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About the Christian Institute of Tertiary Education

Our History

Since 1954 a number of Christians shared a dream to develop a Christian university, in the protestant and reformed tradition in Australia. In 2001 the:

  • Association for Christian Tertiary Education ACTE(*)
  • Association for Christian Higher Education in Australia ACHEA
  • Christian College of Tertiary Education CCTE

combined their efforts to become CITE. We are excited about this level of co-operation and invite you to become part of it by becoming a member.

(*)The Reformed Theological College (RTC), operated by the ACTE prior to combining with ACHEA and CCTE, continues to function in its own right as an independent institution.

Constitution



CITE's constitution forms an important part of identity of CITE and is carefully crafted to reflect the values that CITE holds dear. The constitution is presented here in the interest of transparency and information. It is unfortunately a large document to down load (230kb) and will take more than a few minutes for most people - so please be patient. The key elements are reproduced below.

The constitution is in Adobe Acrobat format. For a copy of the constitution, click on the acrobat logo. To get a copy of the Acrobat reader, or update your current version if you need to, click on the Get Acrobat Reader and follow the instructions on Adobe's homepage.


CITE Constitution

The following are key elements from the constitution:

2. PURPOSE, BASIS, STANDARD, UNIVERSITY, CENTRE
2.1 The PURPOSE of the Association shall be to promote, establish, control and maintain a Christian Studies Centre, and in due course a Christian university in the Commonwealth of Australia on the Basis and subject to the Standard hereinafter prescribed, such university having the character described in 2.4.
2.2 The BASIS of the Association and of all institutions formed in connection with it, shall be the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as received, defined and listed in the historic confessions of the Calvinistic Reformation, namely,

  • The French Confession of Faith (1559), Article III;
  • The Belgic Confession (1561), Article IV;
  • The Second Helvetic Confession (1566), Article I;
  • The Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England (1571), Articles I, VI and VII;
  • The Confession of Faith Agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster (1647), Chapter I;
  • The Savoy Declaration of Faith and Order (1658), Chapter 1; and
  • The Baptist Confession (1689), Chapter 1

Thus, the absolute authority of the written Word of God in all matters of faith, ethics, social and political relationships and in every field of learning, shall be affirmed.
2.3 STATEMENT OF CHRISTIAN BELIEF AND PRINCIPLES CONCERNING SCHOLARSHIP

The STANDARD of the Association and all institutions formed in connection with it, shall be the understanding of the Christian religion that the consensus of the confessions listed in 2.2 represents, and more specifically as set forth in the following statement:

2.3.1 Why Christian scholarship

Human life in its entirety is lived in the presence of God and is therefore inescapably religious. Consequently, science and scholarship, along with every other facet of human activity, unfolds as the service of either the only one true God or of an idol. The Scriptures, the Word of God written, in instructing us of God, ourselves, and the order of creation, are the divinely inspired and authoritative means by which the Holy Spirit draws and unites us to Jesus Christ who is the Truth. This Jesus Christ, revealed to us in the Scriptures as the Word of God incarnate, is the risen Redeemer and Renewer of our life in its entirety, and therefore also of all our science and scholarship.
2.3.2 The how of Christian Scholarship

The triune God upholds as His central purpose for His creation the covenantal communion of humanity with Himself. That purpose comes to expression in true religion, which arises when the human heart is renewed through the Word of God by the Holy Spirit. In this way religion plays a decisive ordering role in our understanding of Gods creation, everyday life and experience as well as in the callings of scientific research and scholarship. Systematic investigation, the pursuit of theoretical thought, and the development of professional expertise in a community of scholars is a necessary part of the obedient and thankful response of Gods people to the cultural mandate. The task of the scholar is to research Gods creation, to formulate and articulate a scientific and scholarly account of the order of reality and to pursue these insights for the benefit of the community and to the Glory of God.
2.3.3 Contribution of non-Christians

Moreover, because of Gods gracious preservation of His creation in the face of human disobedience, those who reject the Word of God as the ordering principle for life, science and scholarship, may nevertheless provide significant insights into the creation order of which we are all but a part. While Christians can learn from these insights, the central religious antithesis in all human life remains undiminished. We therefore renounce any attempt at, and reject as fundamentally unsustainable, the synthesis of scripturally directed learning with any other standpoint.
2.3.4 Academic freedom of Christian Scholars

The scholarly enterprise is to be undertaken in the God-given freedom of a full and free submission to Christ as King alone over all, according to the Word of God. Accordingly, the responsible freedom of the scholar must be upheld and protected against any constraint and dominion of church, state, commerce, or any other societal structure. All science and scholarship pursued in faithful obedience to the divine calling will continually seek to heed the directive authority of the Word of God, will acknowledge His Law to which the creation in all of its diversity is subject, and will freely and wholeheartedly bow before Christs Kingship over all science and scholarship.
2.4 THE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

The University is to be instituted in the State of Victoria under the constitutional control of the Association as a free (independent) Christian University. As an institution of higher learning, research and education:

It shall be free. This means that it shall not be subject to the political and/or administrative authority of federal, state, local or other civil government or governments or their agencies as to its research, educational policies and programs, while nevertheless seeking public legal recognition and protection. It shall also be free in that it shall not be subject to any institutional church or denomination/s or their agencies, or to the control of any business, trade or commerce, while nevertheless seeking their active spiritual and material support.

It shall be Christian in that it shall confess and profess the Christian religion according to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as received in its Basis given herein.

It shall be a University which, when fully developed, shall provide for training, education and research in Biblical Studies, Systematic and Foundational Philosophy, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Earth and Life Sciences, and the Human Sciences, through the establishment of appropriate centres and faculties.

The Association shall exercise control of the University through its Board of Governors, which shall determine the name and location of the university and the courses to be taught. The Board of Governors shall grant degrees upon the successful completion of prescribed and approved courses of study, subject to this constitution and the laws of the State of Victoria and of the Commonwealth of Australia.

2.5 THE CHRISTIAN STUDIES CENTRE

With a view to the attainment of this purpose and in conjunction with this purpose the Association, through its Board of Governors if so appointed, shall promote, establish, control and maintain, within the State of Victoria, a Christian Studies Centre which shall, as circumstances permit, pursue the purposes set forth in clause 2.1.

Privacy Policy

CITE's Privacy Policy is and important aspect of our dealings online. We hope that in all our dealings we are open and honest to the glory of GOD.

  • CITE aims to ask only details pertinent to current transactions.
  • CITE wishes to be open and honest in all its dealings.
  • CITE promises to remove your address from any CITE mailing lists without fuss or question as soon as possible.

Note: Individual submissions need to be made for ALL addresses to ensure that you are completely removed from our lists. For example: You may have some email addresses that you have forgotten about that automatically forward to your main e-mail account. If these addresses are not submitted you won't be completely removed from our lists.

As our site and the use of technology develops so will this policy.

This current policy was last updated on 1 July, 2004