Graduate Catalog 2011-2012 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
Graduate Catalog 2011-2012 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Introduction to Graduate Studies at Malone


Malone University has grown from the dreams and labors of an energetic Friends couple, Walter and Emma Malone. Before the turn of the century, their concern for the education of Christian young people led them to begin the Cleveland Bible College. In 1957, the institution moved to Canton and was renamed Malone College to honor its founders.

The location and the buildings were not the only things that changed. The curriculum also changed and Malone became a Christian liberal arts college, an institution emphasizing communicative, investigative, and interpretive skills in developing the whole person physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.

It has also led to continued growth in depth and breadth of program offerings at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In Spring 2001, a new academic structure was adopted, grouping departments into schools along academic disciplines. In Fall 2008, the name was changed from Malone College to Malone University to acknowledge the academic structure while affirming the uncompromising Christian commitment of its founders. In Summer 2010, the academic structure was re-organized into the College of Theology, Arts, and Sciences; the School of Business and Leadership; the School of Education and Human Development; and the School of Nursing and Health Sciences.

Identity and Mission Statement

Malone University is a Christian university for the arts, sciences, and professions in the liberal arts tradition, affiliated with the Evangelical Friends Church.

The mission of Malone University is to provide students with an education based on biblical faith in order to develop men and women in intellectual maturity, wisdom, and Christian faith who are committed to serving the church, community, and world.

Foundational Principles

A Christian university for the arts, sciences, and professions, Malone University grounds its educational mission in the biblical call to seek Christ’s kingdom first in all things. As we work out our calling, we put into action foundational principles that reflect our Christian faith, our Evangelical Friends heritage, and our desire to seek truth. These foundational principles help guide our work over time in the face of changing external exigencies and are the means by which we articulate what is and has been intrinsically important to the institution.

  1. We cultivate the life of the mind by pursuing and witnessing to the truth.

The academic life of Malone University falls under a broader goal of seeking truth in all areas, including the humanities, arts, sciences, social sciences, personal health, theology, and the professions. We value and foster intellectual breadth and virtue, believing that individuals who seek Christ’s kingdom first are called to embark on a lifelong process of learning. The quest for knowledge and truth enables us to be better stewards of God’s creation. As people who are being transformed by Christ, we witness to the truth in many ways, such as engaging in research, scholarly inquiry, and professional endeavor; working for justice; and strengthening community life.

  1. We are called to know Christ and make Him known through the integration of learning and faith.

We believe that faith and knowledge are inextricably bound to one another and should not be compartmentalized or fragmented. Professors and students at Malone examine what the Christian faith has to say about a given discipline and what that discipline has to say about the Christian faith. These actions stem from our belief that Christ is known not only through Scripture, the workings of the Holy Spirit, and tradition, but also through the pursuit of knowledge. We are called to make Christ known through scholarship in our individual disciplines, evangelism to our community, and service to others. These actions reflect our conviction that a Malone education should equip students to fulfill their callings. Therefore, we nurture intellectual curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, compassion, and spiritual growth.

  1. We are shaped by and draw upon our Christian and institutional heritage.

Our educational mission is rooted in our understanding of the historic Christian faith. This broad Christian tradition provides us with a Christocentric perspective of intellectual inquiry and engagement with the world. Consistent with evangelicalism, the University has maintained its concern for biblical faith, proclamation of the gospel, and service to local and international communities. Shaped by our holiness and Friends heritage, Malone is an institution that values piety, concern for ordinary people, and experiential activism. From its founding, Malone University has welcomed staff members from different Christian denominations and traditions, enriching the resources of the University. The dialectics that emerge from these diverse perspectives compel us to an ongoing process of communication with one another and the community at large. This variety of Christian experience offers a basis for openness in the learning process, critical examination of worldviews, and cultivation of individual spiritual journeys.

  1. Because we are called to love our students, we intentionally focus our work on promoting their intellectual, spiritual, and social growth.

The congenial and collegial atmosphere at Malone reflects a theological and intellectual commitment by the faculty, staff, and administration to educate and disciple our students in ways that challenge their intellect, encourage their faith and develop their character. We hold that learning flourishes in a community where people draw upon Scripture, tradition, reason, experience, and inquiry through thoughtful conversation and active relationships with others. The relationships that are formed between members of our campus community and students foster a  dialogical process that reflects this belief that learning is not a solitary activity, designed for self-interested ends.

  1. We live and learn in a community that manifests and develops concern for others.

As a university community we are called to learn from one another, develop relationships, and work out our vocations in ways that demonstrate concern, accountability, respect, and humility. We extend these principles to the larger community and the world as we examine and endeavor to promote justice, civic responsibility, peace, and reconciliation. Through outreach, evangelism, and service we desire to witness to the love and grace of Christ. We emphasize corporate worship, prayer, study of Scripture, and other spiritual activities to prepare ourselves for learning and service, as well as to nurture and strengthen the spiritual life of the community. God’s grace is evident in our communal life as we seek to live out this calling in  a broken world.

History of Graduate Degrees

There are five graduate degrees offered at Malone University: the Master of Arts in Education, the Master of Arts in Theological Studies, the Master of Business Administration, the Master of Science in Nursing, and the Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership. Education began in June 1990, Theological Studies (formerly Christian Ministries) in May 1992, Business in January 1996, Nursing in August 2002, and Organizational Leadership in August 2010. The first ever Malone master’s degrees (52) were awarded at Spring and Summer Commencements 1992.

Governance

Oversight of each graduate program rests within the appropriate disciplinary school. Each graduate program is led by a Graduate Program Director. The academic approval process begins within the disciplinary school and follows the academic approval process through the Graduate Academic Policy Committee and Graduate Faculty. The voting membership of the Graduate Academic Policy Committee is comprised of six faculty, elected to three-year rotating terms and the Provost (or designee). Graduate Faculty are full-time faculty at Malone University who hold terminal degrees or exceptional expertise in their fields, and have taught at the graduate level in the previous two years.

The Graduate Cabinet must approve non-curricular issues, policy changes, and exceptions to existing policy. The Graduate Cabinet members are Graduate Program Directors and Deans of Schools with Graduate Programs.

The Provost, President, and the Board of Trustees complete the graduate governance structure at Malone University.

Statement of Purpose

All graduate programs derive their purposes and responsibilities from the Mission Statement and Foundational Principles of Malone University. Accordingly, a salient purpose for the graduate programs is to provide students with a quality educational experience in a Christian university environment. Specifically, the purposes of the graduate programs are to:

  1. combine faith and learning from a biblical perspective that leads to an advanced understanding of a reasoned Christian worldview and an applied Christian ethic;
  2. advance the students’ intellectual curiosity, competency, and skill to reason logically, evaluate critically, imagine creatively, communicate effectively, and serve faithfully in a culturally sensitive manner;
     
  3. create a dynamic learning community to utilize technologies and other instructional resources in equipping students to reflectively and ethically contribute to their personal and professional communities.