Campus News

NCAA BOARD APPROVES CBU’S DIVISION I ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP STATUS CALIFORNIA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY ENROLLMENT HOLDS STABLE FOR FALL 2022 FIRST COHORT FOR DOCTOR OF SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM GRADUATES

California Baptist University has been granted active status as a Division I institution effective for the 2022-23 academic year by the NCAA Division I Board of Directors.

“This is an exciting day for California Baptist University,” said Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president. “Division I is the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics and making the transition to full membership represents a significant step forward for CBU. It’s another way we demonstrate our continual pursuit of excellence, and I am convinced that our student-athletes will compete strongly on the national stage.”

With active status, CBU studentathletes now have the opportunity to compete for berths in NCAA Division I championships.

“Years of preparation went into this and I am thankful for all of the hard work by our campus leadership and staff members to make this a reality,” said Tyler Mariucci, director of athletics. “We are ready for this new opportunity of postseason eligibility.”

During the four-year transition process, CBU Athletics teams experienced considerable success including winning 11 conference championships, logging 24 top-three conference finishes and qualifying 14 teams for postseason tournaments involving Division I programs. Enrollment at California Baptist University remains steady this year.

At the regular fall meeting of the CBU Board of Trustees, Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, president, announced that Fall 2022 enrollment totaled 11,496 students.

“Fall 2022 enrollment is stable. To see this, even as we continue to navigate the aftereffects of a global pandemic, is encouraging,” Ellis said. “CBU is still zeroing in on the goal of 12,000 by 2025. We are thankful for the students who have chosen CBU to pursue their academic goals.”

CBU’s enrollment has grown even as college enrollment declined nationwide through the pandemic. Total enrollment—undergraduate and graduate students—dropped by 2.7 percent in fall 2021 compared with fall 2020, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Private nonprofit four-year undergraduate enrollment decreased by 1.6 percent or 63,200 students during that time. Meanwhile, enrollment at CBU increased by 1.5 percent or 174 students.

Since Ellis arrived as president in November 1994, CBU enrollment has grown from 808 students to 11,496, more than 14 times larger in 28 years. The first cohort to graduate from the Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program walked the stage in August. The 30 students made up the largest graduating doctoral class in CBU history.

During the two-year program, the students designed social innovations to address a specific social problem. Their projects ranged from nonprofit organizations seeking to eliminate homelessness to initiatives that will reduce disparities in healthcare.

“The breadth and depth of these innovations is amazing and will make a significant impact on families, organizations and communities in our region and around the globe,” said Dr. Krystal Hays, program director of the Doctor of Social Work.

The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences is thrilled to celebrate the inaugural graduation of Doctor of Social Work students, said Dr. Jacqueline Gustafson, dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences.

“This applied program is designed to develop leaders as change agents within the field of social work,” Gustafson said. “Those students who are graduating will impact our local, national and global communities in meaningful ways—bettering the lives of children, families and systems.”

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