HBU to become Houston Christian University

After several years of research and the Board of Trustees' prayerful review, the University desires to adopt a name that welcomes the many students enrolled who come from many different denominations of the Christian faith as well as those who claim no faith.

As of September 21, 2022, Houston Baptist University will become Houston Christian University.

Houston Christian University more accurately epitomizes our student body and reflects the faculty, staff, alumni, and community we serve.

The University's Foundational documents clearly reveal that our convictions as an institution of higher learning have not and will not change. Our unwavering brand of traditional Christian higher education, rooted in a biblical worldview, is ever more critical in a fractured society in need of Gospel restoration. We are committed to being a distinctly Christian university and desire to welcome all Christians to benefit from our excellent academic programs.

Houston Christian University will not conform to this world and will continue to boldly glorify God by molding the next generation of educated disciples to think critically and act biblically long after they graduate.

The University has considered a name change several times over the last 16 years, but in the last two years a University task force of trustees arrived at this new name after two years of consideration, research, and prayerful review. On May 17, 2022 the Board of Trustees officially approved the switch.

Since then, the University has partnered with Carnegie, a leader and innovator in higher education marketing and enrollment strategy, to take our brand of traditional Christian higher education to the next generation of students.

We are still in the early stages of a branding and growth campaign alerting our city and nation of our distinct commitment to higher education. Other FAQs below discuss additional work in process and timelines for logo revision, new merchandise, Houston Christian University website and email addresses, and updated athletics apparel, etc.

Once the final logo design is completed, we will coordinate with our diploma, ring, and merchandise providers and enable alumni to purchase replacements if so desired. Details and costs will be announced later this spring.

No. While the University's founding was recommended by actions of the Union Baptist Association in 1952, it has remained autonomous and is not owned or controlled by any denomination. According to Article III, Section 1 of our bylaws, "the business and affairs of the corporation shall be under the sole management and control of the Board of Trustees."

The University shares a cooperative relationship with the Baptist General Convention of Texas (Texas Baptists). In addition, the University enjoys a fraternal relationship with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

The name change and growth plan is being funded through a Board-approved distribution from the University's endowment as an investment in the future and in the great potential of our students. There are no current tuition or fee revenues being used to fund the name change transition or the initial phase of the growth plan.

While the revised logo is expected to be completed within months, the colors of the University—orange and blue—will remain the same. And our beloved Husky mascot will continue to champion our 17 Division I sports!

Not necessarily. The main goal of your resume or CV is to accurately present relevant information in a clear format. You have two options of listing your alma mater, either "Houston Christian University" or "Houston Christian University" (formerly Houston Baptist University).

The University has transitioned to a new web address for the public facing website. However, email addresses have not been migrated to the new web address. A more detailed transition plan about University email addresses will be communicated at a later time. In the meantime, continue to use your HBU.edu email address as normal. Your HBU.edu email addresses will remain functional throughout this academic year and into the fall of 2023.

Growth. Our renaming and growth campaign will expand our residential campus to 4,200 students and our online campus to 5,800 students. Combined, this growth to a total of 10,000 students will extend the influence of our enriching experience and enlarge the reputation as a university of Christian integrity and excellence.

Yes. For more than 60 years, we have embraced students of all faiths (or none). The cultural and religious diversity of our student body demonstrates that our biblical hospitality of Christian charity and open dialog creates a welcoming and supportive atmosphere.

Since we are unashamedly a Christian university, all students—regardless of religious background—engage the Bible and core Christian beliefs, and all students are expected to abide by university guidelines, including attendance at spiritual life events and regular chapel services.

As leaders in Christian education, we seek to serve as an intellectual and spiritual compass guided by our faith, illuminating a path of personal and professional growth for our students. Our enriching experience welcomes students into a Christian community that sparks continued discernment and exploration of our biblical worldview without compromising our values.

The University has obtained a new web address at HC.edu. The old web address, HBU.edu, will continue to forward all traffic to the new address for several months. However, please update your bookmarks, documents, and emails to reflect the new web address.

The University's new name does not affect our accreditation status. HCU will continue to be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Our beloved Husky mascot will continue to champion our 17 Division I sports! And the colors of the University—orange and blue—will remain the same.

We will immediately begin to refer to ourselves as "HCU" on first reference and then "Houston Christian" on second reference.

Our athletic website address will soon transition to HCUHuskies.com. The current site, HBUHuskies.com, will be redirected to the new domain.

Once the revised logo is completed within months, new athletic gear adorned with "HCU" and "Houston Christian" will be introduced and "HBU" apparel as well as updated signage in the various sporting venues across campus will be replaced.

However, for the duration of the 2022-2023 academic year, we will likely still be seen, in some instances, in "HBU" uniforms, or Huskies uniforms.

Further, all established individual athlete and team records will continue forward under the new university name.

No. The University's mission and core convictions, which we call The Ten Pillars 2030 remain the same, rooted in the authoritative Word of God. The Preamble to the By-Laws of the University (The Nature of the Institution) was approved by the Board of Trustees in 1961 and will not change.

Likewise, the mission of Houston Christian University remains unchanged. HCU will continue to provide a learning experience that instills in students a passion for academic, spiritual, and professional excellence as a result of our central confession, "Jesus Christ is Lord."

Our entire faculty and staff resolutely affirm our statement of belief from our Foundational documents as well as our Mission Statement.

All trustees, officers, members of the faculty or of the staff, and those who perform work connected with the educational activities of the University, must affirm their belief:

• in the divine inspiration of the Bible, both the Old Testament and New Testament,
• that man was directly created by God,
• in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ,
• in our Lord and Savior, as the Son of God, that He died for the sins of all men and thereafter arose from the grave, that by repentance and the acceptance of and belief in Him, by the grace of God, the individual is saved from eternal damnation and receives eternal life in the presence of God.

In September of 2021, the Board of Trustees further strengthened the University's core convictions when they unanimously approved The Ten Pillars 2030.

Our holistic approach and biblical worldview to integrating faith and education teaches each of us to communicate our core convictions with assuredness.

More than 90% of our undergraduate students receive some type of financial aid, so this is an important question. The process of applying for financial aid remains unchanged. Prospective students applying for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will continue to use the same institutional code (003576) on aid applications as before the name change.