Grand Canyon University’s online programs offer many job opportunities for our AdjunctWorld community, usually listing 5-10 online positions per week. Recently, we at AdjunctWorld have formed a relationship directly with a faculty recruiter for the Grand Canyon University nursing program, something we are very excited about. In celebration of this relationship, this week we will shine our spotlight on Grand Canyon University to help our adjuncts learn more about this online adjunct job provider.
Who is Grand Canyon University?
Grand Canyon University (GCU) is a faith-based, for-profit university based in Phoenix, Arizona. The school is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers traditional, campus-based programs and popular online programs in several disciplines, which are also accredited by discipline-specific bodies. The school was founded in 1949 by the Arizona Southern Baptist Church, who wanted faith-based education options for students in their region, who were having to go out of state to receive a Baptist-based education. The school ran into financial difficulty in the early 2000s and in 2004 was acquired by Significant Education, making GCU the first faith-based for-profit university.
Since, the school has recovered financially, thanks in large part to the success of their online programs, and the school has contemplated going back to non-profit status. In 2014, CEO Brian Mueller stated, “We have decided to look into the possibility of returning the University to its historical nonprofit status because we believe it may be in the best long-term interest of our students and our University, as well as our stockholders.” The school is proud of the fact that despite its for-profit status, it has continued to provide education to its students as a traditional private or state university would, citing profits being invested back into the school, low default rates compared to most other for-profit institutions, and a mission to continue to provide traditional learning opportunities for students of all interests, including music, dance, debate, theater, and Division I sports.
The Four Pillars
The “Four Pillars” describe GCU’s mission to provide quality education to students in a faith-driven capacity.
1) Academic Advancement: GCU seeks to challenge students academically and emphasizes critical thinking skills needed for the “real world.”
2) Christian Camaraderie: The school provides an opportunity for students of any denomination to learn in a faith-centered environment, allowing them to fellowship with their “brothers and sisters in Christ.”
3) Extracurricular Excellence: GCU is especially proud of its commitment to student athletes. They boast that 13 GCU baseball players have gone on to play in the Major League.
4) Wellness & Well-Being: Grand Canyon University is committed to helping its students maintain a healthy lifestyle by providing opportunities for fitness and healthcare.
Online Degree Programs
Our community would be particularly interested in the online programs that Grand Canyon University offers. The online programs are described by the school as offering flexibility of modality (students can take classes on-campus, in hybrid format, or completely online), concentrated classes and a “credit transfer-friendly” approach allowing for earlier graduation, and financial aid in the form of academic scholarships. The degree programs offered online are:
Business – Accounting, Marketing, Sports Management, MBA
Education – Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Special Education, and M.Ed. for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TEOSL)
Liberal Arts – Philosophy, Sociology, Christian Studies, Criminal Justice
Nursing & Health – Nursing, Counseling, Healthcare Administration, MHA
The nursing program at GCU has signed up as a “school” member on AdjunctWorld with the aim of uploading their jobs directly to our AdjunctWorld database. We are currently working on developing relationships with other departments within the school. In the meantime, we will do our best to answer any questions you have and are interested in hearing of your experience either as a student of GCU or as a faculty member. Please comment below or email me!
Best to all in your search for online teaching positions!
Sources:
