep Gopalan[3]
ProvostDr. Beth Ashburn[4]
Students1,077[5]
Undergraduates537
Postgraduates312
228
Address
420 South Broad Street
,
Winston-Salem
,
North Carolina
,
27101
,
United States

36.0879°N 80.2501°W / 36.0879; -80.2501
CampusUrban
LanguageEnglish
ColorsDeep Blue, Columbia Blue, and Anchor Gray             
AthleticsNCCAA - South Region
NicknameBruins
Sports
MascotBaron
Websitepiedmontu.edu

History

In 1945, Charles Stevens and a group of North Carolina Baptist leaders founded Piedmont Bible Schools, Inc. and opened Piedmont Bible Institute. Three years later, the institute added two years of junior college. Although the academy associated with Piedmont Bible Schools, Inc. was discontinued in 1952, the Bible institute and the college continued.[9]

In 1956 Piedmont completed the accreditation requirements of the Accrediting Association of Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges (now The Association for Biblical Higher Education). Their acceptance allowed Religious Education and Theology bachelor's degrees to be awarded, starting in 1957, with the acceptance of the State Department of Education.

The college added a graduate program in 1994 and joined the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) one year later. In 2004, Spurgeon Baptist Bible College of Mulberry, Florida merged with PIU to create Piedmont’s Spurgeon School of Online Education, which allowed several undergraduate and graduate programs to be available entirely online, including a master's degree in Biblical Studies offered in Spanish.[10][9] The accreditation of two international branch campuses in restricted access nations sprang from partnerships with nationals in Asia and the Middle East.

In 2012, Piedmont officially changed their name from Piedmont Baptist College and Graduate School to Piedmont International University.[11]

In the mid 2010s, three institutions were merged into Piedmont. In 2015, Tennessee Temple University of Chattanooga, Tennessee, dissolved and merged with Piedmont.[12] Southeastern Bible College of Birmingham, Alabama closed in 2017, merging with PIU later that year.[13] In 2018, John Wesley University, a small evangelical college approximately 19 miles from Piedmont's Winston-Salem campuses, merged with Piedmont.[14]

In 2019, PIU started partnerships collaborating with Sheriff's Offices in North Carolina and Tennessee to create a collaborative criminal justice degree program with law enforcement.[15][16][17]

On June 24, 2020, the Piedmont International University Board of Trustees voted to change the university’s name to Carolina University, pending approval by TRACS. The Piedmont School of Divinity (or Piedmont Divinity School) is to be created to "honor Piedmont’s historic name and heritage of training ministers and teaching Bible and theology."[18]

Mergers and Acquisitions

Several Christian colleges and universities have joined forces with Piedmont International University over the years. With each merger, PIU has grown its student body and improved its academic offerings.

Spurgeon Baptist Bible College

Spurgeon Baptist Bible College was established in 1970 in Lakeland, Florida as a college for training preachers and missionaries. The first president of the college was Dr. G. Arthur Woolsey, a Baptist Bible Seminary graduate. The college merged with Piedmont International University in 2003, and PIU's Spurgeon School of Online Education was created as a result of the merger.[19]

Atlantic Baptist Bible College

Atlantic Baptist Bible College was located in Chester, Virginia where it served to prepare men and women for effective ministry in churches. The school merged with Piedmont International University in December, 2008.[20][21]

Tennessee Temple University

Tennessee Temple University and Temple Baptist Seminary were located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The university opened in 1946, followed by the opening of the seminary in 1948. During the 65-year life of the school, it served over 100,000 students. TTU became the third school to merge with Piedmont International University, the process of which was completed in 2015.[12] As a result of the merger, degree programs including Sign Language Interpretation were added to PIU's offerings. Additionally, the Temple Baptist Seminary name transitioned to Piedmont International University.[22] The John Wesley School of Leadership was also created from TTU assets.[23]

Southeastern Bible College

Southeastern Bible College was located in Birmingham, Alabama where they provided Bible, theology, ministry, and missions degree programs. The school was founded in 1935 by Edgar J. Rowe. In 2017, the school closed due to financial struggles, but after three months, SEBC merged with Piedmont International University.[24]

John Wesley University

John Wesley University (located in High Point, North Carolina merged with Piedmont International University in 2018, becoming the fifth school to do so. Founded in 1903, it was the oldest undergraduate theological education institution in North Carolina. JWU was renowned for its nursing and business degree programs, many of which became a part of Piedmont International University as a part of the merger.[25]

Academics

Piedmont International University comprises five undergraduate and graduate schools.

  • School of Arts and Sciences
  • Patterson School of Business
  • Moore School of Education
  • John Wesley School of Leadership
  • Temple Baptist Seminary

The School of Arts and Sciences is home to two new undergraduate programs, Criminal Justice and Interdisciplinary Studies, as well as numerous concentrations including Information Systems, Public Health, and Social Work.[26] PIU's Patterson School of Business offers both undergraduate and graduate business programs including the BBA and MBA. In addition to those programs, several concentrations are offered in areas such as Business Analytics, Marketing, and Supply Chain Management.[27] The Moore School of Education at PIU offers both undergraduate and graduate programs, in addition to five concentrations. Key programs include the BS in Deaf Studies, the BS in Elementary Education, and the Master of Education.[28] The John Wesley School of Leadership, named as a result of the merger with John Wesley University, is home to two graduate leadership programs: the MA in Leadership and the PhD in Leadership.[29] The Temple Baptist Seminary at Piedmont International University comprises all the ministry and Bible-related degree programs at the university. It is broken into two schools, the Bowman School of Bible & Theology and the Alford School of Ministry.[30] These schools offer programs such as the 5-Year BA and MDiv, various Biblical Studies degrees, and two Graduate Certificates.[31]

Athletics

PIU athletic teams are known as the Bruins. The university participates in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) at the Division I level in the South Region.[32] The university currently fields 11 teams. Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, and track and field. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, track and field, and volleyball.[33]

The university's athletic department expanded in recent years, growing from three sports in 2017 to nine in two years.[34] PIU plans to add several more over, including the additions of men's volleyball and women's cheerleading in 2020–21. The university also moved the athletics department from NCCAA Division II to the Division I level and added athletic scholarship opportunities.[34][9] One notable former coach is Josh Howard, a former NBA All-Star player and Dallas Mavericks player, Howard got his start in collegiate coaching as the PIU men's basketball head coach from 2016-2020.[35][36]

References
  1. "Condon, Dr. Steve". Piedmont International University. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  2. "Petitt, Dr. Charles". Piedmont International University. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  3. "Gopalan, Dr. Sandeep". Piedmont International University. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  4. "Ashburn, Dr. Beth". Piedmont International University. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  5. "About PIU". Piedmont International University. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  6. "Mission & Strategic Plan". Piedmont International University. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  7. "Transnational Association Of Christian Colleges and Schools". Tracs.org. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  8. "American Association of Christian Schools". aacs.org. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  9. Gigley, Chris (July 30, 2018). "The Evolution of Piedmont International University". The Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  10. "History". Piedmont International University. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  11. "History". Piedmont International University. 2019-12-16. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  12. "Tennessee Temple University To Close After Almost 70 Years". The Chattanoogan. 2015-03-02. Retrieved 2015-03-04.
  13. "Southeastern Bible College to sell campus, merge with N.C. school". AL.com. 2017-09-22. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  14. "John Wesley Merging Into Piedmont International". Inside Higher Ed. 2017-09-21. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  15. "Some are retooling higher education to meet modern law-enforcement training needs". 2019-08-25. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  16. "HCSO Collaborates In New Criminal Justice Program With Piedmont International University". 2019-10-18. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  17. "New criminal-justice degree program joint effort of Forsyth sheriff's office, Piedmont International University". 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  18. "Announcing Our New Name". Piedmont International University. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  19. "Spurgeon Baptist Bible College Legacy". Piedmont International University. 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  20. "Atlantic Baptist Bible College Legacy". Piedmont International University. 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  21. "Piedmont, Atlantic colleges to merge this year". Winston-Salem Journal. 2008-12-11. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  22. "Tennessee Temple University Legacy". Piedmont International University. 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  23. John Wesley School of Leadership
  24. "Southeastern Bible College Legacy". Piedmont International University. 2020-03-02. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  25. "John Wesley University Legacy". Piedmont International University. 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  26. "Academic Programs - School of Arts and Sciences". Piedmont International University. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  27. "Academic Programs - Patterson School of Business". Piedmont International University. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  28. "Academic Programs - Moore School of Education". Piedmont International University. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  29. "Academic Programs - John Wesley School of Leadership". Piedmont International University. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  30. "Temple Baptist Seminary - PIU". Piedmont International University. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  31. "Academic Programs - Temple Baptist Seminary". Piedmont International University. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  32. "2019-2020 Membership Directory" (PDF). NCCAA. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  33. Vaughan, Jayme (February 11, 2019). "A&M-Texarkana athletics to add men's and women's basketball". TXK Today. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  34. "Vision 2020". Piedmont International University. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  35. "Josh Howard opens up about PIU job". The Chronicle. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  36. Cobb, David (April 17, 2020). "Former ACC Player of the Year and NBA All-Star Josh Howard to coach new NAIA program". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 18, 2020.

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