Andrews University (Andrews) is a private Seventh-day Adventist university located in Berrien Springs, Michigan. It was founded in 1874 as Battle Creek College and was the first higher education institution started by Seventh-day Adventists. It is the main university of the Seventh-day Adventist school system, which is the second largest Christian school system in the world.
The university has eight schools or colleges. It offers 130 undergraduate programs and 70 graduate programs, along with other graduate degree options. It is officially recognized by the Higher Learning Commission and the Adventist Accrediting Association (AAA).
History
Andrews University was founded in 1874 as a small Seventh-day Adventist school named Battle Creek College. The school was named after the nearby city of Battle Creek, Michigan.
In 1901, the school moved from Battle Creek, Michigan, to its current location in Berrien Springs. It is said that all the school’s belongings were packed into 16 boxcars and sent to the new location. The school was then renamed "Emmanuel Missionary College," or EMC for short, because it was the first Adventist school with a name clearly connected to the Bible.
After the Battle Creek College moved to Berrien Springs, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg opened a new Battle Creek College in Battle Creek in 1923. He combined three existing schools: the Training School for Nurses, the School of Home Economics, and the School of Physical Education. This new Battle Creek College operated until 1938.
Emmanuel Missionary College grew slowly during the early 1900s. In the 1940s, Nethery Hall, now the location of the College of Arts and Sciences, was built as the administration building. Its construction marked the completion of a major building project.
In the 1930s, Seventh-day Adventist leaders established a Theological Seminary. At first, it was located on the campus of Pacific Union College in Napa Valley, California. Later, it was moved to Washington, D.C., near the denominational headquarters.
In 1959, the graduate program and theological seminary of Potomac University were moved from Washington, D.C., and joined with the school in Berrien Springs.
In 1956, denominational leaders decided to create a university to train teachers for Adventist schools. They wanted to avoid sending teachers to universities that did not support Adventist beliefs. A charter was granted, and the new school was named Potomac University. Earlier, Ellen White, a cofounder of the Adventist Church, had suggested that Adventist schools be located in rural areas. Church leaders searched for a suitable rural location near Washington Missionary College, now Washington Adventist University. However, the search was abandoned due to high costs.
At the 1958 Autumn Council in Washington, the board of Emmanuel Missionary College invited the General Conference to locate Potomac University on its campus. After careful consideration, the council voted to accept the offer and move the institution to the EMC campus.
Arrangements were made to keep EMC’s identity intact. It remained the college for the youth of the Lake Union Conference but became affiliated with the new Seventh-day Adventist university.
In 1959, H. L. Rudy, a vice-president for the SDA General Conference, described the relationship between the new graduate university and Emmanuel Missionary College.
Because of the addition of graduate programs and the seminary in 1960, the school was renamed "Andrews University" in honor of John Nevins Andrews, an Adventist scholar and the first officially sponsored overseas missionary for the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
On April 18, 1957, the Minutes of the General Conference Committee reported that the graduate school should be named "Adventist University." Three years later, on April 5, 1960, the committee recommended the name "Andrews University," explaining that it honors J. N. Andrews, a dedicated Adventist leader, and has strong Adventist appeal.
Today, the seminary is known as the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary.
A marker designating the college as a Michigan Historic Site was placed by the Michigan Historical Commission. The inscription reads:
In 1974, the undergraduate division of Andrews University was organized into two colleges: the College of Arts & Sciences and the College of Technology. The School of Business Administration, which developed from the Department of Business Administration, was established in 1980. Similarly, the Department of Education became the School of Education in 1983. In 1993, the Department of Architecture became the Division of Architecture, now the School of Architecture, Art & Design. At the same time, technology programs were restructured, and the School of Health Professions was opened in 2012.
The current structure of the School of Graduate Studies was adopted in 1987. Now called the School of Graduate Studies & Research, it oversees graduate programs and research activities across campus.
Griggs University joined Andrews University in 2011 to become the School of Distance Education. It provides access to Adventist education beyond campus, community, and national boundaries. It supports all schools in offering degrees at national and international locations while promoting best practices in distance education.
On Thursday, April 11, 2007, President Niels-Erik Andreasen announced at a special chapel assembly that the university had received an anonymous gift of $8.5 million. The donors requested the money be used for:
– Construction of a new entrance on Old US 31 (officially opened on June 2, 2008, and named J. N. Andrews Blvd.),
– Two endowed chairs: one for the Marketing Department in the School of Business Administration and the second in the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary’s Christian Ministry Department,
– Construction of a milking parlor for the Andrews Dairy,
– Refurbishing the kitchen and dining facilities in the Campus Center, and
– Supporting the educational program of the Aeronautics Department.
Campus
Andrews University is located in Berrien Springs, a village in southwest Michigan. The campus is next to the St. Joseph River and 12 miles (19 km) from the shore of Lake Michigan. South Bend, Indiana, where the University of Notre Dame is located, is 25 miles (40 km) away. Because of this, some Andrews University teachers also work at Notre Dame.
The campus covers 1,600 acres (6.5 km²) and is officially called an arboretum. It has many native trees, especially around the central quad. The campus includes 27 buildings used for teaching, the Howard Performing Arts Center, an airpark, four dorms for single-sex students, and four apartment complexes.
The four dormitories on campus are Lamson Hall (for undergraduate women), Damazo Hall (for graduate women), Meier Hall (for undergraduate men), and Burman Hall (for men who are graduate or seminary students). The dorms have strict curfews based on a student’s age and a rule that stops students of the opposite sex from being in dorm rooms at any time. Students living on campus must attend several worship services.
Artworks on campus include the Corten Steel Sculpture, Legacy of Leadership, and Regeneration. The Corten Steel Sculpture (1966–1967) was created by Timothy Malone while he was a graduate student and part-time teacher at the University of Notre Dame. The sculpture weighs 1,300 pounds (590 kg) and has the Andrews University motto and the words "Corpus, Mens, Spiritus" on one side. The other side shows an imperfect circle that represents the globe and two curved lines that look like meridians. The sculpture was meant to be placed in December 1966 but was delayed until April 1967 because of Malone’s illness and a problem with the sculpture’s balance.
Academics
In 2019, the university reorganized its structure and now consists of five main academic units. These units offer 130 undergraduate programs and 70 graduate programs. The School of Graduate Studies oversees graduate degrees in several areas. The most popular undergraduate programs, based on 2021 graduate numbers, include:
The university’s freshmen retention rate is 83.9%, meaning 83.9% of first-year students continue their studies the next year. The graduation rate is 53.3%, meaning 53.3% of students complete their degrees.
The College of Health & Human Services was created in 2019. It combined the previously named School of Health Professions, which included health-related sciences. The college now includes the School of Architecture and Interior Design, the School of Communication Sciences & Disorders, the School of Nursing, the School of Population Health, Nutrition & Wellness, the School of Rehabilitation Sciences, and the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences. Emmanuel Rudatsikira was named the first dean of the college and continues in this role.
The School of Architecture began as an associate degree program in 1974. It became a fully accredited bachelor’s program in 1987 and a master’s program in 2002. In 2007, the Division of Architecture was renamed the School of Architecture. In 2012, it merged with the Department of Art & Design to form the School of Architecture, Art & Design, adding Interior Design and Construction Management majors. In 2016, the art and design sections moved to the Department of Communication, creating the School of Architecture & Interior Design and the Department of Visual Art, Communication & Design. Lionel Johnson is the current chair of the School of Architecture & Interior Design.
Past projects by the School of Architecture include community plans for cities in Alaska, Michigan, Montana, Indiana, and Mississippi. The school is one of five accredited architecture programs in the U.S. located at a Christian university. In 2020, the school received an open letter from current and former students who experienced racism in the department.
The College of Arts & Sciences, organized in 1974, is the largest of the university’s six schools. It includes thirteen departments covering subjects like the arts, sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Amy Rebok Rosenthal is the current dean of the college.
The college also offers pre-professional programs in law, health, optometry, dentistry, medicine, and veterinary medicine. Many graduates attend Loma Linda University, a Seventh-day Adventist institution with the only Protestant Christian medical and dental schools in the U.S.
The College of Professions includes the School of Business Administration, the Department of Aviation, and the Department of Computing. Kimberly Pichot is the current dean of the college.
The School of Business Administration began offering graduate business education in 1964. It has been located in Chan Shun Hall since 1989 and offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees. The school is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
The College of Education & International Services includes the School of Education, the School of Leadership, the School of Graduate Psychology and Counseling, and the School of Distance Education. Alayne Thorpe is the current dean of the college.
The School of Education offers bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, and doctoral degrees in 31 education programs. It also includes a leadership program offering graduate degrees and an undergraduate leadership program that awards certificates.
The School of Distance Education & International Partnerships (formerly Griggs University) was transferred to Andrews University in 2010. It is located in Griggs Hall B and was renamed in 2016 to reflect its global partnerships.
The Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary was established in 1936 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It moved to Berrien Springs, Michigan, in 1960 and became part of Andrews University. The seminary is accredited by The Association of Theological Schools in the U.S. and Canada.
The seminary’s main goal is to train ministers for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It offers a 3-year Master of Divinity program, 2-year programs in Youth Ministry and Pastoral Ministry, and 1–2 year Master of Arts in Religion and Master of Theology programs. It also offers doctoral programs in Ministry, Religion, and Theology. Andrews University was the first to offer a PhD in Adventist studies.
The seminary has six departments: Christian Ministry, Church History, Discipleship & Religious Education, New Testament, Old Testament, Theology & Christian Philosophy, and World Mission. Jiři Moskala is the current dean.
The College of Technology, established in 1974, was dissolved in 2012. Its departments were moved to other schools. The Department of Visual Art & Design joined the Department of Communication to form the Department of Visual Art, Communication & Design. The Department of Engineering & Computer Science became part of the College of Arts & Sciences. The Department of Aviation joined the School of Business Administration in 2017. The Department of Agriculture was moved to the College of Arts & Sciences in 2015 and renamed the Department of Sustainable Agriculture.
The J. N. Andrews Honors Program provides a learning community focused on critical thinking, discussion, and debate. It is part of the Upper Midwest Honors Council, the Michigan Honors Association, and the National Collegiate Honors Council. Established in 1966 by Dr. Paul E. Hamel and Dr. Merlene A. Ogden, the program offers advanced coursework and research opportunities.
James White Library
The original James White Memorial Library was built in 1937 as the first separate library building on the university's campus, which was called Emmanuel Missionary College at that time. In 1959, the religious group's graduate programs in theology and education moved from Takoma Park, Maryland, to Berrien Springs, creating a complete university to meet the growing needs of the world church. Paulette McLean Johnson is the current dean of libraries at Andrews University.
The library has three branches: the Music Materials Resource Center, the Architecture Resource Center, and the Center for Adventist Research. The library also contains the University Archives and Records. Additionally, the library helps organize materials for the Horn Archaeological Library.
Rankings
In 2021, Andrews University was ranked #298-#389 among "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report. The next year, it was ranked #1 in Campus Ethnic Diversity among "National Universities." In 2023, Niche ranked Andrews University the #1 private university and #1 Christian college in the state of Michigan. They also ranked Andrews #14 among Christian colleges nationally, the highest-ranked Adventist college or university.