By Daniel Stefanski |
On Tuesday, Arizona Christian University (ACU) announced that it had “achieved record enrollment and surpassed 1,200 total students for the first time.”
ACU President Len Munsil championed the news of his university’s enrollment prowess, saying, “As one of the few higher education institutions in the nation that is conservative and committed to biblical truth, we are finding more and more students and families are looking for what we are offering. For Christians who are tired of paying tuition to institutions where their faith is ridiculed, mocked and canceled, ACU is becoming an increasingly popular alternative.”
The release from ACU highlighted its blossoming recruitment and enrollment efforts, that have largely taken place since Munsil assumed control of the university in 2010, sharing, “After graduating its largest class ever in May, ACU is excited to welcome nearly 500 new students this fall, including nearly 400 first-time freshmen. ACU attracted more new students this year than its entire campus population during Munsil’s first year as ACU president in 2010. For the past decade, ACU has been one of the fastest-growing universities in America.”
Munsil shared his thoughts on ACU’s future and the importance of holding true to the university’s values and mission, adding, “Ultimately, we believe ACU will continue to grow – and must continue to grow – because of its conservative, biblical mission and uncompromising stand for the truths of the gospel. But that growth will never come at the expense of our mission – or our commitment to the small college experience and the unique, caring community we have developed.”
The new year for the university comes after a rather challenging spring, when ACU garnered media headlines over its legal battle with a local school district. In May, the Arizona-based Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) announced a settlement between ACU and the Washington Elementary School District after the District “decided to terminate its (eleven-year) relationship with Arizona Christian and its students solely because of their religious status and beliefs on biblical marriage and sexuality.”
ADF revealed that “the district’s board voted…to enter a new agreement allowing ACU students to teach in the district once again” – in addition to covering $25,000 in attorneys’ fees. That motion from the District’s Governing Board passed with a 4-1 vote.
After the settlement was brokered, ACU and Munsil took a conciliatory approach to recognizing their legal victory. Munsil said at the time, “We look forward to a continued beneficial partnership that serves ACU student-teachers and the students, faculty, and staff of the WESD.”
According to the university, “ACU’s mission and vision are to transform culture with truth by educating and equipping Christian leaders of influence and excellence. Recent ACU graduates have gone on to excel in seminaries, prominent graduate schools, medical schools and law schools including Harvard, the University of Virginia, and ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Other recent graduates have started businesses and non-profits, become teachers, counselors, worship leaders and pastors. ACU has continued to rise in U.S. News & World Report’s national ‘Best College’ rankings, including being ranked in the category of ‘Best Value’ due to its tuition being 25 percent lower than average for private colleges.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
