Values and Vision

Values

Rochester University welcomes students into a supportive community with personalized attention.

Rochester University calls students to discover and develop their unique gifts and abilities to participate in the redemptive work of God.

Rochester University engages students in a rigorous and holistic education for professional and personal success.

Vision

Rochester University will cultivate a diverse and welcoming community of learners among students, faculty, and staff for the sake of participating in God's mission in the world. Learning together the way of Christ, we will serve in neighborhoods, businesses, and organizations with justice and mercy. Sharing life in the spirit of God, Rochester University graduates will contribute creativity, knowledge, and integrity to our rapidly changing world.

Heritage

In 1954, members of the Churches of Christ formed a Board of Trustees to establish a college in the north central United States. The new Board purchased land near rural Rochester, Michigan, and the first students arrived at North Central Christian College in 1959. Several years later, NCCC became Michigan Christian College. In 1997, the Board adopted the name Rochester College. That year, the Board reaffirmed the founders’ dedication to the task of leading students toward high academic achievement and the development of Christian ideals and character. In 2019, Rochester College became Rochester University.

Over the years, the campus of Rochester University has grown, and administration and faculty have continued to develop and modify programs that meet the changing needs of our students.

In a typical year, students arrive from 20 states and about 10 different nations. Alumni are scattered in many places around the country and the world.

Since its inception, Rochester University has emphasized the importance of combining academic excellence with Christian ideals. While the university admits students of all ethnicities and religions and carefully explains varying worldviews in relevant courses, it employs only those professors and instructors who understand, model, and teach the Christian faith. Regardless of their discipline, faculty members routinely relate their subject matter to relevant principles and concepts of the Christian faith.