Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor University developed in the late 20th century from a seminary founded in 1873 by leaders of the Free Methodist Church , particularly Edward Payson Hart. First Spring Arbor Seminary was established as a private academy for elementary and secondary grades. Located near the site of a former Potawatomi Indian village, the academy was built on property that formerly belonged to Central Michigan College (later renamed as Hillsdale College after moving to that city). In 1923, the board of trustees voted to add a junior college to the academy. In 1929, the school was renamed as Spring Arbor Seminary and Junior College . Primary and intermediate classes were discontinued in 1930. In 1960, the school gained accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools , and the trustees changed the name of the institution to Spring Arbor College . The high school program was dropped, and Spring Arbor launched its four-year program in 1963. In 1981, Spring Arbor began offering the first of its degree completion programs for adult learners in nearby Jackson. The college later developed degrees in health-related fields and opened sites in Lansing and Flint, Michigan . Graduate education classes began at Spring Arbor in 1994. In 2001, the school changed its name to Spring Arbor University . [ 3 ] A marker designating the college as a Michigan Historic Site was erected by the Michigan Historical Commission in 1963. [ 4 ] The inscription reads: Three Michigan institutions of higher education have had their roots here. The predecessor of Albion College, the Spring Arbor Seminary was chartered in 1835. Michigan Central College, founded in 1844, was located here until its removal in 1855 when it became Hillsdale College. Spring Arbor was opened by free Methodists in 1873 as an academy with elementary and secondary grades. In 1928 the elementary program was discontinued when a junior college was officially introduced.

The high school was terminated in 1961 when a senior college was proposed. In September 1963, the first junior class was accepted into the regionally accredited four-year liberal arts college. Throughout its history, the Spring Arbor Faculty and students have been dedicated to "the serious study of the liberal arts, commitment to Jesus Christ as a perspective for learning and participation in the campus community and the contemporary world."

Quick facts Undergraduate admissions statistics, Admit rate ... Undergraduate admissions statistics 2018 entering class [ 5 ] Admit rate 70.9 (832 out of 1,173) Yield rate 23.1 (192 out of 832) Test scores middle 50% SAT Total 1025-1230 (among 78% of FTFs ) ACT Composite 20-27 (among 36% of FTFs ) Close SAU offers over 70 majors and programs [ 6 ] at the undergraduate level at its main campus in Spring Arbor, Michigan. Its most popular undergraduate majors, in terms of 2021 graduates, were: [ 7 ] Social Work (82) Nursing Administration (67) Operations Management & Supervision (40) Business Administration & Management (24) Sports, Kinesiology & Physical Education/Fitness (18) General Studies (17) Spring Arbor University also offers online undergraduate degree options including Associate of Arts and Associate of Science in business, Bachelor of Science in business, Bachelor of Science in Management, Bachelor of Social Work, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing. In regard to graduate programs, SAU offers Master of business administration, Master of Arts in education, Master of Science in management, Master of Science in nursing, Master of Arts in social work and Master of Arts in counseling degrees. The university is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and is affiliated with the Free Methodist Church . The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission . SAU also holds accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education . [ 8 ] In the late 1980s, Michael A. O'Donnell , Ph.D. and Nick Stinnett, Ph.D. (professor with the University of Alabama ) co-founded The International Family Life Institute, Inc., Montgomery, Alabama , [ 9 ] [ 10 ] which was hired by SAU to help them pioneer the first B.S.

degree completion program in Family Life Education on the campus of Spring Arbor University leading to certification for professionals as Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE) [ 11 ] [ 12 ] [ 13 ] [ 14 ] [ 15 ] [ 16 ] [ 17 ] [ 18 ] In 2020, the university terminated the contracts of 11 faculty, including several tenured faculty. In response, the faculty passed a vote of no confidence in the VPAA. [ 19 ]