Multnomah University

Multnomah University (MU) is a private Christian university in Portland, Oregon. Composed of a college, seminary, graduate school, and online distance-learning program, the university offers bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees, as well as professional certifications and endorsements.

Not to be confused with Multnomah College.
Multnomah University
Other name
MU
Former names
Multnomah School of the Bible (1936–1993)
Multnomah Bible College (1993–2008)
TypePrivate university
EstablishedFebruary 14, 1936
Endowment$8.74M (2021)
PresidentJessica Taylor[1]
Undergraduates335
Postgraduates175
Location
Portland
,
Oregon
,
United States

45.5265°N 122.5766°W / 45.5265; -122.5766
Campus25 acres (10 ha)
NicknameLions
Sporting affiliations
NAIA – CCC
Websitemultnomah.edu

History

On February 14, 1936, John G. Mitchell called a meeting of Portland-area ministers and Christian businessmen to discuss the idea of creating a Bible school in the Pacific Northwest. Mitchell, working with B.B. Sutcliffe, Willard Aldrich, and others, founded Multnomah School of the Bible that year.

The following October, classes began with 49 students and a half-dozen faculty in a former mortuary.[2][3]

The first president was B.B. Sutcliffe who served in that role from 1936 to 1939. In 1943, Willard Aldrich became president of the school. At 34, he was the youngest president of a college in the United States.[4] Willard served as president up until his retirement in 1978. During his time as president, Multnomah came to reside on its current campus and became a degree-granting college.[5]

Willard's son, Joseph C. Aldrich, followed in his father's footsteps and became the next president of Multnomah. He was affectionately referred to as Joe.[6]

The Multnomah Graduate School of Ministry was founded as a related institution in 1986 and was renamed later to Multnomah Biblical Seminary. In 1993, the college was renamed Multnomah Bible College. On July 1, 2008, the name of the institution was changed to Multnomah University.[7]

Multnomah University was granted an exception to Title IX in 2016 that allows it to legally discriminate against LGBT students.[8] University policy states that humans should have sex only within heterosexual marriage.[9]

Campus locations
Northeast Portland campus

The original campus was located adjacent to the site of the present Lloyd Center shopping mall in Northeast Portland. In 1952, the school purchased the 17-acre (69,000 m²) former campus of the Oregon Blind Trades School, a branch of the Oregon State School for the Blind, located at NE 82nd Avenue and NE Glisan Street, and the university's main campus still remains there today.[3]

In 2008, Multnomah announced a satellite campus in Reno, Nevada. Reno students could choose from a bachelor's degree in Bible and theology or graduate degrees in Bible, theology, or church leadership.[10] Multnomah's Reno campus was also home to Reno Technology Academy, which exists to resolve the information technology labor shortage in Northern Nevada by providing industry certifications. The Reno campus was permanently closed at the end of 2020.

Rankings

In 2009, Multnomah University was named among the top 25 non-profits to work at in Oregon.[11] The Seattle Met, in their 2008 rankings of Northwest colleges, put Multnomah as #6 in the region.[12]

Ministries

Over its history, Multnomah has been the starting point of several independent ministries and businesses, including: Mission Portland,[13] International Renewal Ministries,[14] and Multnomah Press (now Waterbrook-Multnomah Publishing Group, which no longer has any connection to Multnomah University).[15]

Academics {{Citation needed}}

Multnomah offers bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees, as well as professional certifications and endorsements.

Undergraduate program

Historically, Multnomah University required all undergraduate students to major in Bible and Theology and choose a second major after that. The required major in Bible and Theology has since been dropped for a much less robust "Biblical Core."

MU's Summit program allows students to earn a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Bible and Theology and a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) in just five years instead of seven. The university also offers two TESOL certificate options for people wanting to teach English to speakers of other languages.

Graduate school

Multnomah Graduate School offers four Master of Arts (MA) programs. There is also an online version of the Master of Arts in Global Development and Justice degree that kicks off with two weeks of classes in Rwanda or Thailand before transitioning to fully online classes. There is also an online version of the MA in TESOL degree.

Seminary
Multnomah Biblical Seminary

Students at Multnomah Biblical Seminary are offered a standard track (for those without formal Bible and theology education) and an advanced track (for those with formal Bible and theology training) that eliminates one year of graduate studies.[16]

Students in the seminary program are allowed the opportunity for learning in the classroom and practical application through Multnomah's internship program. Pastoral mentors work with students to help in their ministry training by providing guidance, experience, and constructive feedback.

The seminary also offers a doctoral program, the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.), which offers several specialized tracks, including: Cross-Cultural Engagement, Contextual Leadership, Global Evangelism, and Youth Ministry.

Online degrees

Multnomah University offers online bachelor's degrees, online graduate degrees, and online seminary degrees.

Athletics {{Citation needed throughout}}

The Multnomah athletic teams are called the Lions. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) since the 2015–16 academic year.

Multnomah competes in 12 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer and track & field; while women's sports include and basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, track & field and volleyball. Former sports included women's golf.

Men's basketball

The men's basketball team holds the NAIA record for three-pointers taken in a game (79) and three-pointers made in a game (29).

Notable people

Alumni

Faculty

References
  1. "Multnomah University Announces Dr. Jessica Taylor as Interim President". 21 April 2023.
  2. "Our History". Multnomah University. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  3. Balmer, Randall (2004). Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism. Waco, Texas: Baylor University Press. p. 396. ISBN 9780664224097. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
  4. "Multnomah University co-founder Aldrich dies at age 100". Christian News Northwest. Archived from the original on December 9, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  5. "Multnomah Bible School Founder Dies at 100". Oregon Faith Report. Dec 3, 2009. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  6. Haught, Nancy (March 28, 2010). "Books from Multnomah Bible College are bound for Rwanda and a new theological library". The Oregonian. Retrieved 29 March 2010.
  7. Richard Koe. "Two More Colleges To Make Jump To University Status". Christian News Northwest. Archived from the original on 2010-11-20. Retrieved Nov 29, 2010.
  8. "Worst List: The Absolute Worst Campuses for LGBTQ Youth". Campus Pride. 17 May 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  9. Gjelten, Tom (March 27, 2018). "Christian Colleges Are Tangled In Their Own LGBT Policies". WBUR.
  10. "Multnomah University Expands to Nevada". Christian News Northwest. Archived from the original on December 9, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  11. "100 Best Nonprofits to Work For in Oregon". Oregon Business Review. Archived from the original on 5 July 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  12. "Northwest College Rankings". Seattle Met. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  13. "Our History". Multnomah University. Archived from the original on December 9, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  14. "International Renewal Ministries". Mission Portland. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  15. "About Us". Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  16. "Degrees Offered". Multnomah University. Archived from the original on 24 April 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
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