Emmanuel University is a

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Christian college in Franklin Springs, Georgia, United States. It is affiliated with the

International Pentecostal Holiness Church The International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC) or simply Pentecostal Holiness Church (PHC) is an international Holiness-Pentecostal Christian denomination founded in 1911 with the merger of two older denominations. Historically centered in ...

and enrolls more than 800 students. The college offers both associate and bachelor's degrees.

History

Emmanuel University was founded in 1919 as the Franklin Springs Institute in Franklin Springs, Georgia. In its first years it taught high school courses for grades eight through eleven and three college-level courses. The first buildings were two hotels and a skating rink. In 1931, the college was forced to close for two years during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. When it reopened, the new president, Thomas Aaron, began to refocus the institute's priorities from being a high school to a college. In 1939, the name was changed to Emmanuel College and the high school was called Emmanuel Academy. The year 1967 saw the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is a regional educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. As of 2022, the organization oversees ap ...

grant the two-year college full accreditation. During the 1970s, a four-year School of Christian Ministries was established and accredited by the American Association of Bible Colleges and in 1991, major changes to curricular offerings also accompanied accreditation as a four-year institution from the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is a regional educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. As of 2022, the organization oversees app ...

. In 2023, its name changed to Emmanuel University.

Academics

The institution offers over 30 areas of study and confers

associate degree An associate degree or associate's degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of academic qualification above a high school diploma and below a bachelor's degree ...

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

s and graduate degrees.

Athletics

The Emmanuel athletic teams are called the Lions. The college is a member of the Division II level of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

(NCAA), primarily competing in the

Conference Carolinas Conference Carolinas, formerly known as the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) or the Carolinas Conference, is a List of NCAA conferences, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ...

as a provisional member since the 2014–15 academic year (with NCAA D-II full member status since 2018–19), while its men's lacrosse team competes in the SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference (SELC). Its men's volleyball team competed in the

Mid-America Men's Volleyball Intercollegiate Conference The Mid-America Men's Volleyball Intercollegiate Conference (MAMVIC) was an NAIA men's volleyball-only conference. At its largest, the MAMVIC was divided into four conferences: Great Lakes, National, North, and South. It was formerly the NAIA divi ...

(MAMVIC). The Lions were also a member of the

National Christian College Athletic Association The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) is an association of Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada whose mission is "the promotion and enhancement of intercollegiate athletic c ...

(NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the South Region of the Division I level. The Lions formerly competed in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC; formerly known as Georgia–Alabama–Carolina Conference (GACC) until after the 2003–04 school year) of the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for higher education, colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic schola ...

(NAIA) from 1999–2000 to 2013–14. Emmanuel competes in 32 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include archery, baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field, triathlon, volleyball and wrestling; while women's sports include acrobatics & tumbling, archery, basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, triathlon, volleyball and wrestling; and co-ed sports include bass fishing, cheerleading and clay target shooting.

Club sports/intramurals

For men and women, Emmanuel also offers a wide variety of intramural sports including basketball, football, golf, soccer, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and weightlifting.

Athletics expansion

In recent years, the college has expanded its athletic department. In 2012 Emmanuel College added men's and women's lacrosse, men's volleyball, and clay target shooting along with opening its athletic center that contains a basketball arena, volleyball court, a fitness center, an aerobics room, a swimming pool, a bowling alley, and a Papa John’s. The men's basketball team finished runners up in the NAIA national championship game in 2014, and the cross country team finished third at Nationals in Fall of 2013. The college also announced that men's and women's swimming and men's and women's bowling will be added for the 2013–14 academic year. Wrestling has also been added and will start competing in the 2015–16 school year.

References

External links

*
Athletics website
{{authority control Emmanuel University 1919 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Buildings and structures in Franklin County, Georgia Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Education in Franklin County, Georgia Universities and colleges established in 1919 Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Private universities and colleges in Georgia (U.S. state)