Nov 10, 2014 04:52 PM EST By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

Cornerstone University in Michigan is expanding its liberal arts core next fall with the addition of several new majors and concentrations.

The non-denominational Christian school announced that faculty and administration have recently approved seven new academic programs to meet the growing needs of the West Michigan population.

"We are always seeking ways to better meet the needs of West Michigan and adapt to the professional opportunities that are out there," Rick Ostrander, provost at Cornerstone University, said in a statement. "We're confident these majors will be attractive to students and prepare them to be successful as Christians in their vocations."

The new programs are: cardiac rehabilitation, child and adolescent services, community health, economics, health communication, information systems, and pre-occupational therapy.

The conversation to develop the new programs was driven partially by feedback received from prospective students and applicants, according to Martin Hughes, dean of undergraduate academics at Cornerstone University.

"If you look at the array of offerings we provided before this recent activity, the offerings were comprehensive enough and diverse enough that they served many of our students well," Hughes said. "We were trying to respond to the interest on the part of prospective applicants and their families to provide additional options for people, and some of them are responding to new fields of activity in the economy and labor market."

The new programs are designed to be cost-effective by utilizing several shared courses. In addition, the university will add two new full-time professors to support the programs.

"In order to continue to grow as a university, we need to be responsive to the economic and social trends in West Michigan," said Ostrander, who initiated the market and feasibility studies that affirmed the viability of these programs. "We have been able to invest our existing resources in areas that will strengthen the university in the future."

Building on a robust liberal arts core, the new programs will further the university's mission of "empowering men and women to excel as influencers in our world for Christ."

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