The institution was previously affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, and its mission has been to educate and prepare leaders for service to the greater community.

Based on formerly being controlled by the Kentucky Baptist Convention and being bound by its policies, the university requested and received exemptions from Title IX in the areas of "admissions, recruitment, education programs or activities, and employment", allowing it to discriminate in those fields based on its views regarding "marriage, sex outside of marriage, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, and abortion.

Cumberland College received authority to award its first graduate degree, the Master of Arts in Education (MAED), on April 6, 1988.

In 2004 then-president Larry Cockrum was caught in an academic scandal because he was awarded a fake degree from Crescent City Christian College.

[10][11] The AAUP concluded that "The policies of Cumberland College, including the grievance procedure, do not provide for faculty hearings of any kind.

Those interviewed "expressed a particular fear that criticizing the administration and its operation of the college could place a faculty member's appointment in jeopardy".

[13] The board of trustees officially approved the succession plan on October 15, 2014, giving Cockrum a seven-year contract and the title of Chief Executive Officer & President-Elect.

[15] That same year, the university was granted an exception to Title IX, which allows it to legally discriminate against LGBT students for religious reasons.

The Kentucky Fairness Alliance asked Governor Ernie Fletcher to veto the $11 million that state lawmakers approved for a planned pharmacy school.

Its guideline stated that approved schools must have a policy on student affairs, including admissions and progression, that assures non-discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, lifestyle, national origin, or disability.

That same year, undergraduate student Jason Johnson of Lexington, Kentucky was forced to withdraw from the university after mentioning that he is gay on the social networking site MySpace.com.

[21] According to the group's website, "through dialogue with administrators, faculty and students, the young activists of the 2007 Equality Ride will make clear the harmful effects of the false notion that homosexuality is a 'sickness and a sin.'

"[22] According to the university, an offer was extended to the group to be located in the middle level of the Boswell Campus Center, but Soulforce rejected those terms.

[24] The college was granted an exception to Title IX in 2015 which allows it to legally discriminate against LGBT students for religious reasons.

These plans include a student recreation center complete with a rock wall, along with adding a thatched roof in order to blend in with the other buildings on campus.

UC recently began offering majors in Journalism and Public Relations, Criminal Justice, and Spanish.

The location was originally secured to offer more clinical rotations in mental healthcare for doctoral psychology students.

The university has other extracurricular student activities, including Campus Activity Board (CAB), chapters of College Republicans and College Democrats, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Residence Hall Councils, Student Government Association, Baptist Campus Ministries (BCM), and many other clubs and organizations.

Students who accumulate 200 or more hours of community service during their time at UC are designated "Hutton Scholars" and presented with certificates.