CROWLEY – There was some skepticism when the announcement was made just a year ago that a college was coming to the Rice Capital. But with the snip of a pair of oversized blue scissors Saturday morning, John Melvin University officially opened its doors with more than 120 students and a full staff of instructors, coaches and support personnel.
“This is the start of something special,” said David Angeron, university president.
In welcoming the standing-room-only crowd to the university’s administrative building at 1543 Crowley-Rayne Hwy., Angeron touched briefly on the beginnings of the Melvin family’s dream of establishing the university.
He said he and his wife, Jean Melvin, university chief financial officer, began the quest because they were concerned about the lack of religion in schools and colleges. He said they were invited to consider Crowley as a base by Charles “Chuck” Ashby, who introduced them to Mayor Tim Monceaux.
“We got a lot of positive support from everyone,” Angeron said. “It was a very humbling experience.”
Also instrumental in the establishment of the university locally was Duke Daigle, who thanked the Melvin family “for bringing this opportunity to Crowley.”
Like many others, Daigle admitted he wasn’t sure it could happen in a year, “but the support we got from the community soon flipped that idea and here we are today, opening the doors to 120-plus students.”
Rev. JJ Uys, pastor of Our Savior’s Church in Crowley and chaplain of the university, added thanks to the community “for believing with us.”
“Just like the university’s motto is ‘Changing the world one campus at a time,’ I am passionate about changing our community one student at a time. I am excited to partner with the university.”
Like Our Savior’s Church, John Melvin University is a non-denominational, faith-based university, according to Angeron.
“We don’t try to push any religion on our students, we just want them to have a relationship with the Man upstairs,” he said.
Before he cut the blue ribbon to mark the opening of the new university, Mayor Monceaux added his thanks to the Melvin family. “Look how God brought everyone here together to support this endeavor,” he said.
John Caleb Melvin, for whom the university is named, was a standout athlete at Berwick High School and UL Lafayette before losing his life in a motorcycle accident in February, 2003. After his death, the John Melvin Memorial Scholarship Fund was established and is administered by UL-Lafayette.
In addition to his sister, Jean, other family members present Saturday included John Melvin’s parents, Jim and Sue Melvin, and his niece and nephew, Drew and Drake Angeron.
JMU is accredited by the National Bible College Association. The NBCA provides non-governmental recognition and certification by providing accreditation to small, private, independent Christian institutions of higher learning. Their goals and purpose are to recognize, endorse and accredit institutions of higher learning that are dedicated to the principles of the Kingdom of God throughout the United States.
John Melvin University is applying for accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at this time but does not guarantee the acceptance of academic credit by other colleges and universities. An unaccredited institution is not necessarily substandard or fraudulent.
John Melvin University offers courses in both Online Learning and Distance Learning formats.
Online Learning allows students to work at their own pace. These classes never meet in person, and students are not expected to be available at any specific time or day for classroom instruction from professors.
These courses are taught asynchronously with no pre-assigned meeting times. Students will have access to class materials online using the John Melvin University LMS as well as being able to contact their instructor and (or) teaching assistant(s) at any point during the course.
Distance Learning classes also do not require in-person attendance, but students are expected to be available for instruction synchronously at the times for which the class is scheduled. Students will need to participate online using Zoom, WebEx, Blackboard Collaborate, or Microsoft Teams.
As a religious exempt university approved by the Louisiana Board of Regents, John Melvin University currently offers a variety of Christ-Centered degree programs. For more information on available degree programs, please contact the admissions department at admissions@johnmelvin.university.
All JMU students enrolled in any JMU Bachelor’s program are required to take 36 credit hours of general education courses and 42 hours of religious education courses.