Becoming Calvin University

Four key principles have moved Calvin toward adopting a university name and structure.

1. Cultivating Research & Scholarship
   Calvin currently has three graduate programs as well as 11 centers and institutes. These are hallmarks of high-caliber universities worldwide and demonstrate our commitment to research and scholarship. As Calvin continues to expand in these areas, changing our name to Calvin University better reflects who we are.

2. Reaching Across Fields, Across Sectors
   In the United States, the term “college” generally refers to a school focused on undergraduate studies in the liberal arts. While Calvin provides a liberal arts core to all students, about half of our graduates earn degrees in professional fields including engineering, nursing, and business. This is another instance in which becoming a university helps Calvin live into who we already are.

3. Launching Learners of All Credentials
   Calvin’s expanded vision includes reaching new audiences. We will continue to do this through a variety of degree programs and potentially through certificates and other non-degree programs. Moving to a university model is a fitting way to support learning at all levels.

4. Fostering a Common Vocabulary
   Internationally, the term “college” generally refers to a vocational school or two-year program. Changing our name will more accurately describe Calvin to prospective students and faculty research partners on a global scale.

True to our tradition

Calvin isn’t the same as it was five years ago. And certainly isn’t the same as it was 25, 50, or 100 years ago. Yet the core of who we are—the core of our mission—has and will remain consistent. In the midst of the promising changes underway, we also remain fully committed to the lasting hallmarks of a Calvin education.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a college and a university?

College generally refers to schools that serve only undergraduates with majors in the arts and sciences. While Calvin has a long tradition of offering strong majors in these disciplines, today about 50 percent of its students graduate with professional degrees in engineering, nursing, and business, to name a few. As such, Calvin seeks to reflect this growth and commitment to both the liberal arts and professional education by becoming Calvin University. Having recently added a masters of accounting to complement its masters degree offerings in education and speech pathology and audiology, we foresee serving more post-undergraduate students in the future.

What are Calvin’s graduate degree programs?

• Master of Education (1976)
  The Master of Arts in Teaching was first offered in 1976. This has since evolved into Calvin College’s Graduate Studies in Education program, which offers a Master of Education in four formal degree concentrations: educational leadership, literacy, inclusion specialist, and curriculum and instruction.

• Master of Speech Pathology and Audiology (2011)
• Master of Accounting (2017)

What is the graduate student enrollment vs. undergraduate enrollment at Calvin?

• Graduate student enrollment: 94
• Undergraduate student enrollment: 3,746

Are there plans to offer more graduate programs in the years ahead?

Yes. While Calvin will continue to hold residential undergraduate education at its center, we will pursue an innovative vision that branches out from these roots and seeks to serve new audiences. We will provide programs that bridge the needs of high school students, undergraduate and graduate students, professionals in the middle of careers, and people interested in unaccredited learning, as in our CALL program. A Christian liberal arts approach to education will continue to undergird all of this work.

Should I change my résumé to reflect “Calvin University”?

Once our name changes, it’s up to you whether you change your résumé and social media profiles to reflect “Calvin University.” One suggestion would be to consider “Calvin University (formerly Calvin College)” to avoid confusion, but that is entirely up to you.

Based on the experiences of other institutions that went through this transition, there should not be any negative outcomes from keeping Calvin College on your résumé if that was the official name of the school when you graduated.

Will there be an option to replace my diploma?

Your diploma is a historical document that reflects the official name of the school when you graduated and does not need to be replaced. However, if you wish to purchase a new diploma that bears the name “Calvin University,” we will make that option available after the name change becomes official.

How will the name change affect Calvin’s rankings (e.g., U.S. News & World Report)?

The rankings already account for our program offerings, size, and location. The name change does not directly affect these factors.

Specifically, U.S. News & World Report follows the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education and will likely change our classification from Regional Colleges to Regional Universities next year, regardless of our name.

How is Calvin’s logo and seal different?

Fortunately, Calvin’s new wayfinder logo that was introduced in 2014 only needed to receive a minor modification. “COLLEGE” was replaced by “UNIVERSITY,” and all other elements of the logo remain the same. The wayfinder symbol was designed in a way that allows us to find a “C” and “U” within it.

The Latin version of our heart-in-hand seal changed from “COLLEGIUM CALVINIANUM” to “UNIVERSITAS CALVINIANA.”

Note: Since the release of Calvin’s wayfinder logo in 2014, there has been speculation that it will replace the heart-in-hand seal. This is not the case. Many colleges and universities retain both a logo and a seal as part of their identity system, and that remains the case for Calvin as well.

Was “John Calvin University” considered for the new name?

There was some sentiment among our constituency that favored adding “John” to “Calvin University,” mostly because of the way it rolls off the tongue and also due to the convenient acronym of “JCU.” After discussion and conducting informal focus groups we decided not to pursue this direction for the following reasons:

• John Calvin University would naturally be shortened to JCU and, overtime, we may become known as JCU instead of Calvin. This does not provide any additional value to the school and decreases clarity, as several other JCU schools exist.
• A lot of thought, discussion, and financial investment has gone into the implementation of our new logo. Replacing the word “COLLEGE” with “UNIVERSITY” is less costly than designing and implementing an entirely new logo.
• While the college was named for John Calvin, the school has developed an identity that goes well beyond the man himself, including the ways in which we draw from the work of other Reformed theologians.

How will the name change impact doing business with Calvin?

The name “Calvin College” is retained by the institution as an assumed name, although Calvin University will be the primary name under which the institution is operating. Meaning, the institution has the full legal right to use either the name “Calvin College” or “Calvin University”.

This is a name change only. The Michigan non-profit entity is unchanged and retains the same Employer Identification Number and the same IRS non-profit and tax-exempt status. Because the “Calvin College” name will continue as a name under which Calvin may also still operate, and because this is not an assignment of the contract or a change of the underlying legal entity, there is no amendment required to agreements with the College to effectuate this name change.

We anticipate the name Calvin uses for any new contracts after July 10 will be “Calvin University”.

• Memorandum: Notice of Name Change – July 11, 2019

For more information

• Full press release
• Vision 2030 Rationale
• Memorandum: Notice of Name Change – July 11, 2019