History of Grand Canyon University

A Death and a Dream: The Canyon Story

The Grand Canyon University story began in the 1920s with the demise of a small Baptist college, Montezuma College, in New Mexico. Two or three students and faculty of that school, consecrated there to the cause of Christian education, cached away a dream of one day building another school for the glory of God. The dream resurfaced in the mid 1940s in a business meeting of Arizona Southern Baptists in Casa Grande, Arizona. Pastor L. D. White of Calvary Baptist Church plunked a shiny silver dollar on a wooden table at the front of the room and proffered its value as the first donation toward a Baptist college in Arizona. Dozens of others followed, including a widow with a jar of pennies and a Montezuma alumnus who wrote a hundred dollar check. Enthusiasm seized everyone—everyone except Dr. Willis J. Ray.

Dr. Ray, a pastor and executive secretary of the fledgling Arizona Southern Baptist Convention, thought his fellow Baptists were getting in over their heads. Asked to take up the offering, he politely declined. Events over the next few years nearly proved him right. Enthusiasm for the project waned, as problems, setbacks, debts, and discouragements accumulated. Everyone gave up on the hope of the Baptist college—everyone except Dr. Willis J. Ray. His faith crystallized even as others’ dissipated, a fact the first board of trustees began to appreciate. Eventually, they asked Dr. Ray to serve as the little college’s first president. A Montezuma alumnus, Vernon Shipp, became the first chairman of the board of trustees. Another, Dr. Roland Beck, became its first professor. And so, Grand Canyon College came into existence.

In 1949, classrooms opened to 93 students in Prescott, Arizona. Two years of financial drought followed, spelled by occasional showers of generosity and the steady, sturdy growth of academic excellence and an athletic reputation. On October 8, 1951, Grand Canyon College relocated to the present campus in Phoenix. A handful of faithful pioneers—Roland Beck in education, Betty Beck in English, Niles Puckett and D. C. Martin in religion, H. E. TenHarkle and Grace Weller in music, Shihj-Ming Wang in mathematics, Clarice Maben in history, and David and Mildred Brazell in athletics—left their respective chances for prosperity to build the tiny college into a beacon of Christian education.

Their work paid off with the announcement of regional accreditation by the North Central Association in 1968. National championships began to accrue in basketball, baseball, and women’s tennis. With the 1980s, the academic program expanded into colleges of education, nursing, business, performing arts, and arts and sciences. Masters programs were developed in education, and shortly thereafter, in business.

The 1980s also witnessed an expansion of “Canyon’s” guiding theme. “Spiritual Emphasis” weekly sermons by the Reverend Tom Wolf of Los Angeles fired the spirit and seized the imagination of Grand Canyon’s faculty, staff, and students in 1982. Wolf proposed that all Christians are commissioned to missions and missions’ support and that the college was uniquely positioned to address that commission. He argued that mission work should increasingly depend not solely on evangelists but also on laymen, who give witness while cultivating their secular professions in the international marketplace. These ideas became part of a new global emphasis at Grand Canyon University.

GCU Website

Grand Canyon University - Four Pillars

Academic Advancement
Our demanding curriculum will empower you to stretch your intellectual capacity and gain vital knowledge and critical thinking skills that will be at your command throughout your life and career. Go for it!

Christian Camaraderie
GCU is much more than classroom learning and competitive sports! You’ll immediately make new friends who become your lifelong “brothers and sisters in Christ.” And you’ll participate with them in serving your fellow students and the surrounding community. Serving Christ is not a Job…it’s an Adventure!

Extracurricular Excellence
If participating in sports makes your heart pound, we’ll give you the playing field! We offer a broad range of intramural as well as intercollegiate opportunities. Who knows, you could be our 13th GCU baseball star to play for a Major League Baseball team!

Wellness & Well-Being
Get healthy, stay healthy! If that’s your personal goal, you’ll achieve it at GCU! Work out in our fully equipped fitness center, or take advantage of our tennis and basketball courts. Our state-of-the-art health care center gives nursing and athletic training majors the perfect place to develop their care-giving skills, too.

Review of Grand Canyon University

From University Reviews Online:

Grand Canyon University Reviews
Frequently ranked among the top 10 online universities, Grand Canyon University online, has some of the best professors in the nation. What follows is a Grand Canyon University review, including its positives and negatives and what sets it apart.

An Unbiased Review of Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University, located in Phoenix, AZ, is a private Christian university that offers degrees at the bachelor's and master's levels. The school was founded in 1949 and still abides by its Five Guiding Principles: integrity and ethics; student-oriented programs and attitude; communication; action-oriented philosophy; and self-leadership. Grand Canyon University welcomes traditional college students and working adults.

Pros:

Grand Canyon's online school makes it possible for extra busy students and students who do not live in the Phoenix area to benefit from the university's programs and services.
The corporate education program at Grand Canyon, also known as the Center for Educational Excellence, sponsors certificate programs, customized training programs and curricula, seminars and research projects for corporations and individual professionals interested in continuing education and practical training.
Grand Canyon's unique GCU Military Science Department lets students apply for an Army ROTC scholarship and participate in the ROTC training program.
Cons:

Students in the online program will not benefit from the same student social and athletic activities as students on campus.
Non-Christian students may feel uncomfortable at the many references to Christian morals and the various Christian-focused curricula and activities.

Fact Sheet:

Over 16,000 students are currently enrolled in Grand Canyon's campus-based or online programs.

Grand Canyon University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, as well as by specialized and programmatic accrediting agencies.

Online programs and degrees earned on campus are offered at the undergraduate and gradate levels in the following fields: education, nursing and heatlh sciences, business, and the liberal arts. Specific programs include Bachelor Science in Elementary Education, Bachelor of Science in Biology: Biomedical Science, Registered Nurse to Master of Science-Nursing: Nurse Education, Bachelor of Science in Accounting, MBA with various specialties, Bachelor of Arts in History, Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies, Bachelor of Science Justice Studies, and many others.

Grand Canyon is one of the fastest growing private universities in Phoenix.

Student Life:

There is a strong emphasis on fostering Christian community and Christian values at Grand Canyon University, even in campus life and student service activities. Grand Canyon athletes participate at the NCAA Division II level and in intramural clubs in sports like basketball, football, volleyball and softball.

Alice Cooper and GCU

Alice Cooper and Jordin Sparks were dedicating a real school of rock in Phoenix today including a concert hall and recording studio. It is a $7 million teen center led by rocker Cooper called “The Rock” and is located at Grand Canyon University.

Alice Cooper established the Solid Rock Foundation with Chuck Savale in 1995. Their goal is to honor Christ by helping children meet their spiritual, economic, physical and social needs in their community.

Both Alice and Jordin are Christians from Phoenix and want to give the teens a center to have fun and learn while keeping away from crime and drugs.

I remember Alice Cooper in his crazy rebellious years and never dreamed he would be helping keep teenagers out of trouble rather than getting them into it. I’m glad it’s happened though and hope the idea spreads.

What will the School of Rock be offering?

They will be teaching children how to perform in the music industry, as well as lighting, staging, mixing and recording music. While the school is mainly based on music, it will include a skateboarding park, computer lab, game room, childcare center and coffee house. The childcare center is a wonderful idea because there are plenty of young mothers who still want to learn.

“With Grand Canyon University’s support, we are fulfilling a vision we’ve had for several years — to provide teens and children with a central place to learn, have fun, and explore their creativity in a supportive environment,” says Alice Cooper, Solid Rock’s chairman. “I hope that in years to come, The Rock will be the first of many such teen centers in Arizona and around the country.” (Phoenix, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire)

Kathy Player - New GCU President

July 31, 2008

Kathy Player Named GCU President

I’m pleased to announce that Dr. Kathy Player has been appointed president of GCU, taking over the reins from Donald Andorfer, who has served in the interim role for the past two years. Kathy has played a key role in the growth of GCU since she came to the University 10 years ago. Her move into this position will be pivotal as our University continues to grow as a leader and innovator in higher learning.

Kathy was named provost and chief academic officer last year, and during her time in this position made significant strides in connecting to our student body on a personal level. She has been a visible presence on campus, meeting individually and in groups with both online and on-campus students to gather feedback on how to enhance their experience. Kathy’s strategic vision and leadership will be key as the University continues its focus on enriching the experiences of all our students.

Prior to her position as provost, Kathy was dean of the Ken Blanchard College of Business. She oversaw the expansion and reaccreditation of the College and was instrumental in the establishment of the highly regarded Ken Blanchard Executive MBA program. Kathy also is a well-established leader in healthcare education, and has authored several publications on the nursing profession, including her most recent books, Words of Wisdom from Pivotal Nurse Leaders (Sept. 2008) and Pivotal Moments in Nursing: Leaders Who Changed a Path of a Profession, Volume II (March 2007). She lobbies actively at both the local and national level on behalf of nurses and nursing issues, and served as second vice president of the American Nurses Association (2006-2007). She currently serves as an Advisory Board Member for St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Hospital, as a board member on the Arizona Nurses’ Foundation and was past president of the Arizona Nurses’ Association. She was awarded the RWJ Executive Nursing Fellowship in Leadership (2002-2005) and is an invited member of the Global Nursing Exchange.

Kathy graduated with her doctoral degree from Argosy University (formerly the University of Sarasota) in Counseling Psychology and holds a Master of Business Administration from Grand Canyon University, Master in Nursing Leadership in Health Care Systems, Master of Science degree in Counseling from Nova Southeastern University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from St. Joseph’s College.

Please join me in welcoming Kathy to this new role. We look forward to charting a continued path of growth for GCU.

Brian Mueller, CEO

Grand Canyon University Announces New Provost

From the Desk of President, Dr. Kathy Player

I’m very pleased to announce that Dr. Cheri St. Arnauld has been appointed to the position of Provost and Chief Academic Officer. Dr. St. Arnauld came to GCU in October 2007 from Maricopa Community Colleges and was hired as the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Dr. St. Arnauld has a strong leadership background in the educational arena and was instrumental in leading GCU’s College of Education through the development and implementation of the new doctoral program. She played an integral role in leading the College of Education through the reaccreditation process with the Arizona Department of Education (ADE). Dr. St. Arnauld worked diligently to restructure and bring the institutional recommendation programs in line with ADE expectations. Recently, ADE awarded the College of Education maximum approval for accreditation in 6 major programs.

Dr. St Arnauld is recognized as a leader and expert at both the state and national levels. She has served on the Arizona Business and Education Coalition, the National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs, and several task forces and committees at the request of Arizona Superintendent Tom Horne. She was an adjunct professor at the University of Phoenix and has developed curriculum in the graduate programs in Education Administration.

Dr. St. Arnauld earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. She holds a Masters in Education in Curriculum and Instruction, and a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary and Special Education from Arizona State University. Cheri holds Arizona credentials in Elementary Education (K-8), Special Education (K-12), and Superintendent.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. St. Arnauld on her promotion!

Kathy

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CNN Money:

Why we chose it: This up-and-coming online program kicked off its first semester in January, offering The Entrepreneurial Economy, an entry-level entrepreneurship course that tackles the basics of starting your own business. To major in entrepreneurship, students will take a total of 10 courses that address topics such as business plan writing, government compliance, marketing, and social responsibility. The program was designed by chair of the College of Entrepreneurship Michael Gerber, an entrepreneur and best selling author on the subject of small business. "Gerber shares his philosophy of 'awaking the entrepreneur within,' educating the faculty about what it takes to be successful," says Kathy Player, provost and chief academic officer. The school also stresses the importance of technology and online communities in its lessons. Grand Canyon student Dannny Kessler, who owns Angels With Attitude (angelswithattitude.tv), a company that teaches self-defense tactics to women, enjoyed learning about the possible applications of blogging to his business. "Francine Hardaway, our Public Relations and Networking Skills teacher, introduced us to blogging," says Kessler, 26. "Since then, I've started a blog about personal safety and women's self-defense that has helped me reach out to my clients, and boost my credibility."

University of Phoenix Leader - CEO of Grand Canyon University

Brian Mueller

CEO/President/Director at
Apollo Group, Incorporated- Shares A
Phoenix, Arizona
SERVICES / EDUCATION & TRAINING SERVICES
Officer since 1993
Director since January 2006

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53 years old

BRIAN E. MUELLER became President and a director of Apollo Group in January 2006 and has been with Apollo Group since 1987. Mr. Mueller served as Chief Operating Officer of Apollo Group from December 2005 to January 2006, Chief Executive Officer of UPX Online from March 2002 to November 2005, and Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of UPX Online from May 1997 to March 2002. Mr. Mueller served as Vice President/Director of UPX, San Diego, from 1995 to 1997, and Vice President/Director of UPX, New Mexico, from 1993 to 1995. From 1990 to 1993 he was Director of Enrollment of UPX, Phoenix Campus, and before that, he was an Enrollment Advisor of UPX, Phoenix. From 1983 to 1987, Mr. Mueller was a Professor for Concordia University. Mr. Mueller received his Master of Arts in Education and his Bachelor of Arts in Education from Concordia University.

Grand Canyon lures Apollo chief

University of Phoenix parent loses president to rival after passing him over in CEO search

Dawn Gilbertson

The Arizona Republic

Jun. 26, 2008 12:00 AM

The president of University of Phoenix parent Apollo Group Inc. is leaving the for-profit education giant for tiny Grand Canyon University, a would-be, crosstown rival with a fraction of the revenue and students.

Brian Mueller's sudden resignation from Apollo and hiring as CEO of Grand Canyon Education Inc. were announced simultaneously by the Phoenix-based companies on Wednesday.