Point University is a private

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exp ...

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

university in

West Point, Georgia West Point is a city in Troup and Harris counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is located approximately halfway between Montgomery, Alabama and Atlanta along Interstate 85. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 3,474, and in 2015 t ...

. It was founded in 1937 as Atlanta Christian College in East Point. The college announced its name change to Point University in 2011 and relocated its main campus to West Point in June 2012.

History

Atlanta Christian College

Atlanta Christian College was founded in 1937 by Thomas Olin Hathcock (1879–1966), a prominent

Fulton County, Georgia Fulton County is located in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,066,710, making it the state's most-populous county and its only one with over one million inha ...

judge from 1914 until 1942. He and his wife, Nora Head Hathcock, were members of the

Christian churches and churches of Christ The group of churches known as the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ is a fellowship of congregations within the Restoration Movement (also known as the Stone-Campbell Movement and the Reformation of the 19th Century) that have no form ...

, the denomination that the institution has always been affiliated with. The property for the campus was from a 300-acre farm Nora Hathcock had inherited. Following its 1937 founding, Atlanta Christian College devoted itself mainly to the education of ministers,

missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

, and other church-related workers. In 1965, the college became an accredited member of the American Association of Bible Colleges (AABC). In 1990, in conjunction with a broadening of its curriculum, the college was accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...

(SACS) to award associate and baccalaureate degrees.

Point University

In 2011, the institution's name was changed to Point University. The following year, the college relocated its main campus to West Point, Georgia, an hour southwest of the previous main campus near Atlanta. Adult learning classes were continued to be held at the East Point location, as well as an adult learning program and dual-credit enrollment program for high school students at the off-site locations in Peachtree City, Savannah, and Birmingham, Alabama. In addition to renovating the former West Point-Stevens headquarters for use as the primary academic building for traditional program studies in West Point, the university also has apartment-style student housing in nearby Valley, Alabama. In addition to moving its main campus in 2012, the university was also accepted into the

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

(NAIA). The university's athletics program expanded as part of the transition from 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 co ...

(NCCAA) to the NAIA, including the addition of intercollegiate football,

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

and

cross country Cross country or cross-country may refer to: Places * Cross Country, Baltimore, a neighborhood in northwest Baltimore, Maryland * Cross County Parkway, an east–west parkway in Westchester County, NY * Cross County Shopping Center, a mall in Yo ...

beginning in fall 2011. The athletics nickname was also changed from the Chargers to the Skyhawks. In Spring 2014, the Point University Skyhawks were admitted to the recently started Sun conference as a charter member.

Presidents

George W. BonDurant George William BonDurant (9 August 1915 – 11 July 2017) was an American preacher influential in the Restoration Movement of Christianity during the 20th century. He was the founder and first President of both Atlanta Christian College and Mid ...

(1937–1947) *Orvel C. Crowder (1947–1955) *James C. Redmon (1955–1978) *Paul K. Carrier (1978–1984) *James C. Donovan (1984–1993) *R. Edwin Groover (1993–2006) *Dean C. Collins (2006–present)

Academics

Point University is accredited by the

Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...

(SACS) to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Its accreditation was most recently affirmed in 2016. The teacher education programs are accredited by the Professional Standards Commission (PSC) of the State of Georgia.

Athletics

The Point athletic teams are called the Skyhawks. The university is a member of the

(NAIA), primarily competing in the

Appalachian Athletic Conference The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Members of the conference are located in the Southeastern United States in Tennessee, Kentu ...

(AAC) for most of its sports since the 2011–12 academic year. Its football team was a member of The Sun Conference for the 2014 and 2015 fall seasons, before moving to the Appalachian Division of the

Mid-South Conference The Mid-South Conference (MSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Member institutions are located in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. The league is headquartered in Lo ...

(MSC) where they competed from the 2017 to 2021 fall seasons (2017–18 to 2021–22 school years). They were also a member of the

(NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the South Region of the Division II level. Point competes in 21 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, distance track, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, distance track, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading. On August 9, 2022, Point was invited and unanimously approved to join the

Southern States Athletic Conference The Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The 11 member universities that compete in 19 sports are located in Louisiana, Mississ ...

(SSAC), effective July 1, 2023.

Accomplishments

The Skyhawks (previously known as the Atlanta Christian Chargers) have won a number of regional and national championships, most recently the 2010 NCCAA Division II national championship in baseball.

Notable students and alumni

Jamie Grace Jamie Grace Harper (born November 25, 1991) is an American contemporary Christian musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia. In 2010, TobyMac found her songs on YouTube and signed her to his label Gotee Records for two alb ...

(Class of 2012) – Christian singer-songwriter signed to

TobyMac Toby McKeehan (born Kevin Michael McKeehan; October 22, 1964), better known by his stage name TobyMac (styled tobyMac or TOBYMAC), is an American contemporary Christian music singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He was first known f ...

-founded label,

Gotee Records Gotee Records is a record label founded by Christian hip hop performer Toby McKeehan (known professionally as ''TobyMac''), Todd Collins, and Joey Elwood. The label began as a production company. At the time of the label's founding, McKeehan wa ...

References

External links

*
Official athletics website
{{Coord, 32.8791, -85.1869, display=title Universities and colleges affiliated with the Christian churches and churches of Christ Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Educational institutions established in 1937 Education in Fulton County, Georgia Buildings and structures in Fulton County, Georgia East Point, Georgia 1937 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Appalachian Athletic Conference schools Private universities and colleges in Georgia (U.S. state)