Patten University
Encyclopedia
Patten University is a private institution of higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...

 in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...

.

The school was founded in 1944 by evangelical preacher Dr. Bebe Patten as the Oakland Bible Institute, and was affiliated with the Christian Evangelical Churches of America, a denomination
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...

 established by Dr. Bebe Patten. In 1997 it became an affiliate university of the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)
Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)
The Church of God, with headquarters in Cleveland, Tennessee, is a Pentecostal Christian denomination. With over seven million members in over 170 countries, it is one of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the world...

.

Patten University is accredited
Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...

 by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...

 (WASC) and authorized by the California State Board of Education
California State Board of Education
The California State Board of Education is the governing and policy-making body of the California Department of Education. The State Board of Education sets K-12 education policy in the areas of standards, instructional materials, assessment, and accountability...

. It offers Associate and Bachelor’s degrees in religious fields, business, and liberal arts and sciences. Master’s degree programs are available in education and business management. A special Associate of Science in General Studies is available only to active duty military personnel.

The school participates in two NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...

 sports: Men's baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 and women's softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...

.

History

In 1944, Dr. Bebe Patten and her husband, C. Thomas Patten, conducted evangelistic services in the Bay Area. Thousands of people filled the Oakland Auditorium Arena (now the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center) seeking purpose and meaning for their lives. Several hundred answered a call to active Christian service. Because of this response, Dr. Bebe Patten founded the Oakland Bible Institute, which was incorporated as a California nonprofit corporation.

The school was located for several years at its initial location, 1428 Alice Street. It moved moved to Telegraph Avenue
Telegraph Avenue
Telegraph Avenue is a street that begins, at its southernmost point, in the midst of the historic downtown district of Oakland, California, USA, and ends, at its northernmost point, at the southern edge of the University of California campus in Berkeley, California...

 in 1950, and then to the present campus on Coolidge Avenue in 1960. Later the school was renamed Patten University in response to its growth and expansion of academic programs and degree offerings.

While the University has continued to emphasize Bible and church-centered ministries, it has created options for students whose career interests lie in fields other than the professional ministry.

The University is supported by the Christian Evangelical Churches of America, Inc. (CECA), also founded in 1944 by Dr. Patten. This organization is a separate nonprofit corporation that establishes churches and ordains men and women to the ministry. Christian Cathedral, the CECA headquarters church located on the Patten University campus, provides some of the facilities used in the University program.

In 1997, Patten University became an affiliate university of the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)
Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)
The Church of God, with headquarters in Cleveland, Tennessee, is a Pentecostal Christian denomination. With over seven million members in over 170 countries, it is one of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the world...

. Recognized as a "Church of God Institution", the University provides programs to further the ministry and the work of the Church of God in the western United States

Accreditation

In 1980, the university received accredition from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...

; the regional accrediting
body. Then in February 2011, WASC put Patten University on probation citing problems with four specific areas and there will be a fall 2012 review of the progress.

The Multiple and Single Subject Teaching Credential
Teaching credential
A United States teaching credential is a basic multiple or single subject credential obtained upon completion of a bachelor's degree and prescribed professional education requirements. Teaching credentials are required in the United States in order to qualify to teach public school, as well as many...

 programs and the Elementary Subject Matter Preparation Program are approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

Associations

Patten University is a member of The National Association of Evangelicals
National Association of Evangelicals
The National Association of Evangelicals is a fellowship of member denominations, churches, organizations, and individuals. Its goal is to honor God by connecting and representing evangelicals in the United States. Today it works in four main areas: Church & Faith Partners, Government Relations,...

; The Evangelical Training Association; The Western College Association; The Association of Christian Schools International
Association of Christian Schools International
The Association of Christian Schools International is an association of evangelical Protestant Christian schools.-Purposes:ACSI, a protestant association for Christian schools, impacts nearly 23,000 schools and transforms the lives of more than 3.9 million students worldwide...

; The Regional Association of East Bay Colleges and Universities; The American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....

; The Pacific Coast Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers of the American Association of Higher Education; The Western Association of College Admissions Counselors; The National Association of Christian College Admissions Personnel; The National Association of College Admissions Counselors; The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
Founded in 1976, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities is an organization of private US colleges and universities...

; and The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...

.

The university is approved by the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...

, Immigration and Naturalization Service
Immigration and Naturalization Service
The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service , now referred to as Legacy INS, ceased to exist under that name on March 1, 2003, when most of its functions were transferred from the Department of Justice to three new components within the newly created Department of Homeland Security, as...

, for attendance of nonimmigrant international students under the Immigration and Nationalization Act, and is approved for veterans. The university is an affiliate of the Church of God denomination, Cleveland, Tennessee. It is also approved by the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...

 and the State of California to participate in all grant
Federal grant
In the United States, federal grants are economic aid issued by the United States government out of the general federal revenue. A federal grant is an award of financial assistance from a federal agency to a recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of...

, loan
Student loans in the United States
While included in the term "financial aid," higher education loans differ from scholarships and grants in that they must be paid back. They come in several varieties in the United States:...

, and work-study programs. Qualified students are eligible to receive state scholarships.

Patten is an affiliated university of the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) and has formal articulation agreements with other academic institutions, including the Hispanic Institute and various California Community Colleges.
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