Mid-America Christian University

Mid-America Christian University
Former names	South Texas Bible Institute (1953–1955); Gulf Coast Bible College (1955–1985); Mid-America Bible College (1985–2003)
Motto	Dream BIGGER. Do GREATER.
Type	Private university
Established	1953
Religious affiliation	Church of God (Anderson)
President	Phil Greenwald
Students	2,558
Location	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.; 35°20′52″N 97°34′42″W / 35.34778°N 97.57833°W
Campus	65-acre (26 ha)
Colors	Red & White;
Nickname	Evangels
Sporting affiliations	NAIA – Sooner; NCCAA Division I – Central
Mascot	Evangel
Website	www.macu.edu

Mid-America Christian University (MACU) is a private Christian university in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. MACU is an endorsed agency of the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.^[2] MACU was initially founded as the South Texas Bible Institute in 1953 in Houston Heights, Houston, Texas.^[3]

More than 60 courses of study are offered through MACU's twelve academic schools.^[4]

History

The institution, now known as MACU, was founded on September 14, 1953, as the South Texas Bible Institute in Houston, Texas. It was chartered as a center for higher education. Dr. Max R. Gaulke established the institution with the help of the First Church of God.

In the fall of 1955, the curriculum of the institution was expanded to that of a four-year university and the name was changed to Gulf Coast Bible College. In 1966, Gulf-Coast Bible College became an associate member of the American Association of Bible Colleges and was granted full membership in 1968. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the regional accrediting association, granted full accreditation in 1978.

The Gulf Coast Bible College became a general agency of the Church of God (Anderson) in June 1968. The Executive Council of the Church of God accepted the college as a member organization. Additionally, the college also was granted membership on the Commission on Higher Education of the Church of God.

When the college was in the Houston Heights, it tried to establish a campus by buying houses and tearing them down. In 1984 the university announced that it was moving to Oklahoma City. Not all of the officials wanted to move to Oklahoma.^[5]

In September 1984 Odus Eubank, the vice president for academic affairs said that he did not want to go to Oklahoma. He resigned in the spring of 1985. The Gulf Coast Bible College relocated to Oklahoma City in June 1985,^[5] and changed its name to Mid-America Bible College.^{[citation needed]} Eubank formed the Christian College of America of Houston with other pastors.^[5]

The institution adopted its current name, Mid-America Christian University, in 2003.

Academics

MACU offers Bible-based liberal arts programs and ministry education. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Through twelve academic schools, the university provides undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees and certificates. The university also offers a life experience program, allowing students to convert prior work, military, church, volunteer and general life experience into up to 30 hours of college credit towards their undergraduate degree program.^[6]

In 2019, the university announced a program called FastTrack. Through FastTrack, students can combine any undergraduate program with either a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or a Master of Arts in Leadership to complete both degrees in five years.^[7]

Military

MACU participates in the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Yellow Ribbon Program and meets the cost per hour of $250 allotted for active military. The university staffs a dedicated office of veterans and family members of veterans to help current and former members of the armed forces with their educational experience.^[8]

Scholarships

MACU offers fourteen academic scholarships for incoming freshmen and college transfers based on factors such as GPA and ACT scores.^[9] Additional scholarships are available through church partnerships, athletics and through the university's general scholarship fund. Academic scholarship opportunities are also available for adult students pursuing bachelor's and master's degrees from the university.

Dream Scholarship Gala

Every year, MACU holds a Dream Scholarship Gala in Oklahoma City to raise funds for the university's general scholarship fund, called the Evangel Fund. The Dream Scholarship Gala was established in 2016 and has raised $485,000 for institutional scholarships to date.^[10]

Campus

The university campus consists of eight buildings set on a 65-acre (260,000 m²) plot. The main building has nearly two acres under the same roof. The college auditorium has the capacity of 670 seats, which is used for chapel, assemblies, and other special weeks.

Library

The Charles Ewing Brown Library, located on campus, offers the students and faculty access to resources for use in academic research as well as for personal pleasure. The Library's collection contains over 166,800 volumes, including: over 41,100 print book and periodical titles, over 58,200 electronic book titles, over 15,400 online periodical titles, and over 4,100 online government documents.^[11] It seats over 150 students and has 33 computer stations, two meeting rooms, and an Education Resource Center for students in the School of Teacher Education.

The C. E. Brown Library participates in the OK-Share card system provided by the Oklahoma Council of Academic Library Directors (OCALD).^[12]

Athletics

The Mid-America Christian (MACU) athletic teams are called the Evangels. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) since the 2007–08 academic year. They are also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Central Region of the Division I level.^[13]

MACU competes in eight intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball and soccer; while women's sports include basketball, soccer, softball and volleyball; and co-ed sports include eSports.

Men's basketball

In 2016, the men's basketball team won the Buffalo Funds NAIA Championship in Kansas City, Missouri. This was the school's first and only NAIA national title (although they have won several NCCAA titles).