Message from the President
Welcome to Blue Mountain Christian University, an academic community of faculty, staff, students, and alumni, committed to pursuing Christ-centered excellence in a grace-filled environment. Unapologetically Christian in its approach to teaching and learning, Blue Mountain Christian University prepares students to become leaders in their chosen professions, in their churches, and in their communities. Thank you for choosing BMCU! May God bless your time at this special place!
Barbara Childers McMillin
Heritage
Blue Mountain Christian University was founded in 1873 by General Mark Perrin Lowrey, a man of vision who saw the importance of providing a thorough education for women. He and his two oldest daughters made up the faculty at what was then known as Blue Mountain Female Institute. Despite the fact that the education of women was not very popular in 1873 and the South was poor, General Lowrey and his daughters enrolled fifty students the first session.
Miss Modena Lowrey, who later became Mrs. Modena Lowrey Berry, served as “Lady Principal” and then as Vice-President from 1873 to 1934. It is believed that she served in these capacities as a major college official longer than any other American woman. She was the second woman in the state’s history to be named to the Mississippi Hall of Fame.
Leadership of Blue Mountain Christian University remained in the Lowrey family until 1960 when Dr. Wilfred C. Tyler, a twenty-four-year professor of Bible at the University, assumed the presidency and served until his death in 1965. Dr. E. Harold Fisher became the sixth president in 1965 and served until 2001. Dr. Bettye Rogers Coward, the seventh president, served from 2001-2012. The current president is Dr. Barbara Childers McMillin, who assumed office on August 1, 2012.
During the early 1950's, Blue Mountain Christian University opened its doors to educating men who were called into the ministry. For the next five decades, hundreds of men received their bachelor degrees and paved the way to a historic moment in the life of the University. In 2005, men received full access to all pro-grams of the University when the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to take the University into full co-educational status. Since that time, the University’s administration, faculty, and staff have diligently worked to transition the University toward its new future.
Over the years Blue Mountain Christian University has sought to prepare students for meaningful lives. Emphasis has been given to the development of strength of character and the ability to live creatively. Through small classes, a close faculty-student relationship, and a focus on the importance of the individual, the University has endeavored to produce graduates who are well-prepared academically and spiritually to accept places of leadership in their profession, in their communities, and in the work of the denomination.
Location and Facilities
Blue Mountain Christian University is located in Northeast Mississippi on Highway 15 approximately 35 miles from Tupelo and 65 miles from Memphis, Tennessee, in a small village, which bears the same name: Blue Mountain.
The University is located on a large hill which gets its name “Blue Mountain” because of the bluish tint of the pine-covered knoll in the early morning. It is natural beauty at its best.
Blue Mountain Christian University operates and maintains physical facilities that adequately serve the needs of the institution’s educational programs, support services, and mission-related activities. The campus consists of 189.61 acres and includes 23 major buildings, an intramural softball/soccer field, tennis courts, and a lake. The BMCU Web site offers an interactive campus map.
Student Services and Residential Housing
The University can comfortably house 416 students on campus in the major residence halls -- Whitfield, Stevens, Cockcroft, the Southplex, the Southplex Annex, The Loft, and Mountain Village, along with a host of University-owned housing options.
Support Services Facilities
Broach Hall is a two-story building that houses many of the Baptist Student Union activities. Paschal Student Center houses the Office of Enrollment Services, including the Office of Admissions, as well as vending ma-chines, study areas, and recreational areas. Outdoor areas where students typically gather include the Hearn Plaza, swings, picnic tables placed throughout the central area of campus, a waterfall, and a pier on the lake which features a lighted fountain. The Palmer-Donnell House will serve as a welcome center and as a venue for alumni gatherings. The Jim Futral Conference room, located on the upper floor of the Student Center, offers dining and meeting space for more formal gatherings.
Food Services Facilities
The food services program at BMCU offers students a variety of healthy and nutritional options. The primary dining room, housed in Ray Dining Hall, was renovated in the summer of 2019 and seats approximately 250. Most student meals are served using multiple serving stations. The Paschal Student Center, Coward-Martin Hall, and Fisher-Washburn Hall offer students options through vending services. Students may also purchase snacks from the Campus Store, located in the Lowrey Administration Building.
Athletic and Recreational Facilities
Wilfred C. Tyler Gymnasium: The Tyler Gymnasium houses the basketball courts and weight rooms for athletes.
Wellness Center: As a result of a grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Mississippi, a Wellness Center was constructed in summer 2014. This 7,800 square foot addition contains fifty different pieces of exercise equipment giving students access to a variety of physical exercises. The University’s Blue Motion Health and Wellness facility features space for exercise classes as well as nutrition and healthy lifestyle classes.
Johnnie Armstrong Gal-ry and Simmons Field House: Our athletic offices are located in the Gal-ry and the Field House.
Sportsplex: Blue Mountain Christian University’s field of dreams became a reality in 2017, with the opening of the Sportsplex. The facility currently hosts baseball, softball, soccer, and volleyball, as well as a golf driving range and a weight lifting facility.
Fitness Trail: The Blue Mountain Christian University Fitness Trail leads runners and walkers through the beautiful wooded area and the campus intramural facility, allowing an eastward view of the BMCU Sportsplex. The 5.2-mile trail was funded by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Mississippi.
Practice Facility: In 2014, the former gym located behind the Southplex residence hall was converted into an indoor practice facility for the baseball and softball teams.
Academic Facilities
The Art Annex, located adjacent to Southplex housing, provides space for ceramics, painting, drawing, and sculpture classes.
Coward-Martin Hall, completed in 2012, houses five spacious classrooms, seven offices, and the Curriculum Library. The building is equipped with electronic access for an added layer of protection since the building is located at the edge of the campus. Coward-Martin Hall has twelve laptop computers for student use.
Fisher-Washburn Hall, constructed in 2002, includes a tiered auditorium, computer laboratory, a conference room, spacious classrooms, and faculty offices. Approximately 44 different classes meet weekly in this facility. The building houses the departments of Language and Literature, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Biblical Studies, and Business Administration.
Garrett Hall of Fine Arts, located next door to Guyton Library, houses the performing arts auditorium and the Department of Fine Arts. The facility provides classrooms, music practice rooms, and faculty offices.
Garrett Annex provides spacious room for instrumental and vocal ensembles.
Guyton Library provides access to the primary book and periodical collection, electronic information, and learning resources for the entire campus; laptops which may be checked out by students, faculty, and staff; a small public museum of Chinese artifacts; and Alumni archives, including a doll collection.
The Health Annex, which is in the rear of the Wellness Center, houses the Department of Kinesiology, including three faculty offices, a classroom, and a classroom/laboratory.
Lowrey Administration Building was constructed in 1928, and renovation projects are ongoing. This facility provides classrooms and offices for the Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Many of the day-to-day operations of the University are conducted on the first floor of the building where administrative offices are located. The Administration Building also houses the main 773-seat auditorium. The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC), located in the Lowrey Administration Building, provides 28 desktop computers and areas for individual tutoring and group study.
The Wilfred C. Tyler Gymnasium houses one classroom, three faculty offices, and meeting areas for physical education classes and activities.
Overview
Blue Mountain Christian University is a Christian liberal arts institution supported by the Mississippi Baptist Convention. Deeply committed to the education of its students since its founding in 1873, the University has continued to attract capable, confident students who desire to pursue knowledge through a Christian worldview in a caring, person-centered environment.
Blue Mountain students vary in ages and backgrounds. Some come as freshmen; others transfer from nearby community colleges or universities; others enter the University as graduate students. Regardless of age or background, the individual student is of utmost value and importance at Blue Mountain Christian University. Faculty and staff believe in the ability of the student to participate constructively in his/her educational development. In a family-like atmosphere, classes of five to fifteen are common so that students can develop confidence that will enable them to be meaningfully engaged in life.
A measure of the quality of the academic programs at Blue Mountain Christian University is the accomplishments of its graduates. Alumnae and alumni of this University have achieved distinction in many fields, professions, scholarly disciplines, and artistic expressions.
Nestled in the hills of Northeast Mississippi, Blue Mountain provides an inspirational and tranquil setting in which to pursue a quality education. The knowledge students gain in their studies and the application of that knowledge will shape the quality of contribution they will make to family, profession, and community.
To assist in the student’s academic experience and planning, this Graduate Catalog presents information about educational programs and policies, faculty, and the campus community. Students should use this information to guide their planning at the University. Exceptional faculty also serve as knowledgeable guides and resources on each student’s academic journey. The faculty are dedicated teachers, engaged in all aspects of the teaching and learning environment.