As a liberal arts institution founded on Christian principles and related to the United Methodist Church, our Methodist heritage supports our mission to educate students in the disciplines of higher learning and to help them be thoughtful and perceptive, to be articulate and professionally capable, and to be caring and concerned citizens of their community, nation, and world. We therefore commit ourselves to developing the whole student, both in openness to a wide range of intellectual discovery, and in the physical, spiritual, and social aspects of life.
The Endowed Chaplaincy will be incorporated into the Ferrum College Campus Ministries program within the Student Campus Life division and in collaboration with the Academic Schools. The Chaplaincy will support a College pastor in perpetuity and ensure ongoing support for the campus ministries program and leadership in both pastoral ministry and interdenominational service projects.
Ferrum College employs a full-time chaplain who is available for counseling and interested in helping students sort through the many different feelings that can accompany young adulthood and campus life.
Ferrum College is a member of the Appalachian College Association, a nonprofit consortium of 36 private four-year liberal arts institutions spread across the central Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Collectively these higher-education institutions serve over 54,000 students.
The Association helps develop and share ideas, information, programs and resources to achieve its goals, which include promoting cooperation and collaboration among its member institutions to serve the people of Appalachia through higher education and related services. The ACA functions independently of any one institution to serve all its members.
Ferrum College is a member of the College Board. The College Board seeks to ensure that every student in the United States has access to a high-quality education and is prepared to succeed in college. Our College Readiness initiatives promote curricula, assessment tools, and district and guidance resources that help K-12 students prepare for the academic rigors of higher education.
Ferrum College is a member of the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), the major national service organization for all small and midsized, independent, liberal arts colleges and universities in the U.S. CIC focuses on providing services to campus leaders through seminars, workshops, and programs that assist institutions in improving educational offerings, administrative and financial performance, and institutional visibility.
Ferrum College is a member of the CICV or Council of Independent Colleges of Virginia, which believes that studying the liberal arts and sciences enriches students as individuals, prepares them as world citizens, and distinguishes them as professionals. Students also gain an edge in the workplace, and are better equipped for a complex, diverse, and ever-changing world.
Ferrum College is a member of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). The CUR and its affiliated colleges, universities, and individuals share a focus on providing undergraduate research opportunities for faculty and students at all institutions serving undergraduate students. CUR believes that faculty members enhance their teaching and contribution to society by remaining active in research and by involving undergraduates in research. CUR’s leadership works with agencies and foundations to enhance research opportunities for faculty and students.
Ferrum College is a member of Educational and Institutional Insurance Administrators Inc. (EIIA). As a not-for-profit organization, EIIA not only offers a sophisticated range of insurance and risk management services, but we are also an advocate in the insurance marketplace. Solely focused on institutions of higher education, we are proud of our long-standing track record for educating institutions in managing risk, and providing unique insurance programs and services tailored to their needs.
Ferrum College is a member of the International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges & Universities (IAMSCU). The vision of IAMSCU is to develop a dynamic, worldwide network of member institutions, resulting in effective interinstitutional cooperation and collaboration to prepare a new generation of Christian leaders.
Ferrum College is a member of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), which serves as the unified national voice of independent higher education. Since 1976, the association has represented private colleges and universities on policy issues with the federal government, such as those affecting student aid, taxation, and government regulation.
Ferrum College is a member of the National Association of Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist Church (NASCUMC), a voluntary association of schools, colleges, and universities committed to the historic and distinctive values of United Methodist-related education. It exists:
Ferrum College is a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC), the professional association of undergraduate honors programs and colleges; honors directors and deans; and honors faculty, staff, and students. NCHC provides support for institutions and individuals developing, implementing, and expanding honors education through curriculum development, program assessment, teaching innovation, national and international study opportunities, internships, service and leadership development, and mentored research.
Ferrum College is accredited by and is a member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher-education institutions in the Southern states. The commission’s mission is the enhancement of educational quality throughout the region, and it strives to improve the effectiveness of institutions by ensuring that institutions meet standards established by the higher education community that address the needs of society and students. It serves as the common denominator of shared values and practices among the diverse institutions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Latin America and other international sites approved by the Commission on Colleges that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degrees.
Ferrum College is a member of the Commonwealth Alliance of Rural Colleges (CARC), whose mission is to “make a private college education affordable for Virginia’s students.” To that end, the VCF seeks funding from businesses, foundations, and individuals to assist needy and worthy students and help us in our cause. The VCF believes in accessibility, diversity, opportunity, and academic excellence.
