Welcome to the Rochester College website. I'm glad you dropped by to visit, and I want you to find the information you are seeking. If it isn't here, please e-mail me personally at rshelly@rc.edu or call me at 800-521-6010 or 248-218-2011. I will see to it that the right person from our academic community addresses your question. You will also hear back from me personally.

Rochester College exists to engage students in a vigorous liberal arts education within a Christian community for a life of study and service. Students in pursuit of high goals, faculty committed to helping them, and genuine Christian community to bind them together in the process - this is what our college is about.

The story of Rochester College goes back to 1959. The college - called North Central Christian College at its founding - opened its doors to 54 students. Later called Michigan Christian College and, eventually, with its name changed to Rochester College in 1997, the school has served thousands of people whose adult lives have been enriched by the experience.

The beating heart of Rochester College is the campus life of students. Young men and women learn not only history, science, and career skills for the business and professional world but life skills about living to reflect the image and glory of God in the world. As lived here, spirituality is hardly drab and monotonous. Following the example of Jesus, it is joyous, relational, and missional. The Savior of the World loved beauty, engaged the words of Holy Scripture, and showed his love for others through unselfish service.

But the focus of the college is not in the past. We are a forward-looking, dream-driven place! With a diverse student body and dedicated faculty, we are pursuing excellence in business and healthcare, teaching and psychology, athletics and the arts - as well as Christian ministry.

There are always challenges to the dream of a special place such as this. However, engaged board members, generous alumni, and special friends of RC have embodied this dream. From their commitment to this Christian enterprise, they sacrifice to build a campus, employ the best-trained faculty, fund scholarships, and otherwise make possible a superior education in a Christ-honoring context.

The roots of Rochester College are in Churches of Christ, and its branches reach across all denominational lines. We are non-sectarian in our approach and work to build up the Body of Christ in our region and around the world.

I hope to meet you personally and welcome you to our campus. Until then, use this site as a source of information about Rochester College. And be sure to let me know if there is anything I can do to help you.

Sincerely,

Rubel Shelly
Professor of Philosophy & Religion
Interim President of Rochester College