The University was founded as a professional school for women in 1941, and then reconfigured as a two-year junior college in 1950. 1975 saw the institution undergo further change as it evolved into a four-year university for women. In 1996, the university opened its doors to male students, and took its present name. Two graduate schools were added in 1999, and the university underwent its final reconfiguration in 2006, when it became an incorporated entity. University faculty and staff are presently united by the following principals: respect for others, consideration of problems and challenges from a local perspective, empathy toward the community which we serve, and the preparation of students, faculty, and staff for the global, intercultural age in which we live.