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Former names | Eugene Divinity School (1895–1908) Eugene Bible University (1908–1930) Eugene Bible College (1930–1934) Northwest Christian College (1934–2008) Northwest Christian University (2008–2020) |
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| Type | Private university |
| Established | 1895 |
| Affiliation | Council for Christian Colleges and Universities |
| President | Joseph Womack |
| Undergraduates | 576 |
| Postgraduates | 193 |
| Location | , Oregon ,U.S. 44°02′49″N123°04′47″W / 44.047°N 123.0797°W /44.047; -123.0797 |
| Colors | Navy Blue & Gold |
| Nickname | Beacons |
Sporting affiliations | NAIA –CCC |
| Mascot | Beacon |
| Website | www |
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Bushnell University is aprivate Christian university inEugene, Oregon, United States. It is historically affiliated with theChristian churches and churches of Christ.
The school was founded as adivinity school in 1895 byChristian Church preacher and educatorEugene Claremont Sanderson as theEugene Divinity School (EDS). Sanderson envisioned a school at which students would study theBible and principles of Christian ministry under Eugene Divinity School's faculty, but take other subjects on the neighboring campus, a model he also attempted to set up atManhattan Christian College, located nearKansas State University. The Eugene Divinity School and its successive institutions maintained this arrangement with theUniversity of Oregon until 1995, when it was discontinued.
In 1908 it becameEugene Bible University; in 1930 that name changed toEugene Bible College. After a merger withSpokane University in 1934, it became known asNorthwest Christian College and thenNorthwest Christian University in 2008.[1][2] In 2020, it formally changed its name to Bushnell University, afterJames A. Bushnell, the first chairman of the university's board of trustees.[3]On December 8, 2009, Joseph Womack was named as Bushnell University's 10th president, taking office on June 1, 2010.[4] Womack is the son of Bushnell's eighth president, James Womack, who served from 1986 to 2004.[5]
Bushnell University is organized into three schools: Theology, Arts & Sciences; Health Professions; and Professional Studies.[6]
Bushnell University isaccredited by theNorthwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.[7][8] It is a member of the Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities (OAICU), theCouncil for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), and theCouncil on Undergraduate Research (CUR). The education programs are approved by the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC), the business programs are accredited by theInternational Assembly of Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), and the Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs is accredited by theCouncil for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.
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Bushnell University is located in east Eugene, at the corner of Alder Street and E. 11th Avenue, separated from the largerUniversity of Oregon by the width of a single lane street. Today, Bushnell students occasionally take University of Oregon classes, have checkout privileges fromKnight Library, and take advantage of free lectures and other events on the neighboring campus.
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The Bushnell athletic teams are called the Beacons. The university is a member of theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in theCascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) since the 2007–08 academic year; which they were a member on a previous stint during the 2006–07 school year as an associate member for women's volleyball and softball. The Beacons previously competed as anNAIA Independent from 2005–06 to 2006–07.
Bushnell competes in 16 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, eSports, golf, soccer and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, eSports, golf, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball.[9]
In January 2021, the university announced a plan to revive its baseball program after a more than 50-year hiatus as the school's 17th varsity sport offering, and named Tommy Richards, a formerBaltimore Orioles' prospect andWhitman College Assistant, as the program's new head coach.[10]
During the fall of 2015 the woman's cross country team won first place in the NAIA Cross Country National Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina. This was the first time Bushnell University's (then known as Northwest Christian) cross country team won first place in this championship. The seven runners who competed at the meet were, Melissa Rios (Freshman), Rosa Schmidt (Sophomore), Shea Vallaire, (Junior), Michelle Fletcher, (Junior), Macie Gale, (Junior), and Alyssa Harmon (Junior).[11]
In 2018, Bailey Dell won the NAIA national championship in women's javelin.[12] In 2019, Anika Rasubala won the NAIA national championship in women's steeplechase.[13]
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