Oct. 28, 2008

Story courtesy of Warner University Sports Information Office

Lake Wales, FL (October 28, 2008) – Warner Southern College, the Christian liberal arts college founded in 1968 on the western shore of Crooked Lake, is now Warner University.

 “The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to change the name effective October 28, 2008,” President Greg Hall said. “The change comes at a pivotal time in our history. We have been a four-year college for 40 years, have offered master degree programs since 2001 and have greatly expanded campus facilities over the past 15 years. The name change broadens the institution’s image to more accurately reflect the quality and diversity of our people and programs.”

A “University Celebration” special event is scheduled today to recognize the new name. A chapel service and program will take place in the campus courtyard. Speakers will be Rob Quam, who chairs the Board of Trustees at Warner; Dr. Greg Hall, President of Warner University; Dawn Rafool, Vice President of Marketing and Enrollment Management at Warner; Brad Benbow, president of Joseph David Advertising, whose firm developed the University’s new logo and brand; and Congressman Adam Putnam of Florida’s 12^th Congressional District.  A barbeque lunch will be served afterwards followed by an afternoon of faculty and staff games. A tailgate party will be held outside the Turner Athletic Center followed by the women’s volleyball game against neighboring athletic rival Webber International University.

Acclaimed Christian singer-songwriter, Bebo Norman, will appear in an evening performance at 9:00 pm under the tent on the Warner University lawn.

In October 2007, President Greg Hall appointed a Commission on University Status to serve as a study group with the purpose of recommending whether or not Warner Southern should change from a college to university designation. After five months of study, the commission’s recommendation for change was unanimous. The commission members were representative of the various constituencies of Warner, including faculty, students, administration, staff, alumni, donors, and community leaders.

Warner University was founded as Warner Southern College in 1968 by the Southeastern Association of the Church of God of Anderson, Indiana. The first freshman class of 27 students entered in the fall of 1968 when all the facilities were on the east campus. In the fall of 2008 Warner welcomed 150 freshman students with enrollment in all programs approaching 1,200 students from 31 states and 24 countries. Our west campus has grown from two buildings to ten, and construction is underway on the new 49,000 square foot Academic Building.

Warner is organized into three schools: School of Ministry, Arts and Sciences; School of Business; and the School of Education. The Bachelor of Arts’ program includes over 25 liberal arts and professional majors. There are three Master’s level programs designed for working professionals: Master of Business Administration, Master of Arts in Education, and Master of Science in Management. In addition to the main campus in Lake Wales, Warner offers courses online and at five off-site locations, which are found in Lakeland, Orlando, Melbourne, Titusville, and Arcadia.

Warner University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Sun Conference. Intercollegiate sports include baseball, basketball, cross-country, golf, softball, soccer, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. The University also supports a cheerleading squad.

Warner was recognized nationally in U.S. News and World Report’s America’s Best Colleges for 2009 as a leader in the southern region, ranking fifth in the ethnic diversity of its student population, and was noted for its low student to faculty ratio, which is 14:1. Also, Warner’s 2007-2008 Collegiate Learning Assessment, released by the Council for Aid to Education, showed that Warner University was in the top 20% of 176 four-year undergraduate institutions for a cross-sectional study of learning gains made by students. Warner’s performance was above average on the assessment.