Founded in 1886

Shorter College

Shorter College is a private, faith-based, two-year liberal arts college located in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Founded in 1886 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Shorter College is one of the nation’s 110 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and the only private, two-year HBCU in the nation. For more than a decade, the offerings and innovations from our institution have led Shorter College to a continuing ranking as the fastest-growing college campus in Central Arkansas.

Shorter College’s open enrollment policy makes obtaining an associate’s level degree possible for any person having earned a high school diploma or GED completion from an accredited agency. Small, intimate classroom settings and an outstanding faculty create an enjoyable and supportive atmosphere for learning that empowers students to excel toward the pursuit of academic excellence.

Our Mission

The Mission of Shorter College is to provide accessible, affordable and high-quality education for students to accomplish their academic goals by offering programs that meet the learner’s needs in a challenging and nurturing Christian environment.

Our Vision

The vision of Shorter College is to remain a fully accredited two-year institution and to achieve distinction as a residential Christian College that excels in providing a challenging teacher-learner environment that will create a holistic transformative individual which embodies the four C’s:

Competency

Having the necessary ability or skills. Able to do something well or well enough to meet a standard

Character

The way someone thinks, feels, or behave. Someone's personality.

Culture

The beliefs, customs, arts, etc. of a particular society, group, place or time. a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization.

Citizenship

The fact or status of being a citizen of a particular place. The qualities that a person is expected to have as a responsible member of a community.

Our Goals

We value faith and learning as inescapably linked and that an exploration of faith and religion is essential to education.

1. ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Enrich academic instructional programs and student services to equip students with the knowledge, skills and abilities to become scholastically and professionally productive in today’s global society.

2. STUDENT SERVICES

Improve student support services that will enrich career goals, academic and co-curricular experiences.

3. INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS

Increase the level of external outreach in order to expand opportunities for working with other educational institutions, alumni, foundations, government agencies and business partners in ways that increase potential sources of funding and produce associations for mutual benefit.

4. OPERATIONAL & RESOURCE ENHANCEMENT

Advance the institutional and environmental resources by further streamlining the college’s operations where efficiencies can be gained, making optimal use of prior investments in systems, re-aligning infrastructure with evolving needs, securing protected information, and minimizing waste attributable to technology use.

5. STUDENT ENROLLMENT AND RECRUITMENT

Increase student enrollment and refine student recruitment strategies to recruit and retain a diverse student population.

Institutional Objectives

The objectives Shorter College seeks:

To instill within each student the realization that God is the supreme center of all reality, and that academic and life purpose is ultimately realized only through obedience to the revealed Will of God.
To provide the essential communication skills and general education needed to stimulate intellectual curiosity and a continuous search for knowledge.
To provide both certificate and associate degree programs that prepare students for further study or opportunities for work in the job market.
To serve as a center to transmit and preserve African-American heritage and culture.
To graduate students who think carefully and logically about and express with clarity their observations, experiences, and findings concerning the world in which they live, both in writing and verbally.
To graduate students who exhibit competency in their disciplines, character in their work with others, and compassion toward all people consistent with an education in a Christian environment.
To provide knowledge and basic computer skills needed to be technologically competitive.
To provide an opportunity for underperforming students to overcome educational deficiencies.