wfn.org | Association sanctions six church-related colleges

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Feb. 12, 2002 News media contact: Linda Green7(615)742-54707Nashville, Tenn.
10-71B{051}

By United Methodist News Service

The regional accrediting body of college and universities in the South has
sanctioned six United Methodist-related colleges and universities for
financial and technical concerns.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in Decatur, Ga., placed the
colleges on probation, warning, or delayed affirmation.  The denomination's
University Senate and Division of Higher Education are working closely with
those colleges to overcome the sanctions.  

The association is the recognized regional accrediting body in 11 Southern
states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia) and Latin America
for institutions of higher education that award associate, baccalaureate,
master's or doctoral degrees.  

The sanctioned colleges were named during the Jan. 17-18 meeting of the
University Senate, an elected group of 25 higher-education professionals who
determine what schools, colleges, universities and seminaries meet the
criteria for listing as institutions affiliated with the United Methodist
Church.

Many of the schools are making progress in correcting the financial and
technical matters of concern by the association, according to Ken Yamada,
staff executive in the denomination's Division of Higher Education, a unit
of the Board of Higher Education and Ministry in Nashville, Tenn.
 
The association has degrees of sanctions, Yamada said. Probation is a public
sanction against a college for noncompliance with the association's Criteria
for Accreditation, a guidebook on accrediting standards. Warning is a public
or private sanction against a college for failure to meet accreditation
criteria. Delayed affirmation occurs when a college has not met all
accrediting criteria. Each college remains accredited and has from six to 12
months to dissolve the concerns and report to the association for review and
action.

The sanctioned institutions are: 

7	Bennett College, Greensboro, N.C., for 12 months for failure to
comply with criteria of possessing sufficient financial resources to support
all programs.
7	Ferrum (Va.) College for 12 months for failure to comply with
criteria of conditions of eligibility.
7	Hiwassee College, Madisonville, Tenn., for 12 months for failure to
comply with criteria of conditions of eligibility, institutional
effectiveness and possessing sufficient financial resources to support all
programs.
7	Martin Methodist College, Pulaski, Tenn., for six months for failure
to comply with criteria for planning and evaluating educational programs,
administrative and educational and support services, institutional research,
faculty and budget planning.
7	McMurry College, Abilene, Texas, for 12 months for failure to comply
with criteria in planning and evaluating administrative and educational
support services and for failure to comply with criteria of possessing
sufficient financial resources to support all programs.
7	North Carolina Wesleyan College, Rocky Mount, for 12 months for
failure to comply with criteria for planning and evaluating educational
programs, administrative and educational and support services, institutional
research, faculty, and library and online resources.
	
In a related matter, the Division of Higher Education has been assisting
Wood College, a two-year liberal arts school in Mathiston, Miss., in an
appeal to the association regarding accreditation. The association said the
college failed to comply with criteria for possessing sufficient financial
resources to support all programs and failed to demonstrate good cause for
continuing accreditation. The school, also related to the United Methodist
Board of Global Ministries, appealed to the association and remains an
accredited institution on warning until an appeals committee decides the
matter in March.

There are 124 institutions related to the United Methodist Church in diverse
settings across the United States, from rural communities to large cities.
Student enrollment ranges from 200 to 15,000.

The senate, established in 1882, is one of the oldest accrediting bodies in
the country. Its mission was to ensure that schools, colleges and
universities related to the church were worthy of carrying the
denomination's name. In recent years, regional bodies have accredited
academic institutions, and the senate has focused more on how institutions
are related to the United Methodist Church.

In addition to being accredited by regional accrediting bodies, institutions
must meet the University Senate's review of institutions in four categories:
institutional integrity; well-structured programs; sound management; and
clearly defined church relationships.

Using those criteria, the senators approved eight schools for continued
listing as United Methodist-related institutions at their recent meeting. An
academic institution is reviewed once every 10 years, or more often under
special circumstances.

The denomination's 13 theological schools, plus all other seminaries that
educate the church's clergy, must have senate approval. Church-related
seminaries are reviewed every 10 years based on criteria in the Book of
Discipline and other factors established by the Division of Ordained
Ministry of the Board of Higher Education and Ministry as well as the
senate. The senate approved three seminaries for continued listing as
related to the United Methodist Church.

Theological schools not related to the denomination also must meet certain
criteria to be listed by the senate. These institutions are reviewed every
four years. A commission on theological education assists the senate in
evaluating non-United Methodist-related schools of theology and employs five
criteria. The criteria are freedom of academic inquiry; opportunity for
growth in the United Methodist tradition; compatibility with the Social
Principles; racial and gender profile of faculty and students; and academic
quality.

During the senate's most recent meeting, 16 non-related theological schools
and seminaries were approved to educate United Methodist ministers.  

One of the accepted schools, Brite Divinity School, a part of Texas
Christian University, Fort Worth, recently reported that most of its
students are United Methodists while the majority of students attending the
university are Catholic.  The divinity school and the university are
affiliated with the Christian Church or Disciples of Christ. Nearly 30
denominations are represented in the divinity school's student body, nine in
the faculty.

Approved by the University Senate for continued listing as United
Methodist-related schools, colleges and universities were: 
7	Albion (Mich.) College.
7	Iowa Wesleyan College, Mount Pleasant.
7	Kendall College, Evanston, Ill.
7	Lycoming College, Williamsport, Pa.
7	Randolph-Macon Woman's College, Lynchburg, Va.
7	Southern Methodist University, Dallas.
7	Young Harris (Ga.) College.
7	Randolph-Macon Academy, Front Royal, Va.

 United Methodist theological schools and seminaries approved by the senate
for continued listing include:
7	Iliff School of Theology, Denver.
7	Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas.
7	Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington.

University Senate-approved non-United Methodist theological seminaries and
schools include:
7	Associated Mennonite Biblical, Elkhart, Ind.
7	Brite Divinity School, Fort Worth, Texas.
7	Chicago Theological Seminary.
7	Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis.
7	Colgate Rochester Divinity School, Rochester, N.Y.
7	Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Harrisonburg, Va.
7	Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, Austin, Texas;
7	Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, Calif.
7	Fuller Seattle Extension Center, Seattle.
7	Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.
7	Moravian Theological Seminary, Bethlehem, Pa.
7	Phillips Theological Seminary, Tulsa, Okla.
7	Princeton (N.J.) Theological Seminary.
7	University of the South School of Theology, Sewanee, Tenn.
7	Union Theological Seminary, New York.
7	United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, New Brighton, Minn.

A list of University Senate approved non-United Methodist seminaries that
can educate United Methodist clergy may be found at
http://www.gbhem.org/gbhem/appsems.html.

The senate's next meeting will be June 27-28 at Iliff School of Theology in
Denver.
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United Methodist News Service
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