ASBURY COLLEGE'S ADULT DEGREE COMPLETION PROGRAM
Community Expectations For the Asbury College ACHIEVE Community
The Statement of Mission
The mission of Asbury College, as a Christian Liberal Arts College in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition, is to equip men and women, through a commitment to academic excellence and spiritual vitality, for a lifetime of learning, leadership and service to the professions, society, the family and the Church, thereby preparing them to engage their cultures and advance the cause of Christ around the world.
ACHIEVE Program Mission Statement
The mission of the ACHIEVE Program is to provide a quality academic program, within a Christian context, that equips nontraditional students to achieve professional excellence in their chosen field. The ACHIEVE Program prepares students for leadership and service to others, cultivates attitudes of lifelong learning, and fosters spiritual development.
The Statement of Purpose
Asbury College is an independent liberal arts college, providing undergraduate and graduate educational programs guided by the classical tradition of orthodox Christian thought. Central to this endeavor is a clear affirmation of the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as God's infallible and authoritative word, and particularly its teaching that the world was created by God and that persons are created in the image of God. On this foundation, we seek to provide an excellent integrated educational experience that appreciates truth in all areas of life and develops whole persons for achievement and service. Whether preparing students for further advanced degree study or for professional employment, the educational programs of the college reflect a liberal arts character.
The College believes in the humanizing value of broad exposure to the Western cultural heritage, the "great tradition" as both a classical body of knowledge and a dynamic conversation on the great ideas and values that have shaped this civilization. In robust interaction with Christian faith and practice, this educational approach develops students' natural God-given potentials as rational, moral, spiritual, social, and physical beings. The College seeks to expand students' horizons outward to understand the history and value of other peoples and cultures, and prepares them for involvement in a complex and changing global reality.
College life is shaped by the Wesleyan understanding of sin, grace, and the possibility of full salvation for Christ-like living. Asbury College embraces the equality, dignity, and worth of all persons and endeavors to be a campus community that reflects both the unity and diversity of the body of Christ. Asbury College fosters in students a commitment to Jesus Christ as personal Savior and to holiness of heart and life. The College sends them forth to engage transformatively the cultures in which they are called to live out their allegiance to the Kingdom of God and to participate in the cause of world redemption.
The ACHIEVE Community
In response to the institutional mission, the ACHIEVE Program is committed to the integration of educational excellence and spiritual vitality within a professional development model. Our underlying purpose is to prepare leaders with "tough minds and tender hearts." This model reflects a rigorous academic preparation and an intentional design to build moral and spiritual excellence. Therefore, the integration of faith and learning within the ACHIEVE Program at Asbury fulfills the institution's mission of eruditio et religio (academic excellence and spiritual vitality).
Foundational Principles of Community Life
The concept of community at Asbury College is built on ten foundational principles which we believe are essential for success, not only during your time at Asbury, but also throughout the rest of your life. We are aware that these underlying principles may seem so obvious that we may at times forget to identify their vital impact on everyday living within our setting. However, it is important to understand that these foundational tenets are at the heart of all we do at Asbury College, whether graduate student, undergraduate student, faculty, staff or administrator.
We recognize that these are not the only principles upon which a community can be founded but they are the ones that we have discovered to be effective for the promotion of a unique partnership of faith, living, and learning. It is in such a climate that people move beyond simply preparing for life, and learn how to live. To aid you in making an informed decision about studying at Asbury College, we ask you to consider the following foundational principles:
Asbury College is committed to following biblical mandates for living. We believe the Bible is our ultimate authority and it provides the essential teachings and principles of personal and community living.
Asbury College promotes a radical commitment to Jesus Christ as both Savior and Lord. We believe that Jesus Christ desires a personal relationship with every individual and invites us to surrender to Him in order that His perfect love might flow through our lives.
Asbury College encourages a balanced lifestyle. Our community seeks to influence the whole person by advocating a life which exemplifies a healthy approach to the spiritual, rational, social, emotional and physical aspects of our lives seeking a balanced approached to living.
Asbury College is committed to a lifestyle characterized by integrity. The Asbury community seeks to be characterized by honesty, faithfulness, loyalty and mutual respect.
Asbury College is a learning community. The Asbury community takes seriously its commitment to academic excellence and views scholarly endeavors as critical components of a larger educational preparation of the whole person.
Asbury College is a respectful and inclusive community. Asbury seeks to foster respect, acceptance, and support for differences of gender, race, national origin, age, mental and physical ability, religious denomination, and ethnic culture.
Asbury College is a redemptive community. In addition to promoting a right relationship with God, the community promotes right relationships with one another and with the institution itself.
Asbury College is a disciplined community. Our community encourages it members to discipline themselves and to be accountable to God and others for their actions.
Asbury College is a serving community. Asbury's mission is to develop servant-leaders who will make significant contributions to society.
Asbury College is a celebrating community. We believe in the value of celebrating the special events and achievements that come to the members of our community.
If you struggle with one or more of these principles but are committed to what they represent, we enthusiastically invite you to join our community. However, if you cannot appreciate or commit to these principles, Asbury may not be the right place for you.
Community Expectations for the Asbury Community
A distinguishing mark of a Christian community is that its members commit to a set of basic guidelines which are considered essential to maintain the spirit and health of the community; thus, the primarily residential undergraduate student population at Asbury College is held to high expectations for a disciplined lifestyle. Although the nature of the ACHIEVE Program experience is qualitatively different, in order to model consistency for our undergraduates, students are asked to abide by similar community life guidelines while enrolled at Asbury College.
The lifestyle guidelines represent a set of values which are important to the continuance of the Asbury heritage and the fulfillment of her mission. The standards should not, however, be considered an index of Christian spirituality or confused with the means of salvation. Salvation comes through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The guidelines espoused here reflect Biblical imperatives, traditions, and commitments which we believe will support all students in developing a "lifestyle for a lifetime."
At Asbury College we respect the worth and dignity of each individual and are sensitive to the special needs of each individual. Therefore, discrimination against others on the basis of race, national origin, gender, age, religious beliefs or disability is not acceptable in any form. Verbal, physical, or sexual abuse of others is not acceptable.
At a Christian college, moral issues are based on biblical mandates. Certain behaviors are expressly prohibited in the Scripture and therefore are unacceptable in the Asbury College learning community. These behaviors include: theft (including plagiarism), lying, dishonesty, vulgarity (including crude language), sexual immorality (including adultery, homosexual behavior, premarital and extramarital sexual intimacy), drunkenness, immodesty of dress and occult practices. While not explicitly mentioned in Scripture, Asbury believes that the following represent violations of Biblical principles and also are unacceptable: abortion, gambling, and pornography.
Because of the potential damaging physical and psychological effects, students should refrain from alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs and the use of tobacco in any form. Asbury College forbids the use of alcohol and tobacco on campus and prohibits the abuse of addictive substances controlled by law.
Students should not engage in activities which pose a threat to their own safety or to the safety of others (e.g. tampering with fire alarms or fire fighting equipment). In addition, students are not permitted to bring firearms or other weapons on campus.
The college community is concerned that all students, undergraduate and graduate, reflect in their dress modesty, neatness, cleanliness and appropriateness. Out of courtesy to our undergraduate students, please seek to follow the attire guidelines for the campus. The College requires that ACHIEVE Program students wear what would be considered "business casual" attire. Students are specifically directed not to wear shorts, tank tops, sweats or wind pants to classes. Dirty, ragged, patched, faded clothing, or clothes intended as undergarments are not to be worn.
Additionally:
Men are not permitted to wear earrings on campus. Other "body piercings" which are visible for both genders are prohibited. Extremes in hair styles and dye colors that do not occur naturally in humans are prohibited. Hats and caps are not considered "regular attire" and should not be worn during class by either gender.
Asbury College keeps the Lord's Day (Sunday) as a distinctive day set apart primarily for worship, fellowship, ministry, and rest. Due to the unique nature of this day, the campus is not open for "business as usual." The library, physical activities center and offices are not open for activity nor does the college sponsor academic activities or athletic competition.
Our commitment to the integration of academic excellence and spiritual vitality impacts every aspect of our lives. Asbury College seeks to have a different worldview while seeking to remain relevant in an ever changing world. Thank you for your part in helping in our community's attempt to actualize Biblical principles for Christian living.