Western Michigan's Calvin College Is Changing To University

GRAND RAPIDS (CBS DETROIT/AP) — A western Michigan Christian college is getting university status.

Calvin College officials say the Grand Rapids school will officially become Calvin University on Wednesday. The date coincides with the birthday of 16th-century theologian John Calvin, school namesake and key figure in the Protestant Reformation.

Calvin officials say the 3,700-student institution founded in 1876 aims to extend its global reach and influence, as well as its commitment to Reformed Christianity. Goals over the next decade include expanding academic and extracurricular offerings, collaborating among disciplines and outside entities and updating its facilities.

Officials say the name change better reflects its growth and expansion.

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