TIGERVILLE, S.C. (courtesy ngu.edu) — In November 2019, Impact 360 Institute and NGU announced a partnership leading to the development of a new graduate-level program, Impact 360 Masters. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states, has granted accreditation approval for the Master of Arts in Leadership degree program. NGU is the primary academic partner for graduate degrees offered at Impact 360 Institute, which began Fall 2020.
Impact 360 Masters is a two-year residential program building on Impact 360 Institute’s core value of actively developing apprentices of Jesus. This partnership will reinforce North Greenville University’s mission of glorifying God by cultivating graduates who are equipped to serve as transformational leaders for church and society.
In response to a challenge set forth by philosopher Dallas Willard, Impact 360 Institute will be one of the first institutions to offer young Christ-followers a true graduate curriculum in Christlikeness. An articulation agreement describing the partnership outlines that North Greenville University will confer the graduate degrees, with Impact 360 Institute executing much of the program on its Pine Mountain campus.
“We have inherited a rich legacy of biblical worldview formation, discipleship, and servant leadership here at Impact 360 Institute. This new graduate program is an exciting opportunity to take our stewardship of that legacy to the next level,” says Dr. John Basie, Director of the Impact 360 Masters program.
Dr. Phil Alsup, executive director of Impact 360 Institute, noted, “Our mission at Impact 360 Institute is to cultivate leaders who follow Jesus. North Greenville University’s heritage and shared values make them a uniquely qualified partner. We are thrilled to partner with North Greenville University to offer a program that will give our graduates opportunities to join organizations around the world and contribute what they have learned through Impact 360 Institute.”
”Impact 360 Institute is one of the premier biblical worldview organizations in the world, and North Greenville University looks forward to building on our own foundations in that area. This is an important partnership as we grow our graduate programs in new and exciting directions,” explains North Greenville University President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr. “John and Trudy Cathy White, Impact 360 Institute’s founders, are visionary thinkers and have mentored dozens of leaders, including my wife Lisa and me. We look forward to seeing the programs roll out in the very near future and to seeing new transformational leaders cultivated with both North Greenville University and Impact 360 Institute’s DNA.”
Students accepted into the program must have completed a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university and demonstrate a commitment to Christian discipleship. Faculty members from Impact 360 Institute will join visiting faculty from NGU to teach accredited courses in subjects like spiritual formation, leadership, and apologetics.
“North Greenville University and Impact 360 Institute share common distinctives as Christ-centered institutions committed to the biblical worldview, the integration of faith and learning, spiritual formation, and servant leadership. This new partnership is a natural fit,” said North Greenville University Provost and Dean of the University Faculty Dr. Nathan A. Finn. “I am excited at this opportunity to partner together to develop new graduate programs that reflect those common distinctives and help prepare men and women to be transformational leaders who love God and neighbor and make a difference in a wide variety of vocations.”
John and Trudy Cathy White (daughter of Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A) established Impact 360 Institute in 2006 after noticing an increasing inability of high school students to explain and retain their Christian faith once they reached college. Since then, Impact 360 Institute has grown to offer programs for everyone from middle-schoolers to graduate students, each one deeply rooted in their three-pillar philosophy to know Jesus more deeply, to be transformed in character and to live a life of Kingdom influence.