Rochester University (formerly Rochester College) is a private

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 ...

college in

Rochester Hills, Michigan Rochester Hills is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 76,300. It is the 14th-largest city in Michigan. The area was first occupied by settlers of European descent in ...

. It was founded by members of the Churches of Christ in 1959. Rochester University is primarily undergraduate (though it offers some graduate programs, such as a

Master of Religious Education The Master of Religious Education (MRE) is a terminal academic degree in preparation for professional teaching ministry, usually offered by Christian institutions. The curriculum includes two years of theological study and sometimes a thesis. A ...

program) and includes both residential and commuting student populations. It also offers a degree completion program for adult students.

History

In 1954, members of the Churches of Christ formed a board of trustees to establish an educational institution in the North Central region of the United States. After months of consideration, the board decided to establish a liberal arts college and purchased a country estate in Rochester Hills, Michigan, for a campus site. In September 1959, the college opened as North Central Christian College, retaining that name until 1961. In the years that followed, the institution operated under the name of Michigan Christian College. In 1997, the board adopted the name Rochester College to more clearly portray the institution's nature as a liberal arts college in a Christian setting. The campus of Rochester University has grown to exceed , assuring space for continued expansion. In 2019 the name was changed to Rochester University.

Athletics

The Rochester athletic teams are called the Warriors. The university is a member of 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), primarily competing in the

Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference The Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and it's heaquartered in Livonia, Michigan. The conference consists of twelve colle ...

(WHAC) since the 2017–18 academic year; although they had competed as an associate member for baseball during the 2016–17 school year prior to apply for full membership.Rochester Approved as Full Members for 2017-18 , Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference
/ref> The Warriors previously competed as an NAIA Independent within the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) from 2011–12 to 2016–17. Its men's wrestling team competed in the

Sooner Athletic Conference The Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Originally developed as a five-team conference of Oklahoma-based schools, the SAC now boasts 12 s ...

(SAC) from 2018–19 to 2019–20. Prior to joining the NAIA, they were also a member of the

United States Collegiate Athletic Association The United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) is a national organization for the intercollegiate athletic programs of 72 mostly small colleges, including community/ junior colleges, across the United States. The USCAA holds 15 nationa ...

(USCAA) and the National Small College Athletic Association (NSCAA) prior to that, in which the college won a combined eight national championships. Rochester competes in 23 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include, baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, ice hockey, soccer, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball; and co-ed sports include competitive cheer and eSports.

Championships

References

External links

*
Official athletics website
{{Coord, 42, 40, 02, N, 83, 08, 43, W, type:edu_region:US-OH, display=title Universities and colleges affiliated with the Churches of Christ Educational institutions established in 1959 Universities and colleges in Oakland County, Michigan USCAA member institutions Private universities and colleges in Michigan 1959 establishments in Michigan