Ex-Cons, Ex-Druggies, Tattoos, and Christian Education: Introducing You to Untraditional, Non-Traditional Education
“This is the money shot,” I said, teaching on a theological point. Nineteen sets of eyes dramatically scanned each other before several shouted out in near unison some version of, “No, no, no; you can’t say that!” Welcome to the world of Pastors’ School, Set Free...
Reimagining Recruiting During COVID
The COVID-19 pandemic has confronted higher education institutions worldwide with uncertainty, financial woes, disruption of plans, and widespread despair. In the United States and elsewhere, it has intensified a trend of declining enrolment that threatens the...
8 Effective Ways to Prepare for Post-Pandemic Enrollment
The impact of the pandemic on higher education has been significant and far-reaching. Christian colleges, universities and schools have been hit particularly hard as many lack robust endowments and the large enrollments necessary to weather the COVID-19 storm. New...
5 Engaging Methods to Market Your Faculty
How can a Christian college raise its profile, cultivate donors, and cause more prospective students to consider that school? Kathleen Fitzpatrick’s Generous Thinking: A Radical Approach to Saving the University (John Hopkins University Press, 2019), challenges...
Solutions to Destructive Leadership Behavior on the Christian Campus (Part 1)
Multiple visits in the mid-1990s to once-beautiful Beirut, Lebanon revealed a war-torn city known as the Paris of the Middle East. Eight Lebanese factions at war with each other transformed the country, and Beirut in particular, into a scar-ridden nation. Led by the...
Where are the “Gotchas”? 10 HEERF Considerations to Be on the Lookout For
The three Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds, commonly referred to as HEERF I, II, and III, have provided necessary financial relief to higher education institutions struggling with the economic burden caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, each round of...
When and How to Apply to Begin Offering Federal Student Financial Aid
Beware of Doing This Without Help I used to attend monthly meetings of The Dean’s Roundtable, a meeting of academic deans of universities in Southern California. You would be familiar with several of the schools represented there. At one meeting, one of the deans said...
5 Benefits to Providing Study Abroad Programs
While many study abroad programs were undoubtedly canceled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resuming these opportunities when it is safe to do so should be a high priority in higher education. Participation in these programs has grown steadily over the past...
Revolutionizing Our Assessment Processes to Match Our Assessment Realities
As assessment professionals we are challenged to be critical, analytical, creative, and realistic about what we either do or do not know, and to mine data to support our epistemic limitations. When assessment is done well, it transforms data into information into...
Nov. 10 Workshop: Recruit, Retain, and Develop GREAT Faculty
You are invited to join fellow administrators and academic colleagues in our monthly small group mentoring workshops developed especially to address the needs of small Christian schools: About the Workshop Overcome the challenge of finding and hiring great faculty...
If the Senate Passes the Equality Act . . .
On February 25, 2021, Congress again passed an attempt to legislate immoral morality, the “Equality Act.” One wonders, is this act from Animal Farm or the funny farm. It would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” as...
Adapting to the Times: Suggestions for “Going Online”
COVID-19 has brought about myriad challenges in higher education. Regrettably, some institutions have even capsized. However, others have proven resilient, sailing into the winds of the difficult storms of the year. One significant challenge concerns the business of...
Should Christian Colleges Be Publicly Accountable for Spiritual Outcomes?: A Report on Responses from College Personnel
When families entrust their sons and daughters to a Christian college, they are likely to expect some positive spiritual outcomes, but have too often been stunned to find their child's faith and personal relationship with the Almighty shattered. Many prospective...
ABHE, ATS & TRACS: How Long Does It Take to Achieve Accreditation?
Accreditation Timelines ABHE ATS TRACS The standard timeline promoted by the ABHE for moving from Applicant Status, through Candidate Status, to Accredited is eight years. Some schools can move faster. A school with applicant status is allowed a maximum of five...
ABHE, ATS & TRACS: Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Qualifications
Christian colleges and universities are elgible to distribute Federal Student Financial Aid (FAFSA) when achieving candidacy or accreditation status, depending on the accreditation agency. See the table below for qualifications regarding ABHE, ATS, and TRACS...
Christian Academia Books Recommended by Larry McKinney
Who should Christian college leaders ask for book recommendations? Larry McKinney’s broad range of experience in Christian academia makes him an ideal candidate. He has served as president of Simpson University, Providence University College and Seminary, and the...
How Federal Regulations Could Reduce Faith-Based Worker Supply as It Has Already Done to Health Care Worker Supply
The progressive agenda may not always clearly communicate what it is for, but when it comes to what it opposes, the evidence is everywhere. Exhibit A includes recent aggressive actions against religious and conservative organizations—including educational...
Moving Beyond Status Quo in Direction, Purpose, Capacity, and Value
Daily pressures fool us. The fog they create prevents us from reflecting on important questions about where our institution is heading, how we are distinctive, how we are Christian, and whether we are maintaining or losing value. The questions we ask matter because...
