Seminary is an important formation experience for those called to vocational ministry, and in many traditions a seminary degree (often a M.Div.) is a requirement for ordination. For many years, I was proud to tell the story of my experience at Logsdon Seminary at Hardin-Simmons University, and was glad to let others know I was a graduate (M.Diiv., 2001). Sadly, with the University's decisions to move in a very different direction theologically, I'm now at a place where I'm forced to say Read More …
higher education
New Educational Inequality (#1375)
The ongoing rapid rise in the cost of a college education has been troubling for some time. The increasing costs are troubling for graduates and the economy. For current college students a new reality is making an already challenging situation more difficult for those from families with the lowest household incomes. More specifically, the Hechinger Report considered the net price change students experienced from the 2008-09 school year to the 2011-12 year. Read More …
Education & Low Wage Work (#1311)
It is a widely held assumption that higher levels of education are associated with higher paying jobs. This data has long been used to argue for the vale of higher education. A new study by the Economic Policy Institute finds that low-wage workers (those in the bottom 20% of income) have far more education now than they once did. More specifically, the percent of low-wage workers with varying levels of educational attainment has shifted a great deal from 1968 to 2012, Read More …
Tweeting at Quality Matters (#1194)
This week I have been in Nashville, TN attending the Quality Matters annual conference. According to their website, Quality Matters "is a leader in quality assurance for online education and has received national recognition for its peer-based approach to continuous improvement in online education and student learning." It is the standard Hodges University has chosen to adopt, and will soon be implementing. As has been the case at all of the professional conferences I have attended Read More …
The Value of a Blog Post (#1177)
Rob Jenkins, a community college professor, recently wrote a blog post for the Chronicle of Higher Education in which he questioned the value of blogging. Most who teach in higher education are involved in a world that requires them to publish in order to retain their livelihood, yet blog posts are often not counted as published material. Since blogs have the power to shape how people think about issues, Jenkins asks important questions: Which ultimately does more good—an article or Read More …
The Rise of Online Higher Ed (#0984)
In the 1970s, 80s, and 90s higher education was largely assumed as an on campus experience. As technology improved, distance education began evolving from the exchange of documents and media primarily via postal mail to online exchanges. During the 2000s and now in the 10s, the number of students in higher education taking at least one online course grew on an annual basis. It is reasonable to project that in the not too distant future a majority of students will complete at least Read More …
Student Loans in Younger Households (#0884)
The Pew Research Center recently featured an article highlighting the overall trends over time in the percentage of households with outstanding student debt. By reporting on the percentages by the age of the head of household over time, the graph provides a picture that illustrates how the experience of possessing student debt has become increasingly normative in younger households. More specifically, from 1989-2010 the percentage of households in the youngest two age cohorts Read More …
Review of No Longer Invisible (#0813)
Meet the Authors Douglas Jacobsen and Rhonda Hustedt Jacobsen have been married for more than three decades, and both serve as professors at Messiah College. Douglas is distinguished professor of church history and theology (I have reviewed his most recent work: The World's Christians). Rhonda is professor of psychology and director of faculty development. Together they have co-authored three books: Scholarship and Christian Faith: Enlarging the Read More …
Higher Education Myths (#0606)
Jay Schalin, Director of State Policy for the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy, shared 10 myths about academia. While most readers are likely to disagree with one or more items on his list, the following group warrants additional attention: Everybody should go to college. All faculty research is necessary and/or important. Higher Education drives the economy. So What? With the cost of higher education rising faster than inflation and even faster than Read More …
Review of Engaging the Culture, Changing the World (#0470)
Meet the Author Since 1996, Philip W. Eaton has served as the President of Seattle Pacific University, an Evangelical Protestant school of around 4,000 students. Earlier in his career, he spent eight years as a professor of English and American literature followed by eight years in business as a commercial and industrial property developer. Eaton has served on many boards, including the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, the National Association of Read More …