California Baptist University is a private university, established in 1950 and located in Riverside. CBU is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and offers bachelor’s degree programs (45 majors) and master’s degree programs in psychology, English, kinesiology, education, business, music, public administration, forensic psychology and nursing. Since 1994, student headcount enrollment has nearly quintupled, increasing from 808 to 4013 (Fall 2008). Though CBU’s students come to the campus from more than 40 states and 20 countries, nearly half of the student population (42%) is from Riverside County. Of the top 20 high schools that serve as “feeders” for CBU, eight are located in Riverside; two each in adjacent cities Corona and Moreno Valley; two in nearby Temecula Valley; and five in neighboring southwestern San Bernardino County.
During the past decade, construction and acquisitions have added housing, an office complex, the Lancer Aquatic Center, Mission Hall (science labs and offices), and the state-of-the-art Eugene and Billie Yeager Center that comprises 94,800 square feet of classrooms, computer labs, administrative offices, bookstore, dining commons, game room, and café. The Shelby and Ferne Collinsworth School of Music resides in the JoAnn Hawkins Music Building (opened in 2005), which includes 32,000 square feet of classrooms, computer labs, rehearsal halls, faculty and practice studios, and a recording studio.
The University is recognized as a top-ranked master’s degree granting university in the West by U.S. News & World Report. CBU was ranked 48th in the 2008 report, up from the 51st spot in 2007.
In addition to its central mission of providing strong academic programs, California Baptist University continues to prepare students for global service through International Service Projects. During the past several years, the University has sent students to serve in Australia, Belize, Cambodia, China, Ecuador, Germany, India/Nepal, Italy, Kenya, Rwanda, Russia, Turkey, Vietnam and other regions. Last fall, CBU welcomed a group of science and engineering students from Rwanda to campus; the Rwandan government is paying for the students’ living expenses, while the University is responsible for tuition costs. These students are obligated to return to their country following graduation and work to rebuild their country, which still suffers from the devastation of the genocide that took place more than a decade ago.
As the University evaluates its programs in a continuing effort to provide graduates who will help meet the area’s greatest needs, two areas are prevalent: the need for nurses and the need for engineers. The CBU School of Engineering welcomed its first class of 55 students in the fall of 2007, and there are now more than 100 engineering students enrolled. By 2011, that number is expected to double. The nationally accredited CBU School of Nursing led by founding dean and Parse Scholar, Dr. Constance Milton, is unique in its holistic approach to nursing. With a state-of-the-art facility and an emphasis on the quality of life, the dignity of the person and viewing nursing as a human science, the school will graduate its first class of competent and compassionate nurses in May of 2009.
CBU’s Lancers athletic program is gaining recognition as one of the best in the nation with numerous regional and national championship teams in a variety of sports, including men’s and women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s golf, softball, baseball and wrestling.
For information on their upcoming fundraiser, please see Spirit of Excellence.