Alumni

Southern California College moves to University Status

It’s more than a name change

(One in a series of historical documents on Vanguard's transition to university status)

University Status Means Reorganization...

SCC is transitioning from a liberal arts model of organization to a comprehensive university model. This reorganization will create three schools within the university: the undergraduate College, the Graduate School, and the School for Professional Studies.

This transition to university status began in October 1995 with strategic academic planning sessions with a committee of about 25 faculty leaders, under the direction of Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Murray Dempster. It was at these meetings that basic questions were asked regarding SCC’s preferred vision for the future, its present mission, and its goals for student learning. By May 1996, the committee had faculty approval of new educational targets and goals for students, as well as a new Bachelor of Science degree. The Southern California College Catalog, 1998-99, on pages 8-11, describes SCC’s vision, mission, and educational goals.

The discussions also addressed a growing diversity of academic programs that had brought about internal organizational inefficiencies. Faculty leaders and Administrators acknowledged that SCC, as a liberal arts college, was not set up organizationally to handle three graduate programs and a degree completion program that have different faculties, policies, and procedures. This organizational issue was addressed within the context of the Carnegie classifications of higher education institutions that identifies colleges and universities as either liberal arts, comprehensive, or research in nature. Based on graduates in professional studies, SCC was at the point of being classified as a comprehensive college or university.

In October 1996, the SCC Board of Directors asked President Wayne Kraiss to appoint a committee to study the implications of SCC becoming a university, and to bring back a recommendation to the October 1997 Board meeting. A committee was formed, chaired by Dr. Dempster, and 2,179 opinion questionnaires were sent to a sample of various SCC publics: alumni (the largest sample group), new undergraduates for Fall 1997, canceled undergraduate applicants, continuing undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, staff, administration and Board members. Results of the questionnaires showed overwhelming support for university status and name change across all groups, and gave initial input into the choice of a name. Also, important feedback was produced which communicated concern that SCC maintain its Christian commitment, personal approach to education, and nurturing environment.

In addition to the opinion questionnaires, other research was conducted regarding academic reorganization. Surveys were distributed, and interviews conducted with various institutions within the Coalition for Christian Colleges and Universities.

In October 1997, the committee recommended to the Board of Directors that SCC seek university status, and that it further study changing the institution’s name. The recommendation contained an academic reorganization plan that would identify SCC as a comprehensive university. This plan created three schools within the university: an undergraduate college called the University College, a Graduate School, and a School of Continuing Studies which would house the Degree Completion Program and other non-traditional educational programs.

University Status Means Renaming the Institution...

At the request of the Board of Directors in October 1997, President Kraiss appointed a committee, chaired by Dr. Dempster, to recommend a name for the university. In addition to research from 1996-97, the committee conducted further surveys with undergraduate and graduate students, studied the history and mission of SCC, and analyzed marketing perspectives regarding changing the institution’s name.

The Ad Hoc Committee on the University Name came to the conclusion that the nomenclature, "University" would be advantageous for a number of reasons:

It would reflect the reorganization of the institution to the comprehensive university model.

The belief that "university" better describes the future of the institution with an increasing diversity of programs, and an expanding campus.

A belief that it will benefit the institution’s marketing efforts. Prospective students generally regard a university more favorably than a college. This belief is supported by SCC survey data that overwhelmingly supported university status, as well as anecdotal data from the market.

The evolving definition of a university that has motivated most of SCC’s competitors to adopt university status. The committee believed that the name change was necessary to maintain the institution’s perceived position in the market with Azusa Pacific University, Biola University, California Baptist University, Concordia University, Evangel University, Fresno Pacific University, Point Loma Nazarene University, and others.

The ability to distinguish SCC in the marketplace in California from community colleges. With the exception of academically prestigious colleges in California that have decided to remain essentially liberal arts colleges, just about all four-year colleges in the state have moved to university status.

International recruitment would benefit from the university nomenclature. In many foreign countries, "college" means "high school."

It examining potential new names for the university, the committee began deliberations by acknowledging that Southern California University was its first choice. However, it was discovered that SCU was not legally possible. A previous legal agreement between the State of California and USC prohibits anyone from using the words: University, Southern, and California in any order.

Another possible option--Southern California Christian University--was not considered preferable by the committee. In analyzing this option, the committee acknowledged the basic principle that words are perceived by people who define them according to their frame of reference. What would "Christian University" mean to different publics? While popular with many in undergraduate publics, individuals in other institutional publics raised concerns about public perceptions of a "Christian University." Would it mean an evangelical and Christ-centered institution that offers a nurturing and academically competitive education? Or, would it mean a Bible college? Might it be perceived as a denominational affiliation? Would "Christian" conjure up political ideology more than religious identity in different regions of the world? Would it mean an institution that offers a less competitive education?

While a few major universities have "Christian" in their name, the committee observed that these institutions are larger and have earned academic reputations over time (e.g., Texas Christian University). In these cases, "Christian" doesn’t even mean "Christ-centered" (the very reason SCC would adopt the name).

Some international students also raised concern that "Christian" on their transcript would cause problems, or would simply be dangerous for them when they returned home countries antagonistic to Christianity.

The committee came to the conclusion that being Christ-centered does not require the word "Christian" in the name. It was noted that in the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities, an association of "Christ-centered," regionally accredited institutions, only 4 of 91 member institutions have "Christian" in their name. In the end, it was judged that the potential risks of Southern California Christian University outweighed its possible benefits.

Other options for keeping "Southern California" in the name seemed awkward. Southern California Coast University was considered, but with Orange Coast College down the street and emphasizing "Coast" in their name, it was not believed to be preferable. Other SCCU choices just seemed too long. The committee wondered why the name should have a geographical identifier for the third word, when the first two words already indicate the location.

After a few meetings, the committee reviewed the possibility of Vanguard University. Rosemary Jackson, Director of Alumni, provided the committee an explanation of why "Vanguards" was chosen as the school mascot in 1958. After a thorough review over several weeks of the data and the pros and cons of selecting Vanguard University of Southern California, the committee unanimously and enthusiastically recommended it to President Kraiss in July 1998 for Board of Directors’ approval on October 23, 1998.

Why Vanguard University of Southern California?

Vanguard University fits with the institution’s vision and mission

Vanguard" means "the foremost position of a movement," thus fitting the vision of the institution’s preferred future as a multi-cultural, gender inclusive, racially diverse Christian academic community.
An institutional desire to be on the forward part of the advancements made in Christian higher education in the cultivation of virtue, the pursuit of truth and commitment to service fits with the name Vanguard University.
Vanguard University fits with the heritage and roots of our institution
When the name "Vanguard" was selected in the Fall 1958 as the athletic mascot of SCC, Professor Calvin Holsinger noted that the name represented more than just the athletic mascot; instead, Holsinger said that name "pictured the school's desire and reputation to 'lead' the field of the brave and best." Even back then, SCC was acknowledged as being "the Vanguard presence of the academic community of the Assemblies of God."
The College was the first institution within the denomination to:
To offer degree programs.
To become a liberal arts college.
To receive regional accreditation.
To become a college rather than a bible school or institute.
To recognize the chaplaincy and provide specialized training required by the government.
To locate as a four-year college of any kind in Orange County (Chapman University is older, but was located in L.A. at the time SCC moved to Costa Mesa in 1950).
To begin offering graduate programs at the M.A. level.

Vanguard University is postured to continue this tradition by becoming:

The first A/G institution outside of Springfield to offer the D.Min. from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary.
The first A/G institution to offer the Ph.D. through a cooperative partnership with the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, validated by both Leeds University and the University of Wales.

Vanguard University bespeaks of God's gracious blessing on the college from its inception to the present day

Vanguard University has a sense of strength and prestige that will assist in marketing strategies

Its brevity gives it an energy and power over longer more cumbersome name possibilities.
Given its dictionary meaning of the foremost position of a movement, Vanguard University connotes a commitment to excellence and being progressive.
The name has a distinctiveness from other AG colleges and CCCU institutions in southern California

Vanguard is a name that already has recognizable parlance within constituencies and publics

The name has expanded beyond a mascot identification for SCC athletic teams to college music groups that represent the institution in churches and in concerts open to the public.
The Vanguard Centre student housing facility across Newport Boulevard joins Vanguard Hall on-campus.
The city has designated the street, Vanguard Way, as a corridor between Fair Drive and Newport Boulevard.

Vanguard University of Southern California retains our identity since 1920

By keeping "Southern California" in the name, Vanguard University is connected with the institution’s identity since 1920.
"Southern California" in the name is appropriate given ownership by the Southern California District Council of the Assemblies of God.
"Southern California" continues to have appeal with many of the institution’s publics.

University Status at Vanguard University Also Means Rebuilding

The transition to university status not only involves reorganization and a new name, it also involves an aggressive campus rebuilding program that will change the face of the campus. Vanguard 21, a $43 million capital campaign, has $33 million earmarked for campus facilities, and $10 million for the endowment fund. Phase one is already underway.

Vanguard 21 is slated to build a religion/business building, performing arts center, theatre, music/TV-film/literature and modern languages facility, natural sciences/computer sciences/social sciences building, a student union/dining commons, and gymnasium. Construction is expected to begin on the religion/business building in 2000. The campaign has been planned to accommodate a university enrollment of 3,000 students, with a mix of on-campus and off-campus students and programs.

Will the mascot change, or will it be the Vanguard Vanguards?

By December 1998, a new mascot will be selected for Vanguard University. It will not be the Vanguards.

So much is changing, is SCC losing its roots and mission?

Alumni feedback in 1997 clearly indicated a concern that the College not lose its commitment to Jesus Christ, its integration of faith with learning and living, its nurturing environment, and its personal approach to education. Administrators, Faculty and Staff at the College enthusiastically agree. While Vanguard University will continue to grow, not all growth will be in the University College. The University remains committed to a undergraduate student to faculty ratio of about 16 to 1, to its mission of educating Christian students in the undergraduate program, to an enthusiastically Christian campus community, and to the integration of faith into all areas of collegiate life and academic programs. In short, the heritage of an undergraduate education at SCC will continue with Vanguard University.

When does SCC officially become Vanguard University?

Southern California College will become Vanguard University of Southern California on July 1, 1999.

Top of Page