Company Profile
Southwest Baptist University
Company Overview
Southwest Baptist University (SBU) is an institution of higher education offering courses that lead to both undergraduate and graduate degrees. SBU offers liberal arts and selected professional degrees and is affiliated with the Missouri Baptist Convention. SBU provides more than 80 areas of study at the undergraduate level and more than 10 graduate degree options. The main SBU campus is located in Bolivar, Missouri, with additional branch campuses in Springfield, Salem, and Mountain View. Total enrollment is approximately 3,800 with just over 1,500 undergraduates on the Bolivar campus.
Company History
Southwest Baptist University first opened its doors in 1878 in Lebanon, MO, as Southwest Baptist College. In 1879 the college was chartered by the state of Missouri and moved to Bolivar. Early writings recount a legacy of sacrificial giving and extraordinary efforts by Baptists in southwest Missouri to establish and maintain the college. The founders, Abner S. Ingman and James R. Maupin, faced many difficulties as they rode horseback seeking funds, students and an ideal college site.
Each spring semester, SBU celebrates Founders Day. It is a time to reflect upon our rich heritage and to remember that in 1878, our founding fathers, Ingman and Maupin, established Southwest Baptist College. Founders Day is an important time when we are challenged to reflect on our past and to thank God for the people who have made the success of today possible.
The college faced many hardships in its early years and actually closed from 1910-13 to regain financial solvency and to recover from a devastating fire that destroyed the college’s only building. The efforts and prayers of area supporters and Missouri Baptists brought results, and the college reopened in 1913 as a two-year junior college.
The University has maintained its strong Baptist heritage through its affiliation with the Missouri Baptist Convention, which provides financial support for the University and elects the 25-member board of trustees which governs the institution. The Missouri Baptist Convention approved plans in 1964 for the college to become a senior liberal arts college. The first baccalaureate degrees were awarded in 1967. Bolivar citizens donated a 102-acre farm on the southern edge of the city that allowed the college to expand beyond the small 10-acre campus located near downtown.
Another milestone occurred in 1981 when the college name was changed to Southwest Baptist University. In 1995 the University entered a joint nursing education agreement with St. John's Regional Medical Center in Springfield, MO, to form St. John’s School of Nursing of SBU. The school became the St. John's College of Nursing and Health Sciences in 2005. St. John's changed its name in 2012, making the name of the college Mercy College of Nursing and Health Sciences of SBU.
Today, SBU is a thriving higher education institution with more than 3,600 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled annually. The 152-acre main campus is located in the southern portion of Bolivar, a community of about 10,300 residents that serves as the county seat of Polk County. Bolivar is located about 25 miles north of Springfield, which is the third largest city in the state of Missouri after St. Louis and Kansas City. The University also operates campuses in Mountain View, Salem and Springfield, MO.
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
Founded in 1878, Southwest Baptist University is a liberal arts university with:
-More than 80 areas of academic study on undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels, giving you diverse options for selecting your field of study;
-Faculty who are passionate about you, your education and your future success;
-Global service and missions projects to share your faith and develop as a servant leader;
-Vibrant campus life within a close-knit community, which is perfect for getting involved and developing lifelong friendships; -Four campuses to provide high-quality higher education conveniently throughout southwest and south central Missouri. The 152-acre main campus is located in Bolivar, Mo., population 10,300 about 25 minutes north of Springfield, Mo. Branch campuses are in Mountain View, Salem, and Springfield, Mo.
Benefits
Please see benefit details at: http://www.sbuniv.edu/_resources/documents/benefits-summary.pdf.