Education With a Christian Purpose

Olivet Nazarene University, a denominational university in the Wesleyan tradition, exists to provide a university-level liberal arts ‘‘Education With a Christian Purpose.’’ Our mission is to provide high-quality academic instruction for the purpose of personal development, career and professional readiness, and the preparation of individuals for lives of service to God and humanity. ‘‘We seek the strongest scholarship and the deepest piety, knowing that they are thoroughly compatible (and) . . . a Christian environment . . . where not only knowledge but character is sought.’’ (Quotation from the Olivet University Catalog, 1915)

This mission statement clearly identifies Olivet as a university that seeks to help students integrate faith and learning. It is this Christian commitment that adds wisdom to learning. While the mission permeates all that is done at Olivet, it is most fully realized in the academic arena. Olivet seeks to foster and maintain a high commitment to academic excellence. The University affirms that all truth is God’s truth and, therefore, cannot be segmented into secular and non-secular categories and departments. The teaching faculty of the University are men and women who possess the highest academic credentials, a passion and gift for teaching, and a personal vibrant faith. As a teaching university, Olivet is designed to provide close teacher-student contact. Under the guidance of professors and counselors, students are assisted in completing the general education requirements of the University and in choosing a major field of study. Academic endeavors and experiences beyond the classroom are encouraged and facilitated in a variety of ways, including the several cooperative programs provided by the Council for Christian College and Universities, headquartered in Washington, D.C. These programs are both national and international in nature. In addition to the traditional undergraduate liberal arts programs, Olivet offers graduate programs in religion, education, business, counseling, and nursing. There is also a nontraditional degree-completion program that allows working adults to complete their baccalaureate degree through an evening program. Along with this commitment to learning, Olivet exists as a community where faculty, staff, administrators, and students share a common faith. Although the majority of Olivet’s undergraduate students are from the Church of the Nazarene, they are joined by hundreds of other students from more than 30 denominations. Campus life promotes the development of Christian character and grace and provides avenues of service to God, the community, and the world at large. The Olivet environment and culture are positive, challenging, and redemptive.