Institutional Identity

Simpson University is a Christian university of liberal arts and professional studies in the historic evangelical tradition.

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  • Historical Identity
    • The University was founded as Simpson Bible Institute in 1921 in Seattle to promote spiritual growth and prepare students for Christian service, especially foreign missions.
    • The University was named after Albert B. Simpson, late nineteenth and early 20th century pastor and revivalist who pioneered the Bible school movement in North America and founded the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
    • The University became the official western region school of the Christian and Missionary Alliance in 1941.
    • The University moved from Seattle to San Francisco in 1955, changed its name to Simpson Bible College and began to offer bachelor’s degrees.
    • The University received its initial accreditation with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in 1969.
    • The University changed its name to Simpson College in 1971 as part of its curriculum expansion to include liberal arts and professional studies along with biblical studies.
    • The University moved from San Francisco to Redding in 1989 in order to build a new campus, expand its academic programs, and increase its enrollment.
    • The University changed its name from Simpson College and Simpson Graduate School to Simpson University in 2004 in conjunction with its intention to become a more comprehensive institution.
    • The University continues to embrace its long-standing motto—“Gateway to World Service.”
  • Theological / Denominational Identity
    • The University is an evangelical, Protestant institution that is affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
    • The University mirrors the eclectic background of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, with faculty and staff representing a broad range of evangelical backgrounds.  Faculty members have also received their education at a cross-section of higher education institutions
    • The University’s students also represent a range of church backgrounds.  While many come from the Christian and Missionary Alliance, the majority of the students represent more than 30 different denominations and many independent churches.
    • The University has from its very inception related to the broader Christian community, maintaining relationships with a variety of evangelical organizations and higher education agencies.
    • The University’s official doctrinal position is the Statement of Faith of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.   Board members, administrators, faculty, and staff are required to sign the Statement on an annual basis. 
    • The University is the western region school of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, representing three districts and approximately 300 churches.  The University provides the C & M A with Christian workers for local, national and global ministries.
    • The University receives contributions from the Great Commission Fund of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
    • The University’s President is nominated by the University’s Board of Trustees and is elected by the Board of Directors of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.  The Board of Trustees is elected with sixty percent of the membership coming from within the C & MA, including the three District Superintendents.  The President of the C & MA U.S.A. is also an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees.
  • Educational Identity
    • The University has a liberal arts focus. There is a substantial core requirement in the liberal arts, and the foundational studies curriculum is designed to produce the skills and character traits associated with a liberally educated citizenry.
    • The University has a professional studies focus. Many of the traditional students complete majors in disciplines such as education, business, ministry, and communications, and the ASPIRE curriculum and graduate programs are focused primarily on professional studies.
    • The University has a commitment to external validation. It values and seeks the recognition or accreditation of appropriate state, regional, and national agencies. 
    • The University has a Christian focus. The University has a Christ-centered mission statement, Christian and biblical values, and Christian faculty and administrators.  Faculty members are expected to integrate faith into their teaching and scholarship.  Our motto calls us to worldwide service for Christ.
    • Students are required to take theology courses in both the traditional and nontraditional undergraduate programs. The University has biblical lifestyle standards, is owned by a Christian denomination, and works through Christian churches wherever possible.
  • Cultural Identity
    • The University strives to identify with the world in its brokenness and its desire for human wholeness
    • The University seeks to develop positive intercultural relationships and understanding.
    • The University promotes sensitive and gracious treatment of different races, ethnicities, religions, genders, and marginalized groups.
    • The University endeavors to witness to the world, both as individuals and as a community, through Christ-like words, deeds, and character.
    • The University remains committed to God’s mission in the world—to evangelism, discipleship, and the restoration of relationships with God and one another in all of life’s callings.
    • The University promotes stewardship and service to God, humanity, and the environment, as a means to transform lives and influence cultures.
  • Marketing Identity
    • The University is a Christian university of liberal arts and professional studies.
    • The University is located in scenic Northern California (only private, residential campus north of Sacramento).
    • The University has experienced faculty who serve as teachers and mentors and interact directly with students inside and outside the classroom, while emphasizing hands-on learning.
    • The University has expanding program offerings and a growing, increasingly diverse student body.
    • The University is an institution where students enjoy dynamic residential living and other valuable student life experiences.
    • The University is an institution where students discover their God-given strengths, develop their relationship with God, pursue knowledge, interact with faculty, staff, and other students, and put their faith into action.
    • The University is an educational resource for the North State and beyond, providing accessible learning opportunities for adults of many different backgrounds.
    • The University continues its leading role in serving adults, through its degree completion program, its professional education programs, and its Seminary.
    • The University continues to embrace its long-standing motto—“Gateway to World Service.”

 

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