Last night I received “A Message from HSU President Eric Bruntmyer.” Given Hardin-Simmons University‘s recent restructuring I opened the e-mail and read the message in its entirety.
After an opening paragraph about serving students for 129 years and preparing for the next 129 years and a paragraph sharing that the 2019 freshman class is the second largest ever, the message contained these words:
Today, February 7, the Hardin-Simmons University Board of Trustees concluded the first of three regular sessions for the 2020 calendar year. Our trustees continue to lead us in actively positioning HSU to sustain its legacy of providing an education enlightened by Christian faith and values for all current and future HSU students.
The Board of Trustees adopted The Way Forward, a strategic financial plan that calls for an annual evaluation of all academic programs. The plan provides a sustainable framework allowing HSU to proactively pursue outstanding academic opportunities and to position Hardin-Simmons favorably in an increasingly competitive marketplace. The first steps of implementation included organizing programs into five colleges and schools, resulting in a newly ordered Deans Council. The Board approved new programs, and it closed other programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels including Logsdon Seminary and its programs. In the next week, the appropriate deans and vice presidents will be communicating the details of these actions.
The Way Forward
The e-mail message concluded by stating that the institution remains committed to “its mission of providing an education enlightened by Christian faith and values,” and provided a link to a more information about The Way Forward.
In short, the Way Forward emphasizes the importance of an annual review of the financial contributions of all academic programs with the clear implication that financial performance is the primary metric by which colleges, schools, and programs will be evaluated.
Timeline for Closing Logsdon Seminary
At this point in time, very little information is available outside of the official e-mail correspondence and Way Forward page.
Hours after the news came out Myles Werntz, Logsdon faculty member since 2016, tweeted
So What?
I had no idea that closing the seminary was ever on the table as part of the ongoing restructuring of HSU.
I am thankful for the quality theological education I received from Logsdon Seminary (M.Div., 2001), and saddened that future generations will not be afforded this opportunity.
I am also well aware of the change in the higher education landscape overall, and the shifts impacting seminary education more specifically. Today, I find myself thinking about the closure of my seminary in the context of other recent closures, including Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (2019), Andover-Newton Theological School campus (2017 – becoming part of Yale Divinity School), and the closure of
Episcopal Divinity School (2017).
I expect that more information will be made public soon. I welcome the opportunity to learn more, and request your prayers for the current faculty, staff, and students of Logsdon seminary as well as the many graduates, supporters, and friends impacted by the announced closure.