“We are blessed to have so many members of the Shorter family return for another semester, and we have welcomed many new faculty and students who were attracted to Shorter by our commitment to offering a Christ-centered education,” Dowless said in a prepared statement. “We have seen a slight decrease from last year’s enrollment of 1,643; yet, this fall represents the third consecutive year that Shorter has enrolled more than 1,500 students.”
Dowless issued the statement to the Rome News-Tribune after a reporter requested a breakdown of the enrollment numbers comparing last year and this year, including the number of students living on campus, how many traditional students are included in that number and how many students are freshmen or transfer students.
In an earlier press release that discussed the enrollment numbers, Dowless also announced that 51 new faculty members have joined the university’s staff.
Shorter University would not release specifics about how many people had left after staff and faculty were told they had to sign a lifestyle statement, but the website SaveOurShorter.com provided numbers that showed about 84 staff and faculty had left.
Not all on that list left because of the statement of faith issue, and not all were full-time faculty.
The Board of Trustees passed a measure last year that required staff and faculty to sign a Faith and Personal Lifestyle statement in which they agree, among other things, to “reject as acceptable all sexual activity not in agreement with the Bible, including, but not limited to, premarital sex, adultery and homosexuality.”
Some staff members said they left as a result of that statement.
- "But Daddy, everybody else does it"
I usually reply, "So if everybody else set their hair on fire, does that mean you should do it too?"
We're not really talking about Union or Wheaton or any of the other schools you have cited. We're talking about Shorter University. A CHRISTIAN university.
That's a strange analogy, but you're certainly welcome to make it, if you wish.
Wheaton College (IL) and Union (TN) are both Christian, evangelical universities. They are both members of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, as is Shorter. Both have presidents who have written and published extensively about Christian higher education. Both have policies similar to Shorter's (for example, see Union's faculty application: http://uu.edu/humanresources/faculty/FacApp02.pdf).
Examining the practices at peer institutions within the CCCU gives us a broader perspective when evaluating the policies at Shorter. It's been fairly common practice on these discussion boards to contrast issues of diversity and academic freedom at Shorter against the social norms of other institutions. Do you have equal concern for such comparisons?
When the "distinguished" Chair Emeritus of the Board of Trustees makes a comment that would have gotten a faculty or staff member censured or fired because of the lack of modesty that is being held up as the new hallmark of public performances at Shorter and no one, NO ONE has the nerve to stand up and speak out against it, you know two things - one, the remaining faculty that has withstood the inanities of the administration during the last year, trembled in fear of voicing their opinion and two, the rest of the Stepford faculty has fallen right in line.
Nelson Price should be ashamed of himself, but given that he covered himself with laud and honor via the contributions of others to the new library wing, nothing he does surprises me any more. Worthless, out-of-date tapes and rocks he picked up are housed in a building paid for by others. He was daring the faculty to speak up. He was proving the the GBC has total control and will do as they please and he was insulting the honor of a good and noble school.
Rest assured, Hawk, that the alumni ARE rising up. We have mourned and now it is time for taking our school back.
Nelson, you crossed the line.
Wow, we do have some insulated freshman on campus this semester who only want their myopia reinforced, but I guarantee you that they will be challenged to think outside the GBC box before they're indoctrinated into a lifetime of of bully pulpits, closed mindedness, and universal stupidity. Nelson doesn't want it that way, but we are still here. Remember that lying is not part of the "contract" with Dapper Don. I'm a good soldier (in public and whenever Donald asks). But if you think that I am stupid enough to believe that world is only 6,000 years old, WOW. Just wow!!
I see several comments on here that have no backing whatsoever. One comment about the new dorm being delayed...That dorm was supposed to be built the spring of my junior year. It is just now being worked on. This has nothing to do with student enrollment or a faith statement. Also, current enrollment is not linked to this faith statement. If no one has noticed, many schools' enrollment is down because of the economy. When people are broke, it is difficult to go to school. Did professors leave because of the faith statement? Yes. Of course some of them did. Honestly thought, since I am a recent graduate, it was nice to see some of them go because I witnessed them not representing Shorter in a positive way. Comments like this come from people trying to find anything they can to make their views look correct. If you do not like the way or direction the university is going, then stop supporting it. No one makes you give your money to Shorter. No one makes you attend events on campus. However, if you call yourself a Christian, you shouldn't be "bashing" Shorter for what they are doing because if I am not mistaken, many people are upset over the so called "bashing" they feel Shorter is doing to certain individuals.
I have no problem with Shorter saying they want their faculty to be against premarital sex, adultery, and homosexuality. I also do not have a problem with them telling faculty to not drink in public. The professors are to be an example to the students. Whenever I attended Shorter and I saw a faculty members out drinking, I honestly lost respect for that person. I am an educator now and I would not want my students see me out drinking or anything that has a negative connotation. I want to set a good example for my students. And the Bible specifically addresses the issues of premarital sex, adultery, and homosexuality. It is very clear. One cannot pick and choose which parts of the Bible they want to believe. So many "Christians" these days only believe the parts that work for them. Revelation specifically addresses either being hot or cold...being in the middle is an insult to God. Being lukewarm makes God want to spit you out of His mouth. If you don't believe me, read Revelation 3 for yourself.
Pretty much, people have to decide which side they are on. If you are against Shorter, then stop your support. However, making up lies and stories makes you no better than anyone on the Hill. If you are for Shorter, then you continue your support. It is a very simple decision. However, I love my alma mater, will represent my university in the best way possible, and continue my support the school in any way I can.
You need to understand that the point of an education does not always mean hearing what you agree with or have ever even thought of before. It does not matter what the subject matter is, but you need to understand it. When you gut an academically diverse faculty because of draconian, legalistic policies, you then lose academic diversity, ergo you lose academic credibility. I can assure you that I am a Christian and I have no problem in standing up for Christian values. I also understand (you'll find this in the bible if you look) that I have no right to stand in judgement on anyone for any reason. That is only the role of Jesus Christ. I also understand the inequality and outright discrimination of the firings or "being forced out" of those whose choices do not necessarily line up with the GBC and Price and Dowless's very narrow minded interpretation of the scriptures are. There are no sins greater than any others in God's eyes...so why aren't they enforcing a ban on gluttony? I'll betcha there are a few fat preacher boys up there. Your argument about revelations is correct..But that is not what Shorter is doing.
I also do not drink and that is based on a personal decision. I have no issues with an adult having a drink if they choose to and drink responsibly. There are NO biblical prohibitions on drinking, only on drunkenness. I would suggest that you need to examine yourself and see why you are so judgmental of others...why would an adult having a glass of wine with dinner be so offensive to you?
The vast majority of the faculty that left did so also based on biblical principles..."Love they brother as thyself" and telling that God loves them warts and all and the new administration is saying "not so fast"...They obviously can't fire the students.
I love Shorter for all of the things that it taught me. It reinforced that a relationship with Christ was my personal decision and not something to be mandated..It taught me to love and accept others as they are. It taught me that my most effective witness was the way that I lived my life and not the words I spoke or the rules that I enforced. It taught me to think outside of the box and to always consider other opinions, no matter how far outside my comfort zone. We want to restore Shorter to it's academic greatness and a place that is restored to it's true Christian meaning, not some ridiculous regulations. We want it to be a beacon of light to the unsaved rather than a voice of condemnation to those in the darkness. WE want academic freedoms restored. We want the atmosphere on the hill to be one of love rather than fear (which is pervasive among the faculty).
I have been a GBC baptist for my entire life and I have never been so embarrassed at my church association than I am now. They only reason that I have not left is that I believe that change is best effected from within. It is time for new leadership at the GBC and it is far beyond time for the GBC to get out of the school business. You can simply research Brewton-Parker and Truett McConnell to see what they have done to them..BP will probably be closed by the end of this year.
Let teachers be teachers and preachers be preachers. I go to church to worship and celebrate my free gift from God. I go to school and pay tuition to learn how to survive in the outside world and learn a great diversity of material. Perhaps your money would have been better spent at Liberty?
Please enlighten me on what Dr. Price said in regards to this verse?
I do not think it right for ANYONE to change the word. And I do not believe this issue has anything to do with Baptist or any denomination. It has to do with what is right and what is wrong.
I know that a lot of people have a problem with the way that certain sins were chosen and others left out. Honestly, Shorter could have been a lot more strict on the issues they brought out. I believe that the issues they listed are a lot of what college students face during the college years. If Shorter wants the faculty to set an example in these areas, then it is their right. No one is forced to support them. If you don't like it, you can take your support and give it to another school.
The Bible also teaches that you will be persecuted for standing for what is right...Shorter is under fire for standing in the truth. It's just sad that so many believers support such actions as homosexuality and premarital sex when the BIBLE teaches it is wrong. Christians shouldn't hate the sinner, but the sin. You can love on the sinner without judging them, but they have to know that what the Bible teaches about that sin.
When looking for a Christian school to attend, I wanted a school that supports what the Bible teaches and wanted to learn from faculty members that hold those some Biblical truths. Shorter is the place I was looking for.
Like I said, if you don't like what is going on at Shorter, you don't have to support them, but it also doesn't give you the right to bash the school for having a different opinion/belief than you. I support Shorter for taking a stand on these issues because so many churches are failing in these areas.
You seem to have more information that what is publicly available. Would you mind sharing with us the figures you have, and how you arrived at them?
Also, the new residence hall is twice as large as you've quoted...100 beds. It is currently under construction (a live video link of the construction progress is available on the Shorter homepage). What has led you to believe it will not be completed?
Union University describes the integration of faith and mathematics as follows:
"At Union University we take the integration of faith and learning seriously, even in mathematics. While mathematical content does not change from one worldview to another, the way one thinks about mathematics - and the way mathematics helps us think about the world - can and definitely does differ.
A recent project undertaken by members of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences (ACMS) produced the book Mathematics through the Eyes of Faith. We have adopted the book for use in MAT 207 Transition Mathematics, a required sophomore-level course for mathematics majors, and in MAT 498 Mathematics Seminar, taken during the senior year, in order to ensure that all of Union's mathematics graduates have had the opportunity to thoughtfully consider the many ways that the discipline of mathematics and the Christian faith can inform one another.
The mathematics department at Union University has encouraged the integration of faith and learning in other ways, as well. We have hosted guest lecturers who challenge and encourage our students to integrate their faith and their study of mathematics. Several members of our faculty are involved in the ACMS. We are committed to deepening the understanding of this important area of thought."
David Dockery, president of Union, has published an extensive bibliography of resources discussing faith and learning integration, organized by discipline, including the mathematics: http://www.uu.edu/dockery/FaithLearnBooklet_Fa07.pdf
And we're all still waiting - how are the non-duplicated numbers going? That's relatively simple math, but it seems that Shorter is delighting these days in counting heads twice.
You do understand that current math uses Arabic numerals, given to us by Muslems.
I'm not sure of the significance of how the numeral type (Roman vs. Arabic) plays into a Christ-centered pedagogy. Seems inconsequential to me, but it's not really my area. You seem to know more. Can you share?
Georgia Highlands is starting to tap into that market with a adult healthcare program. If Berry ever does the same, which I'm not sure they will, Shorter's numbers will be cut in half if not more. As the state school online programs become better and more available, and much more affordable, you will see Shorter's numbers drop drastically.
There will always be those seeking an education in a devout setting, and those who want their children to be sheltered as much as possible, so Shorter will never die. No doom and gloom.
The real story is With Growing Sports Program, Growing Adult Program and Growing Medical Program, Shorter still has Less Students.
My degree no longer hangs on my wall and I hope no one ever assumes I am homophobic or make up bible passages such as "thou shalt not drink in public" just because I have a degree from Shorter.
Very well said, Trelicious. My Shorter degree has also been taken down and put in a drawer.
It will take some time to recover but fortunately institutions of learning can change pretty fast if their recruiting stays strong. New students don't miss professors who aren't there anymore and attach quickly to new professors who teach well.
It is in the best interest of Rome and NW Georgia for Shorter to be successful. There is no gain for anyone if Shorter declines--unless it is for people who prophesied gloom and doom to be able to gloat.
It is difficult to fake numbers since most students receive financial aid and their enrollment directly correlates with the number receiving aid. I kind of expected a bigger drop considering what happened.
Enrollment will rise and drop for any given year. It is what follows such a drastic change that will determine the credibility of the degree earned.
Colleges and universities typically report their FTE (full-time equivalency) in order to account for all categories of students. If that was the number that was reported last year, that is the number that matters now. Despite what some have suggested, there doesn't seem to be any substantiated reason to believe the numbers were compiled differently this year compared to last. Most Georgia colleges or universities have seen a dip in enrollment this year (http://romenews-tribune.com/view/full_story/19729869/article-Enrollment-drop-is-latest-challenge-for-colleges?instance=article_results). Dalton State, for example, has seen an eight percent decrease in their enrollment. Seven percent at Shorter doesn't seem very sensational these days, all considered. Perhaps this is a case of perception not quite accurately reflecting reality...things just aren't as bad at Shorter as some would hope. This should be good news for the rest of us.
While the "over 1500" statement is correct, Shorter is not only down over last year's figure but down from the previous year as well. The 2010-2011 fall enrollment was reported as 1555.
Ask anyone on the hill, from the Business School to the Arts, from dorm numbers to the number of students living off campus, or for that matter, if you have been on the hill in the last couple of years, drive up there and look at the number of students on campus now and you will quickly learn that this year's reported numbers just don't add up.