William Carey International University
History
beginnings
William Carey International University (WCIU) in Pasadena, CA is an accredited private faith-based university, incorporated in February 1977, and licensed by the State of California to grant graduate degrees.
The University was founded under the leadership of Dr. Ralph D. Winter who led the effort to purchase the 15-acre campus and housing, of the former Nazarene College. WCIU was established to provide balanced, research-based educational programs leading to the improvement and furtherance of international development practices.
Dr. Winter, envisioned delivery of a holistic curricula that integrated history with social sciences. The educational offerings would focus exclusively on international development with an emphasis on practical, field-based experimentation leading to breakthroughs. The University would employ a diverse, experienced, and dispersed faculty using a mentored approach to education. The University would work closely with non-governmental voluntary agencies worldwide. In 1978, the State of California granted WCIU institutional approval to offer a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in International Development. The University was based on the education by extension model without residency requirements.
Initially, WCIU granted only the Doctor of Philosophy degree in International Development, empowering cross-cultural workers earning Ph.D. degrees to recruit and mentor students for collaborative research on issues of importance based on their affiliated non-profit organizations. By 1994, the University had nine graduates.
Shortly after the Ph.D. program was started, WCIU began offering a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in International Development with specializations in Intercultural Communications, Intercultural Studies, Community Development, Applied Linguistics, and TESOL.
the middle years
Between 1994 and 2009 WCIU Faculty focused on developing, implementing, and revising its patented World Christian Foundations (WCF) curriculum with the intention, as Dr. Winter explained, to re-engineer the liberal arts and seminary curricula into an integrated framework that looks at God’s global purposes throughout history. Insights gained by these studies would allow graduates to effectively address the challenges faced by their organizations. This course became the foundation of WCIU’s Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degree programs.
In 2009 WCIU’s founder, Ralph D. Winter, passed away. As the primary conceptual and most influential university leader, his absence is still greatly felt. Dr. Snodderly started as acting President in 2009 but was appointed as full-time President in 2010 and served until January 2016. Prior to that, the various presidents had concurrently held major roles in other institutions. Having a full-time president led to unprece- dented growth for the University.
In 2013, the University decided to focus its efforts on graduate programs and ceased enrollments in the Bachelor of Arts in International Development degree program. In a further effort to refine the University’s mission, the Doctor of Philos- ophy degree program entered into a teach-out phase and ceased enrollments in 2015 but now, in 2023, we are awaiting news of our accreditation approval from DEAC. The University continues to focus on offering a quality distance education Master of Arts in International Development degree program.
In May of 2017, Dr. Kevin Higgins was appointed to serve as the President of WCIU.
In 2018, the University’s Board of Directors adopted its current mission statement: WCIU provides innovative distance education programs to enhance the effectiveness of scholar practitioners as they serve with others to develop transformational solutions to the roots of human problems around the world.
In 2018, the Board of Directors announced the completion of the sale of our campus to EF Education First, the world’s largest international education company. The completed sale positions WCIU for a new chapter in its research and prepara- tion of men and women to work at the roots of human problems.
The unique approach to international development promoted through WCIU’s academic programs equips scholar activists globally. WCIU is also fostering a growing network of associated schools, institutions and organizations which use WCIU’s core curriculum as a key component in their own programs.
In light of increasing globalization and the strategic decision to align its programs clos- er to the needs in the developing Global South, the time had come to liquidate the property and consolidate a strategic focus on the educational, academic, and research imperative of the University. As a distance education-based University, today WCIU is now poised to expand and further enhance it’s global impact through our cutting-edge curricula, research-based institutes, and indicatives.
With the appointment of Rev. Dr. Paul Premsekaran Cornelius, we believe WCIU has made a strategic shift. It is the first time the University has been led by a President from the Global South. We believe that Paul’s background and his experience uniquely equips him to lead WCIU and our global community into a new season of growth and increased effectiveness as we seek to address the roots of human problems around the world.
Since 1978, WCIU has graduated approximately 450 students from our Master’s and Ph.D. programs.
A NEW ERA BEGINS
In early 2023, new President Paul Cornelius began his leadership, and is helping to lead WCIU into a new chapter in its research and preparation of women and men to work at the roots of human problems. We believe that Paul’s background and experience in the Global South, uniquely equips him to lead WCIU and our global community into a new season of growth and increased effectiveness as we seek to address the roots of human problems around the world.