The warning signals across the American higher education
landscape are flashing bright red.
Driven by shifting demographics, mounting student debt,
rapid technological changes, and evolving workforce needs, the sector is
shrinking. Since 2020, nearly 50 nonprofit colleges have closed their doors and
another 40 have merged — largely concentrated right here in the Midwest and
Northeast.
Given these sobering statistics, people are often surprised
when I express deep hopefulness about the future of Malone University and the
roughly 200 institutions like us across the country (the member institutions of
the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities and
the International Alliance for Christian Education).
My confidence is not wishful thinking; it is grounded in our
distinct, unchanging mission. In this fractured cultural moment,
Christ-centered, Bible-based universities possess a calling that makes them
uniquely suited to serve both the church and our broader community. While we
support and celebrate all neighboring universities as they promote Christian
values, our distinctive model rests on a specific, immersive campus experience.
This approach to higher education is less familiar to many in our immediate region simply because Malone is the only Bible-based university of its kind in Northeast Ohio.
Our distinctiveness is best understood through our people
and our commitment to holistic character formation.
At Malone, our mission fundamentally shapes who we hire.
From full-time professors to part-time adjuncts and staff, every single
employee commits to a shared statement of Christian faith and a community
lifestyle agreement. This intentional alignment transforms a standard workplace
into a deeply supportive, missional family.
Our faculty are not just content experts chasing research
grants; they actively take spiritual responsibility for the students under
their care. To support this, Malone even provides our faculty with
course-release time in their second year of teaching to participate in a
dedicated program of study, deepening their ability to mentor students and
integrate faith seamlessly into the classroom.
Since every single course that is taught at Malone
integrates Christian faith into the curriculum, it is vital that our faculty
members are supported in their efforts to walk alongside our students’ faith
journeys.
This dedication trickles down into every corner of campus
life. Our housekeepers don't just clear trash cans in the residence halls; they
literally pray for our students as they go about their work. Our maintenance
workers routinely pause their daily tasks to be attentive to the needs of a
student whom they notice might be struggling.
Across diverse ecclesiastical lines — Evangelical Friends,
Lutheran, Catholic, Baptist, Anglican, and non-denominational — we come
together to serve our students under a single, actionable
motto: "Christ’s Kingdom First."
This commitment to personal development extends to our
student lifestyle expectations. While many private campuses offer optional
religious activities, Malone requires full-time traditional undergraduates to
attend 15 university-approved chapels or Bible studies per semester.
We provide a wide variety of biblical options to nurture
students no matter where they are on their faith journey. These range from
large-group Community Worship chapels to small group Bible studies and targeted
affinity groups, such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Nurses
Christian Fellowship.
We also ask students to sign a community agreement regarding
daily lifestyle expectations, including abstinence from alcohol, drugs, and
pornography on campus, and a commitment to abide by the traditional Christian
understanding of marriage.
The contrast with mainstream secular institutions is stark.
Years ago, my wife and I took our son on a campus tour of a state university.
The guide proudly showed us the dorm laundry facilities, assuring parents that
the students would receive a detailed orientation so they wouldn’t ruin their
clothes. Later, when asked about opposite-sex overnight stays in the dorms, the
guide boasted that the school encouraged students to "explore and discover
their sexual identity on their own."
The irony was entirely lost on them. A laundry orientation
is certainly helpful, but it is vastly more important to give young people
moral guidance on how not to mess up their lives than how not to mess up their
clothes.
An intentionally Christ-centered education at Malone is
admittedly not for everyone. To a student looking for a typical secular college
experience, required chapel and community agreements might sound more like
purgatory than heaven, and there are some who will respectfully disagree with
our fundamental convictions. But for local families seeking an academically
rigorous and faith-driven community, we offer a vibrant, contrasting option.
As the hub for Christian education and culture in Northeast Ohio, we invite our neighbors to come and see the good things happening here — concerts by CCM artists, nationally renowned speakers, and other opportunities are plentiful. No matter what the future of higher education holds, Malone University will unapologetically continue to stand firm and seek Christ’s Kingdom First in all things.
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