A Year to Remember

Regent University Celebrates the Amazing
Growth and Accomplishments of 2018

The 40th year of Regent University was one marked by new milestones and
achievements that are laying the groundwork for an even more successful future. 

Record-Breaking Growth

Regent is outpacing the higher-education market in miraculous ways. After five years of consecutive growth, the university has increased its total enrollment by 75 percent, while other colleges and universities have experienced a decline of three percent during that same time period. Our record-breaking fall enrollment of nearly 11,000 students represents every state and 68 countries. Regent’s military-affiliated population is more than 3,000 students strong. This accounts for 30 percent of our total student body. Military-student enrollment has grown 81 percent over the past year.

Excellence in Education

For the first time in its history, Regent is recognized as a top-tier university nationally by U.S. News & World Report, 2019. The top-tier category includes Harvard, Yale and other Ivy League schools. And for the sixth year in a row, Regent’s College of Arts & Sciences maintained its “A” rating for comprehensive core curriculum from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. Only two percent of the 1,100 colleges surveyed earn this prestigious rating.

“I’m so thrilled with what Regent is doing,” says Founder, Chancellor and CEO, Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson. “All of this shows the goodness of God. It’s tremendous how He is showering His blessings over this university. We are being blessed beyond measure, and we give Him praise for another year.”

Alumni World Changers

Founded as CBN University in 1978, this “school for God’s glory” celebrated its largest graduating class ever (1,976) in May 2018.  Regent now has more than 25,000 alumni across the U.S. and in 97 other countries. University graduates are working in 61 of Forbes’ Top 100 companies, including Apple, Amazon, Disney and Lockheed Martin. Thirty-eight Regent alumni are sitting judges, and 51 have served as judges in the school’s history. Nine graduates and two students currently serve in their state legislatures, and nearly 900 are employed as faculty at 438 colleges and universities. Ten of our alumni are university presidents, and close to 900 are serving in the ministry as pastors or missionaries.

Notable alumni include Dr. Robert Dyer (SBL ’01), the newly elected mayor of Virginia Beach; and Kristen Waggoner, Esq. (LAW ’97), who serves as senior vice president of the U.S. legal division with Alliance Defending Freedom. In 2018, Waggoner argued and won two important, high-profile, religious liberty cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Kenton Lee (SBL ’10) won the 2018 Patents for Humanity Award from the United States Patent and Trade Office. Lee was recognized for creating an expandable shoe for needy children. His nonprofit, Because International, has distributed 175,000 pairs of The Shoe That Grows in more than 100 countries. 

Unforgettable Events

The university kicked off 2018 with Winter Storm Grayson on January 4. The historic bomb cyclone dropped nearly a foot of snow on Regent and turned the campus into a true winter wonderland. Before the month was over, the university would receive another high-profile visitor. Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade spoke to a sold-out crowd at an Executive Leadership Series (ELS) event in the Regent Theatre. The well-known TV personality, radio host and best-selling author shared his insights on values, ethics and American exceptionalism. Kilmeade also highlighted his book Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans.

In February, Regent hosted a pioneering cybersecurity summit that featured leading industry professionals. Panelists and attendees included those from Google, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Eastern Virginia Medical School. The summit concluded with an ELS luncheon at Founders Inn and Spa, featuring an eye-opening presentation by Kevin Mitnick, the world’s most-famous computer hacker.

That same month, popular Christian music artist Cory Asbury performed at a Regent “Night of Worship” (NOW) event, as his hit “Reckless Love” was climbing the charts to #1. Asbury also took time during his campus visit to record a music video of the song with the Regent University Singers. The video quickly went viral, generating more than 60,000 Facebook video views to date. The increased exposure has also opened new doors for the singers, including similar collaborations with popular Christian music artists Phil Wickham and Jason Gray. The Regent Singers also performed at a black-tie fundraiser alongside former contestants from the hit TV show The Voice, and sang at Virginia Beach’s official Fourth of July celebration at the Oceanfront. 

One of the biggest red-letter events of 2018 took place in September. The second annual Regent Royals Pep Rally kicked off the fall sports season at Robertson Field. Coaches and athletes, including members of the new men’s and women’s basketball teams, joined the student body for family-friendly sports clinics, food trucks, giveaways, a school-spirit contest and a Movie on the Lawn event.

In December, Regent closed out its event year by welcoming more than 35,000 guests to campus for the inaugural CBN Christmas Village. The university hosted the free, family-focused celebration that took place for six days over two weekends. Modeled after European Christmas markets, CBN’s village transformed the Regent mall with dazzling displays of Christmas lights, the area’s largest Christmas tree, a live nativity scene, Santa’s Workshop and other holiday attractions. (See Page 9.)

Leading in Cybersecurity

Regent’s cybersecurity program received a significant boost from the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The high-profile government entities named the university a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education. Regent is among only four percent of universities in the United States to receive this prestigious designation. (See Page 7.) Also, Regent has been chosen to teach Navy personnel cybersecurity warfare and is the preferred, cyber- defense training partner for members of the U.S. Air Force Combat Command stationed at Langley, Virginia.

“It is an immense honor for Regent to have received this prestigious distinction from the NSA and the DHS,” says Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño. “Regent will continue to advance education and training for industry-leading professionals to equip them to serve and lead in the cyber domain, as well as to protect the data of our nation’s government, infrastructure, businesses and communities.”

“This recognition is a tribute to the excellence of our B.S. in Cybersecurity program, our faculty, students, and facilities. It recognizes Regent as a key player in cybersecurity education, not only in Virginia but in our nation,” adds Cheryl Beauchamp, College of Arts & Sciences’ Engineering & Computer Sciences professor and department chair.

Another significant accomplishment in the past year involves the university’s Institute for Cybersecurity, which created the Certified Cyber Practitioner^TM (CCP) program to provide practical training for cyber professionals. The CCP program delivers three levels of cyber-defense training that integrate commercially recognized certification curricula with hands-on training, utilizing Regent’s multimillion-dollar cyber range. The training program is designed to lower the current 25-percent gap between demand for cyber-trained employees and the existing supply. It also helps address the predicted shortfall of 3.5 million cybersecurity professionals by 2021.

New Programs & Achievements

Included in its many academic accomplishments of 2018, Regent rolled out seven new degree programs as part of an innovative growth plan that targets significant market demand. Those additional programs bring the university’s academic offerings to more than 130 unique areas of study in some of the most advanced, high-demand disciplines available. They include cybersecurity, computer science, computer engineering, nursing, clinical psychology, and many others. Since 2015, Regent created 54 new programs at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels, along with dozens of concentrations, representing a 70-percent increase. And over the past five years, the number of credit hours taught at the university has grown a historic 78 percent. 

At the bachelor’s level, the 2018 program additions include computer engineering, systems engineering, management information systems, business analytics, and graphic arts. A nursing master’s program (MSN) was also introduced. Additional nursing programs, including a Doctor of Nursing Practice through the university’s College of Healthcare Sciences and School of Nursing, will follow. 

Regent University’s RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program recently received accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the premier accreditation for baccalaureate, graduate and residency programs in nursing.

CCNE is a nationally recognized accreditation agency, acknowledged by the United States Secretary of Education. It serves as the official accreditation arm of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (See Page 6.)

“Regent’s RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, School of Nursing, and College of Healthcare Sciences will serve as leading healthcare workforce development partners in our region and the nation,” Robertson explains. “We are delighted to receive this prestigious accreditation and grateful to our faculty for yet another excellent program-development achievement.”

“Regent’s RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, School of Nursing, and College of Healthcare Sciences will serve as leading healthcare workforce development partners in our region and the nation.”

Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson

Regent also now offers students the opportunity to prepare for certification in several key information technology (IT) areas. The certifications, which meet basic U.S. Department of Defense requirements, are key credentials for opening doors into industry positions. The university launched a “digital badges” pilot program in Fall 2018 and currently offers these micro credentials in approximately 50 areas of study. (See Page 8.)

By the start of 2019, School of Communication & the Arts alumni and students had earned more than 445 national and international film awards. This past year, Regent University again partnered with Hollywood actor, producer and director Corbin Bernsen and his production company, Home Theater Films, to produce a new feature film. Mary for Mayor features the work of several students who had roles on set as crew and actors. In October, a faith-based film co-written by successful screenwriter Cheryl McKay (SCA ’95) premiered in theaters across America. Indivisible depicts actual events in the life of U.S. Army Chaplain Darren Turner (SOD ’06) and his wife, Heather, as they fight to save their marriage during his service in the Iraq War. (See Page 10.)

“I’m so thankful for the ministry that God has given Regent University and for the partnership we share with so many others in equipping Christian leaders to change the world,” Robertson says. “This university is training students to believe in God and to put their hope and faith in Him. Our faculty and staff are equipping communicators, educators, ministers, business leaders, attorneys, psychologists, nurses, computer experts, and other professionals to do amazing things in service to the Lord and their fellow man.”

For information about applying to become a Regent University student, call 800.373.5504 or visit regent.edu/admissions.