Gina Cox is our Executive Vice President of Academics & Ministry Training and a professor at Highlands College. Before coming to Highlands College, Professor Cox was a nuclear regulatory lawyer. Professor Cox is now helping lead the Highlands College accreditation process. What makes Highlands College unique are faculty members like Gina, who deliver engaging academic curriculum through innovative and relational methodologies. We interviewed Professor Cox to learn more about her background and impact at Highlands College.

What course do you teach?

Biblical Worldview

What is the timeline of your academic journey?

1983 ‚Äì Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from University of Maryland

1989 – Juris Doctor from University of Virginia

2017 – Masters of Divinity from Southeastern University

Why did you choose to teach at Highlands College?

I chose to teach at Highlands College because of the kingdom impact that each student will have. It’s an incredible honor to be able to teach students who are going out to serve God by serving the Church.

How does the Biblical Worldview course shape the future leaders of the church?

Biblical Worldview shapes the next generation of leaders by challenging them to study the Scriptures to find out the answers to the questions the world is asking today: is there absolute truth? Why does evil exist? Are Allah and God, the Father of Jesus, the same person? We explore these questions and equip students to have difficult conversations about belief and truth.

What is something most people don’t know about you?

I medaled in synchronized swimming in the Regional Junior Olympics!

You’ve helped play an impactful role in our accreditation process. Can you explain what accreditation is and a brief overview of the journey?

Accreditation is the review of the quality of higher education institutions. Through accreditation, students, families, and others know whether an institution provides a quality education, delivering on the promises they make.  Essentially, the process of accreditation demands that colleges, like HC, strategize, implement, assess, and improve.

At Highlands College, we began the accreditation process with the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) in 2016.  We have earned Candidate status which simply means that the ABHE believes we can achieve accreditation within 5 years. For most colleges, accreditation is the gateway to be able to offer federal financial aid. Although HC does not intend to access federal financial aids, earning accreditation helps HC graduates pursue further education and guides HC in our efforts to improve continuously.