Cascade College in Portland, Ore., will close at the end of the spring 2009 semester, Oklahoma Christian University officials announced Monday, citing financial difficulties and other concerns. The news directly affects about 280 students and 45 full-time faculty and staff members.

Cascade opened as a satellite campus of Oklahoma Christian in August 1994 after financial issues forced Columbia Christian College — founded in 1956 — to close in the early 1990s.

“After 15 years of considerable effort and investment, we were unable to find a viable financial or academic model that would sustain and allow Cascade to flourish for the foreseeable future," Don Millican, chairman of the Oklahoma Christian Board of Trustees, said in a statement. "Following much prayer and discussion, the board reluctantly voted to cease offering baccalaureate degrees at the Cascade campus next spring. This is one of the most difficult decisions the board has ever made."
Millican expressed the board's disappointment for "the students, faculty, staff and many others who worked so hard and gave of their time and financial resources to establish and maintain Christian higher education in the Pacific Northwest.

“We will continue to work to help those students in the Northwest achieve their goal of a Christian education," he said, commending Cascade President Bill Goad and "his outstanding team" for their work at Cascade.”

Oklahoma Christian President Mike O'Neal said he was "deeply saddened that closing Cascade became necessary," but he agreed with the board’s decision. The Oklahoma City university had subsidized Cascade operations with about $4 million, thousands of administrative staff hours and other resources over its 15 years as a satellite campus, O'Neal said.

“The current economic crisis was not a significant factor in the decision, but it obviously did not help," O'Neal said in a statement. "While the Cascade Board of Governors had sought a different result, after four years of intensive effort, they had been unable to develop a financially and academically sustainable operation.

"The OC Board of Trustees and administration felt that it was not prudent for Oklahoma Christian to continue to subsidize that campus at a level sufficient to maintain a quality academic program.”
 
O’Neal also expressed great concern for the people most affected by the decision.

“We will go the extra mile in assisting the students to continue their education and the employees to find other employment during the transition period," he said. "The quality of the offerings on that campus will continue through spring 2009. We will also be sensitive to the needs of Columbia Christian School, which uses a part of the Cascade campus for their K-12 operations.”

Kerry Barnes, chairman of the Cascade Board of Governors, expressed his thanks for Oklahoma Christian’s investment in Pacific Northwest.

“OC has done much more than they agreed to do 15 years ago and much more than anyone would reasonably expect,” Barnes said.

Goad said he was thankful for the impact that Cascade and its predecessor, Columbia Christian, have had in the Pacific Northwest for more than 50 years.

“I believe we have had a positive impact on thousands of young people,” Goad said. “We’ve been blessed with outstanding students and very dedicated faculty and staff who took a personal interest in our students.  We’re also grateful to the many generous individuals and families who have made significant contributions to Cascade over the past few years.

“For the past six years, I have had the privilege of serving the Cascade community," he added. "My family and I have grown to love the Cascade and Columbia Christian family. This decision brings a great deal of sadness, but I accept and support the decision of the Board of Trustees."

He also said that he would encourage Cascade students to finish their degrees at Oklahoma Christian if at all possible. His focus now will be on supporting the students and affected faculty and staff during this time and assisting them in any way possible. 

O’Neal added that Oklahoma Christian remains financially sound and will continue to honor all the endowments and financial commitments of Cascade College. He said Oklahoma Christian remains committed to the people of the Northwest.

“Through the creation of an endowment for students from the Northwest we will seek to provide an opportunity for these young people to have access to a high quality, affordable, faith based education," O'Neal said. "It is our hope to prepare young people with a heart for ministry who will return to the Northwest to nurture and strengthen the church. We will do everything we can do to continue strengthening the bond we have with churches of Christ throughout the Northwest.