Williams Baptist College is a four-year, Christian, liberal arts college. Williams is known for its academic excellence and personal attention, with a student-to-teacher ratio of 13-to-1, as well as its warm, Christ-centered environment. There are over 500 students on WBC’s main campus at Walnut Ridge, Ark., and a total enrollment of about 600. Most students live in on-campus residence halls and apartments.
Williams has over 25 majors and pre-professional programs to prepare students for a wide array of career options, and it is ranked in the top tier of southern colleges & universities by US News & World Report. It is accredited through the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association and by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
WBC is owned and operated by the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.
History
Williams was founded as Southern Baptist College in 1941 by Dr. H.E. Williams. It started in Pocahontas, Ark., but in 1947 the campus was relocated to a nearby, former World War II military base at Walnut Ridge, which has been the college’s home ever since. WBC began as a two-year college, but moved to four-year status in 1984. The name was changed to Williams Baptist College, in honor of its founder, in 1991.
Location
WBC is situated on a 200-acre campus in the northeast Arkansas community of Walnut Ridge, a city of about 5,000 people. Williams is a 30-minute drive from Jonesboro, with a population of about 70,000 and a wide array of stores, restaurants and entertainment options. Memphis is approximately 90 minutes away, and Little Rock is about a two-hour drive.
Mission Statement
Williams’ mission is to recruit actively, admit responsibly, instruct effectively, and influence positively both traditional and non-traditional students seeking intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual growth within the philosophical orientation of a conservative Christian world view, the Judeo-Christian heritage, and Western culture. Fulfilling its mission to educate, equip, and enrich students to be articulate and contributing members of a global society, Williams requires a general curriculum of arts and sciences with opportunities to pursue liberal arts and professional degrees. Williams accomplishes its mission through a wide range of student services, a qualified faculty and staff, athletic programs, an aesthetically-pleasing campus, appropriate facilities, current technological support, opportunities for cultural encounters, and a spiritual atmosphere which emphasizes faith and family values.
Vision Statement
Williams’ vision is to be an exemplary Christian college with an integrated curriculum of liberal arts and professional studies shaped by a caring people committed to Biblical precepts and values.
To fulfill our vision, we will:
Provide meaningful opportunities for spiritual enrichment.
Provide superior student-centered educational programs.
Provide the means for personal enhancement and professional development.
Value and respect the contributions of each individual.
Provide an optimal and aesthetically pleasing physical environment.
Be receptive to better ways of fulfilling our mission.
Institutional Academic Goals
To produce students who demonstrate an understanding of the Judeo-Christian heritage and Christian world view.
To produce students who demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively across the curriculum.
To produce students who demonstrate the ability to reflect critically upon the environment, society, and self.
To produce students who demonstrate the ability to apply critical thinking and analytical skills to become more effective problem solvers.
To produce students who demonstrate an appreciation for a healthy lifestyle that will promote lifelong health and fitness.
To produce students who demonstrate a competence in at least one particular body of knowledge.