State of the University Address — 10/2/2026 10:00 AM

Notes

This morning’s Homecoming speaker was Dr. Thomas White, President of Cedarville University. He delivered this year’s State of the University Address, celebrating all that God has done and is doing on campus.

Alumni Awards

Dr. White recognized the recipients of this year’s Homecoming Alumni Awards. Two former athletes are being inducted into our Athletic Hall of Fame: Dr. Sarah Zeltman ’08 and Alison (Lemon) Rice ’10. The 2026 Young Alumnus of the Year Award is going to Peter Grinalds ’21, and the Distinguished Service Award goes to Jeff Reep ’79. Our Alumnus of the Year is Jim Houser ’91.

Record Enrollment

Dr. White made multiple other exciting announcements. First, we have had yet another record year of enrollment, with 7,542 students across undergraduate, graduate, and online programs. This year’s freshman class is the third largest in Cedarville history.

State of the University

Each year, Dr. White chooses a word or phrase to describe the state of the University. This year, he focused on the phrase, “eternal wisdom for an artificial age.” AI and the internet put so much information at our fingertips. We don’t need more of it — we need biblical wisdom.

Because of this, his sermon series this year is called “Built by Wisdom.” He wants students to fear God and forsake folly so they can find life.

AI Stewardship

Dr. White also discussed how Cedarville is thinking about AI as a tool we should steward. We want to form biblically faithful servant-leaders equipped to engage with AI with skill and discernment. Our goal is to have every student equipped with AI literacy by graduation, meaning that they know what it is, how it works, and where it shows up in the world.

Dr. White announced a brand-new four-course, all-online graduate certificate in Strategic AI Leadership. The goal of this certificate is to equip leaders to guide responsible, strategic adoption of AI. He also highlighted our new Bachelor of Science in innovation and entrepreneurship.

New Tennis Courts

We have recently received $200,000 from the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to help build new tennis courts at Cedarville when combined with other donor funds. Dr. White recognized Dr. Delyte “Dee” Morris, who has spent decades teaching and mentoring within the allied health program and coached the University’s women’s tennis team for 42 years. The tennis complex is going to be named after her to honor her legacy of excellence and service to her sport, her student-athletes, and the University.

Cedarville Florida

Wise stewardship has positioned us not merely to endure change but to pursue new opportunities to expand our mission. Dr. White announced Cedarville’s new Florida location, with classes beginning in January 2027! Learn more about this new endeavor at cedarville.edu/florida.

The Gospel is the foundation of everything we do here at Cedarville. Just like Jesus walked with His disciples for roughly 1,000 days, we want to point students in a direction that glorifies Him during their 1000 Days on campus.

God is the giver of all good gifts. None of this has happened by our own effort — it’s all Him! Let’s praise Him for His provision.