On November 5th, 2022, Blue Mountain delighted in one of its longstanding traditions- Founder’s Day. However, there was a special surprise, and it was revealed that Blue Mountain College would be changing its name to Blue Mountain Christian University! This exciting change has left the campus buzzing with talk.
Typically, Founder’s Day is a chapel service dedicated to the history of the campus, and a celebration of people who impacted the school in a significant way. President Barbara McMillin stated that Blue Mountain was a safe place for students to come and learn. Just as Paul mentored Timothy, students are mentored and taught by Christ-centered people. She explained that the founder of the college, Mark Lowrey, was a man of faith and wanted to create a place for students to receive a quality Christian education. Blue Mountain College was born in 1873.
However, on this day, Dr. McMillin had another special announcement that the name of the school would be changed in the Fall of 2023. She talked about many factors that led into this decision. The biggest one was the school’s proud identity as a Christian institute of learning. Blue Mountain is known as being unapologetically Christian, and its name will now reflect that.
Another reason is to distinguish itself from schools of similar names. Many students have been confused by a college by the name of Blue Mountain Community College, which has no relation.
The title of “University” will signify a place of higher learning and help diminish confusion to students applying to the school. Dr. McMillin left students with the thought that we can appreciate the past, celebrate the present, and anticipate the future.
Many students share similar thoughts about the name change. Anna Hodge said that she thought the change would “benefit students who are trying to get jobs outside of the area who may not recognize Blue Mountain College”. She said that the word university carries more weight than college, and that this change will help Blue Mountain stand out as a place of higher learning. Caity Kelly agreed and stated that she hoped the name change would help the college grow academically. She said that “having university instead of college will be more attractive to future students because a university offers a wider range of academic opportunities.” Ashleigh Shelton added that she liked the addition of the Christian title. She said that it represents the nature of the college and tells the public what the college is all about in that one word.
Blue Mountain Christian University has already made its debut. Current students are excited for future changes and look forward to the college's growth.
