Q: What does it mean to be a college or university of The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)?

That's a reasonable question. The 14 schools, while diverse, have a number of things in common:

• A commitment to academic excellence and the liberal arts;
• An environment of open inquiry;
• An inclusive, welcoming community that respects all people and cultures;
• A focus on character, service, and leadership; and
• A passion for social justice.

You'll find students and faculty with strong values and faith. You'll also notice a philosophy of faith paired with reason: The best learning and personal growth occur when the intellectual and spiritual are combined.

Q: Ok, but what will that mean for me as a student?

It means that you'll have lots of opportunities: to get involved in serving the community, to explore your personal faith, and to be connected to new ideas and perspectives. As you would at most any liberal arts college. The difference is the enlightened spirit and values that inspire those opportunities.

You'll find diverse student groups on our campuses: Democrats, Republicans, Tea Party members, independents; Asian Student Associations, Black Student Unions, Latino Student Associations, International Student Organizations; Gay-Straight Alliances and LGBT groups; and faith-based groups representing Muslim, Jewish, Mormon, Catholic, Episcopal, Baptist, and other denominations.

Q: Do you have to be a member of The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to attend one of these schools?

Not at all. The member Colleges and Universities of The Christian Church are open to all. You'll find just about every faith tradition represented on our campuses. In fact, the majority of students and faculty at our institutions belong to denominations other than Disciples of Christ.

Q: What kind of history does The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) have in higher education?

Our schools have deep roots. In 1780, Transylvania University was the first college founded west of the Allegheny Mountains (and only the 16th college in the country). Bethany College (founded 1840) is the oldest private college in West Virginia.

The Colleges and Universities of The Christian Church also have a long tradition of educating students who were not historically served at institutions of higher learning.

Eureka College was the first college in Illinois – the third in the nation – to admit women on equal footing with men. Jarvis Christian College is a historically Black college. And both Midway College and William Woods University were founded specifically to educate female orphans.

Q: What do alumni of The Colleges and Universities of The Christian Church go on to do after graduation?

Our graduates can be found in a wide spectrum of careers, from academia to business to ministry to politics to sports. They contribute to their communities across the country and around the world as doctors, teachers, ministers, social workers, entrepreneurs, business and civic leaders, artists, writers, nonprofit leaders, and servicemen and women.

Here are just a few examples:

Politics
Ronald Reagan, Eureka College '32, was the 40th President of the United States.
The Hon. Thomas Buergenthal, Bethany College '59, served on the International Court of Justice at the Hague.
Charles “Pete” Perry, Bethany College '59, represented the United Nations in several countries around the world.
Stephanie Vance, Chapman University '88, is a lobbyist in Washington, DC.
Sam Adams, Lynchburg College '95, works for the State Department and has served in embassies in Italy, Sweden, Turkey, Austria, and Germany.

Academia & Education
Rachel Yunck, Hiram College '10, received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship toward her PhD work at Harvard University.
Kathleen Martin, Hiram College '90, is a researcher in cardiovascular medicine at Yale University.
Mark Penny, William Woods University MEd '98, is superintendent of Lincoln County, Missouri, school district.

Nonprofit
Larry McDaniel, Columbia College '03, cofounded a home for abused and neglected children.
Ron Stallworth, Columbia College '05 '07, is a nationally recognized gangs expert and co-chair of the Salt Lake City Gang Reduction Steering Committee.
Joe Knittig, Culver-Stockton College '93, works with the Global Orphan Project.
Jessica Krumrei, Culver-Stockton College '10, is a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa.
Sarah Craighead, Transylvania University '78, is the superintendent of Death Valley National Park.
Laura Newell-Furniss, Lynchburg College '82, is the director of Hunters for the Hungry, which provides food, donated by hunters, to the needy.

Media & Arts
Bob Schieffer, Texas Christian University '59, is an Emmy award-winning news journalist at CBS who has anchored CBS Evening News and is the host of Face the Nation.
Adam Kaufman, Lynchburg College '96, is an actor who has appeared in films and television shows including Without a Trace, NCISM, and Law & Order.
Dave Sims, Bethany College '75, is an Emmy award-winning sportscaster and the voice of the Seattle Mariners Major League Baseball team.
Michelle Hodge, William Woods University '96, is a television news anchor in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
David Anderson, William Woods University '03, is a filmmaker and director of photography.

Business
Robert McCann, Bethany College '80, is the CEO of UBS Wealth Management Americas.
Marc Nager, Chapman University '06, is CEO of the nonprofit business launcher Startup Weekend and was recently profiled in Entrepreneur magazine.
Susan Wilson Solovic, Columbia College '80, is the CEO and founder of sbtv.com, which exclusively covers small business news. She is also the author of The Girls' Guide to Building a Million Dollar Business.
Kate Sparrow, Lynchburg '06, is a manager at the U.S. India Business Council with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Nelson Parker, Transylvania University '96, is head of development for Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos.
Larry Bouts, Hiram College '71, is principal in Bead Bedrock Exploration & Development, which uses technology to find renewable sources of groundwater.
Diana Petrovich-Tao, William Woods University '81, is COO of Arby's Restaurant Group.

Q: Are there any famous members of the Disciples of Christ?

Absolutely! A few well-known Disciples:

• Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Ronald Reagan
• Academy Award-winning actress Frances McDormand (she's a Bethany alum)
• Colonel Sanders (that's right, the founder of KFC)
• Actor John Stamos
• Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden

Q: How can I find out more?

For links to individual schools, please visit our Member Schools page. You'll find more information about The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on disciples.org. To reach The Colleges and Universities of The Christian Church, please email tcuccdoc@gmail.com.