Crandall University

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox university Template:Coord Crandall University is a Baptist Christian liberal arts university located in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. It is affiliated with the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada (Canadian Baptist Ministries).

History

File:Crandall University.jpg

Stultz Hall

Crandall University was founded in 1949 under the name United Baptist Bible Training School (UBBTS), and served as both a secondary school and a Bible school by the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada.<ref name="Randall Herbert Balmer 2004, p. 42">Randall Herbert Balmer, Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism: Revised and expanded edition, Baylor University Press, USA, 2004, p. 42</ref> Over two decades, the focus of the school gradually shifted toward post-secondary programs. In 1968, UBBTS became a Bible and junior Christian liberal arts college, and in 1970 the name was changed to Atlantic Baptist College (ABC).<ref name="Randall Herbert Balmer 2004, p. 42"/> A sustained campaign to expand the school's faculty and improve the level of education resulted in ABC being able to grant full Bachelor of Arts degrees in 1983.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its campus at this time was located along the Salisbury Road, west of Moncton's central business district.

The institution moved to a new campus built on the Gorge Road, north of the central business district, in 1996. The name was changed to Atlantic Baptist University (ABU), a reflection of expanded student enrolment and academic accreditation. In 2003, the ABU sports teams adopted the name The Blue Tide. The institution was the first, and thus far only, English-language university in Moncton. The Atlantic Baptist University Act was passed by the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in 2008.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On August 21, 2009, it was announced that the institution had changed its name to Crandall University in honour of Rev. Joseph Crandall, a pioneering Baptist minister in the maritime region.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In conjunction with the university name change, Crandall Athletics took on a new identity as "The Crandall Chargers."

Academics

Template:As of, Crandall offers 16 undergraduate programs, 3 graduate programs, and a variety of certificate programs.<ref name="viewbook">Template:Cite web</ref> Through its partnership with Acadia Divinity College, students can also enrol in the Bachelor of Theology program concurrent with a Crandall degree.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Crandall has a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio.<ref name="viewbook"/>

Controversy

In 2012, Crandall University came under public scrutiny for receiving municipal funds while refusing to hire non-celibate LGBTQ people. That policy, although regarded as scriptural and consistent with its denominational tradition, was characterized by the press as anti-gay.<ref name="thestar.com">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That same year, the Crandall Student Association publicly broke with the university's administration over the policy, with the student president at the time telling the CBC, "The Christian faith does say do not judge others. And the Christian faith is all about love. So I feel that this policy – to me – doesn't seem like it's following those specific guidelines."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2013, a year after the controversy erupted, the university opted to not apply for $150,000 in public funding that it had received annually.<ref name="CBC_Controversy_1">Template:Citation</ref> The university president also issued an apology, stating: "We wish to apologize for anything that Crandall University might possibly have communicated in the past that may have seemed unloving or disrespectful in any way toward any individual or groups."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Affiliations

Crandall is an affiliate member of the Association of the Registrars of the Universities and Colleges of Canada (ARUCC); a full member of the ARUCC regional association, the Atlantic Association of Registrars and Admissions Officers (AARAO); an active member of Christian Higher Education Canada (CHEC); and an active member of the New Brunswick Association of Private Colleges and Universities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, Crandall faculty are not members of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT). In their report, the CAUT found that "while the university has a statement on academic freedom, it is significantly inconsistent with that of the CAUT and the majority of universities across the western world, and assurances that free enquiry is still possible within its constraints are unconvincing." They therefore recommended that Crandall University "be placed on the list of institutions 'found to have imposed a requirement of a commitment to a particular ideology or statement of faith as a condition of employment.'"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The university is affiliated with the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada (Canadian Baptist Ministries).<ref>Crandall University, Recognition & Affiliations, crandallu.ca, Canada, retrieved September 19, 2022</ref> It is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.<ref>Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, Members, cccu.org, USA, retrieved September 19, 2022</ref>

Library and archives

Crandall University houses the Baptist Heritage Center whose 300 artifacts preserve the material history of Atlantic Baptists, the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches, and its predecessor organizations. The collection and archives includes objects used in worship services, furniture, musical instruments, church building architecture pictures and printed material.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Athletics

Crandall University is represented in the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) by 8 varsity teams. The Chargers teams include men's and women's soccer, basketball, volleyball, and cross country. The Chargers also offer a boxing club program that competes internationally.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Chargers have won seven ACAA championship banners:

• Women's soccer in 2003–04<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Women's cross country in 2022–23 and 2023–24<ref name="ACAA Cross Country">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Men's cross country in 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024-25<ref name="ACAA Cross Country"/>

Notable alumni

• David Alward – former Premier of New Brunswick<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Ken LeBlanc – entrepreneur<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Ralph Richardson – first chancellor of the university
• Cathy Rogers – politician

See also

• List of schools in Moncton
• Higher education in New Brunswick
• List of universities and colleges in New Brunswick

External links

• Crandall University homepage
• Crandall Athletics homepage