2016-2017 Graduate Catalog 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2016-2017 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Student Life


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Students

The graduate student body at Cairn is diverse. Over twenty different denominations are represented. Students range in age from the mid-twenties to the mid-sixties, with the average age in the late thirties. Females represent 52% and males 48% of the student body. Geographically, the majority of students come from Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Twenty countries are represented in the student body. Most students are employed and work in an occupation related to the student’s graduate program. Graduate students have obtained their undergraduate degrees from a wide range of colleges and universities.

Community Life Covenant

Cairn is an academic community of Christian students, faculty, and staff. As such, and in keeping with the mission and vision of the University, members of the Cairn community are to exhibit biblical wisdom and Christian maturity regarding their personal conduct and behavior toward others. They should be sensitive regarding the testimony of their personal lives in representing the Lord Jesus Christ, His Church, and the University. Members of the University community should live according to 1 Corinthians 10:31: “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Christian community involves covenantal responsibility and mutual obligation to one another as members of one body living together before a righteous and holy God. Therefore, members of the University community are to be guided by biblical admonitions to demonstrate Christian love and concern for others, honesty, fairness, justice, kindness, forgiveness, mutual edification, self-control, deference, respect, and social responsibility toward one another and all people.

Because Christian community exists in social and cultural context, members must be careful to demonstrate civility and respect for those with whom they disagree, while exercising wisdom in evaluating the ideas and activities of others. Christians living in harmony share a deep concern for the Body of Christ, defer to one another, reason together, and express genuine Christian love, as outlined in Romans 14.

Additional specific standards of conduct for students, faculty, staff, administration, and trustees, as well as other institutional and governmental policies, can be found in the respective handbooks for each group.

GRADUATE STUDENT STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

The following standards apply to all University students while enrolled in the graduate programs at Cairn. These standards are established on the bases of state and federal laws, biblical teaching, and University policy and tradition. Students registered in dual-level degree programs are classified as traditional undergraduate students regarding standards of conduct. The administration is responsible to, and reserves the right to, exercise judgment in interpreting and enforcing these standards and all matters related to them based upon the totality of the circumstances.
1. University students are subject to the responsibility of academic integrity which demands honesty and giving credit to the proper sources.
2. Hazing is classified as a crime by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; the University will not allow this type of activity. Hazing is defined as any type of initiation process which includes actions that may potentially cause bodily harm, physical exhaustion, personal embarrassment, loss of dignity, emotional trauma, or mental duress.
3. Harassment or discrimination against others on the basis of race, national origin, age, sex, or handicap is not tolerated. Intimidation and violence through words or action are prohibited. This includes but is not limited to threats, verbal attacks, vandalism, stalking, acts of hatred and physical attack.
4. Students are to be highly selective in their choices of entertainment. Biblical standards and discernment should serve as guidelines in making personal decisions. Pornographic materials, including electronic media and sexually explicit internet sites and email, are not to be viewed, possessed, distributed, or transmitted on or away from campus.
5. Cairn affirms the biblical teachings that a sexual relationship is intended only within a heterosexual marriage of husband and wife. Students are to abstain from any type of sexual activity or immoral relationship outside of the marriage of a man and a woman.
6. Tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs, including illegally obtained prescription drugs, and gambling are prohibited on the Cairn campus. All state and federal laws concerning these are to be strictly observed.

Student Services

Counseling Services

Cairn University’s Oasis Counseling Center provides biblical counseling to promote spiritual, psychological, emotional, behavioral, and relational health. Oasis is a safe place where students and members of the surrounding community can seek assistance in the challenging circumstances of life. Students who are interested in obtaining personal counseling or participating in a support group can find more information about these services on the Oasis website.

Health Center

Graduate students are required to submit a completed health form for admission into the graduate programs. During the academic semester, the privileges of student health services are available to students who have submitted a completed health form. The University nurse may be contacted during posted office hours for ordinary needs at 215.702.4334. For more information, please visit the Cairn Health Center website.

Campus Events

Many activities on campus are open to graduate students and their families. These include, but are not limited to, concerts by the Cairn Symphony Orchestra, student music ensembles, and popular contemporary Christian artists; student performances; lecture series; a weekly women’s Bible study; Homecoming; and sporting events. More information about on campus events and activities is available on the University Event Calendar or through the Office of Student Life (studentlife@cairn.edu).

Alumni Services

Cairn graduates and alumni have distinguished themselves in their respective fields of study and in their local churches for over 100 years. The Office of Alumni Relations considers it an honor to proudly represent over 15,000 alumni who continue to impact the world for Christ.

The Office of Alumni Relations exists to nurture community among the University’s alumni family by providing channels for communication, networking, fellowship, and growth. The Office of Alumni Relations works to maintain mutually beneficial relationships with all alumni of the institution through various events, gatherings, social networking opportunities, communiques, and Cairn magazine.

The primary alumni event each year is Homecoming. Each fall, Cairn invites alumni back to campus to reconnect with their former classmates, faculty members, and friends. Additionally, this event allows alumni an opportunity to see firsthand how the University continues to grow and expand its scope. Alumni are invited to interact with current students, participate in professional development/networking workshops, watch sporting events, attend musical performances, and participate in other planned events. The weekend is packed with activities for alumni, their families, and guests of all ages.

Current information regarding activities, regional alumni gatherings, news of interest, and other alumni-related information is available on the Alumni section of the Cairn website (www.cairn.edu/alumni), through Cairn magazine, through monthly email updates from the alumni director, and via periodic mailings to alumni. Alumni are encouraged to connect with each other through the Cairn Alumni Association Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CairnAlumni) and through the online edition of Cairn magazine (magazine.cairn.edu).

A complete list of alumni benefits can be found online (www.cairn.edu/alumni/services).