NAUMS, Inc. Membership
Join the Kingdom philosophy of education lived out in University-Model® schools through membership in NAUMS, Inc.
The first University-Model® (UM) school opened in 1993 with the vision of helping parents prepare college-worthy character witnesses of Christ for the next generation. Today, more than eighty University-Model® schools and groups comprise the growing membership of NAUMS, Inc. and the school association University-Model® Schools International (UMSI).
NAUMS, Inc. exists to take this unique Kingdom model of education to the world. More than an incorporation of Christian schools, and more than a network of Christian ministries to families through schools, UMSI is an educational community of Christ-followers, called together by God’s grace to make disciples by partnering with Christian parents in a manner beyond what can be done in traditional schools.
NAUMS, Inc. establishes and supports local UM communities by imparting the vision, values, standards, systems, and organizational structures of University-Model® education in order to accomplish two foundational principles:
- To preserve and strengthen the God-ordained family relationship, and
- To offer Christian students the opportunity to achieve a high degree of academic excellence.
Guided by these objectives, NAUMS, Inc. equips the founders of new schools and supports the leaders of existing schools in the pursuit of academic excellence and quality instruction, established and lived out in the context of authentic Christian communities.
The University-Model® Trademark
The identity and integrity of this educational model are protected by the “University-Model®” trademark. Approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2002, the trademark protects the nomenclature and all intellectual property of the corporation, including products, materials, the book Character-Driven College Preparation, and all other verbiage that is the property of the corporation. Derivatives of the University-Model® mark — e.g., “college-model,” “university school,” and “university-style” — are also exclusively the property of NAUMS, Inc.
Anyone who wishes to implement a UM school must join NAUMS, Inc. by completing, signing, and submitting the appropriate member agreement.
What Membership Secures
Only schools that are active members of NAUMS, Inc. can authentically call themselves University-Model® schools and receive support specifically designed for University-Model® education. Three benefits carry most of that weight.
The license to call your school University-Model®
The University-Model® trademark is held by NAUMS, Inc., and only schools that are active members can authentically call themselves University-Model® schools. Membership is what connects your school’s name to the model’s track record — the NAUMS, Inc. certification standards are linked directly to the trademark, so the name a family sees on your door is backed by standards, not just a style of scheduling.
Anyone who wishes to implement a UM school must join NAUMS, Inc. by completing, signing, and submitting the appropriate member agreement.
A certified path to Cognia accreditation
NAUMS, Inc. certification is the precursor to school accreditation — and only member schools are eligible for it, along with the consultative services required for successful Cognia accreditation. Because the certification standards are cross-walked with the Cognia Accreditation Standards, the work your school does for one serves both.
See how certification works, from digital evidence through the five-year engagement review.
A network of schools that work the way yours does
More than eighty University-Model® schools and groups make up the NAUMS, Inc. and UMSI membership — leaders who run the same half-day calendar, train the same preceptor parents, and answer the same board questions you do. Members meet through regional communication groups and regional representatives, school tours and phone conferences, round-table discussions, and Discovery Dinners, with the Administrative Mentoring Program, administrative forums, and REPS visits carrying that support into your own school.
Between gatherings, the conversation continues on the UMSI member site (member login) and the News & Events.
And the working list — every other service members draw on
- Professional services
- Consultation in classical/traditional programs, finance, tuition and salaries, business practices, fund development, legal questions, policies and procedures, spiritual formation, school events, student activities, school administration and governance, and promotion and marketing.
- Support
- Administrative Mentoring Program, administrative forums, REPS visits, job postings, the UMSI member site (member login), the News & Events, and student assessment services.
- Professional development
- National and regional conferences and workshops, live streaming, webinars, the New School Workshop, UM Visionary Board Training, John Carver governance training, leadership and teacher training, and preceptor parent training.
- Networking opportunities
- Regional communication groups, regional representatives, school tours and phone conferences, round-table discussions, and Discovery Dinners.
- Onsite services
- Board training, fund development training for boards, the preceptor training program for parents, and speakers for parent information meetings, parent education workshops, commencement ceremonies, and more.
- Research & development
- The NAUMS, Inc. Annual Statistical Survey Report, custom-designed surveys, and best educational practices and trends.
- NAUMS, Inc. products
- Character-Driven College Preparation by Dr. John W. Turner, Jr., the promotional video, the New School Development Manual, the Sample School Board Manual, parent orientation modules, spiritual development modules, and videos of past UMSI Summits.
- Stakeholder service opportunities
- Serve on certification and/or accreditation teams, present at regional or national conferences and workshops, present webinars, participate in NAUMS, Inc. strategic planning retreats, and provide support to sister schools.
- Student opportunities
- Summer camps with NAUMS, Inc. partner organizations, Venture Off, and student mission trips.
How Membership Works
Membership runs through a signed member agreement, and NAUMS, Inc. matches the agreement to your school’s stage: a founding team developing a new UM school, an existing school transitioning to the University-Model® approach, or an established University-Model® school.
Annual dues are set by that stage as well, so a two-family founding team is not asked to carry the same dues as a school with a decade of graduating classes. When you request information, the NAUMS, Inc. team sends the agreement and dues schedule that apply to your situation — there is no one-size-fits-all rate.
Whatever the stage, every member holds the same standing in the association: the same name, the same certification path, and the same network.
What every member receives
- License to the University-Model® name and trademark for your school
- Eligibility for NAUMS, Inc. certification and the Cognia accreditation path
- The UMSI network — regional groups, mentoring, forums, and the member site
- Consulting, training, conferences, and the full list of member services above
Call 972-525-7005 for current dues.
Where Membership Leads
Membership is the first step in a longer partnership: new schools move from founding to launch with NAUMS, Inc. support, and member schools pursue certification as the mark of an authentic University-Model® school.
How to Become a Member
Request information.
Tell us about your school or founding team, and we will follow up with the membership details that fit your situation.
Receive the appropriate member agreement.
NAUMS, Inc. will provide the member agreement suited to your school's stage — developing, transitioning, or established.
Complete and sign the agreement.
Review the terms with your board or founding team, then complete and sign the member agreement.
Submit the agreement to NAUMS, Inc.
Return the completed agreement to NAUMS, Inc. Your NAUMS, Inc. contact will include submission and dues-payment instructions with your agreement.
Already a member?
Member-school leaders can access forums, resources, and job postings through the member portal.
Request membership information
Start step one now — tell us about your school or founding team, and the NAUMS, Inc. team will follow up with the member agreement details that fit your situation.
Prefer to talk it through? Call NAUMS, Inc. at 972-525-7005.