Advent Talk
SDA Media & News => SDA News Clips => Topic started by: Gailon Arthur Joy on February 22, 2008, 08:22:59 PM
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It is old news but a bell-weather of the troubling times that North American SDA Education is facing:
January 28, 2008
"Weimar Institute of Health & Education Board Votes to Close College
After 30 years of training Seventh-day Adventist youth and young adults for lives of consecrated ministry, the Board of Directors of Weimar Institute of Health & Education voted to close the college program as of June 20, 2008. Taking fiscal responsibility, the difficult decision came after seeking various financial and ministries solutions for several years....
The Board also voted to form a taskforce of business, finance and strategic planning experts to advise the Board in developing a sound, long-range plan that is consistent with its unique mission and philosophy...."
It is well known that AUC and CUC are facing seemingly insurmountable financial issues and enrollment continues to wain, for various reasons, but definitely not a positive direction.
I have seen the demise of several SDA Academies and the virtual elimination of junior academies in the northeast and nearly every SDA academy continues to struggle for existence.
What is the direction of Adventist Education in North America and why is it that we can open new schools by the dozens in places like India, Myanmar and Indonesia, but our own NAD education system is best described as "on life support"?
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It seems to me that unless Weimar Institute has cahnged greatly from its beginnings, it was hardly replresentative of Adventist Education in North America.
It would seem to be more representative of the best of our independent institutions.
Otoh, I recall that one of our academies in North Dakota (I believe it was) once shut down completely because things had simply gotten out of hand.
It re-opened several years later under a new administration and much stricter rules, more in line with the counsel we had been given as a church, and it quickly prospered with enrollments climbing beyond previous levels. Someone here may remember the name of the academy and report how it is doing today.
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No academy in ND that I know of. There is one in SD, but the one in ND closed awhile back, maybe when the two conferences merged, if that's what happened.
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A relative of my first wife was there at that time. I could get some first hand information from them if we want to know. . .
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No academy in ND that I know of. There is one in SD, but the one in ND closed awhile back, maybe when the two conferences merged, if that's what happened.
Maybe I got my Dakota's mixed up? ;) (It was somewher in that vicinity, I thought. But it was so many years ago, that things are fuzzy in my mind. The only thing I remember for sure is that one of our academies closed for several years, then re-opened with much stricter rules and prospered -- at least back then.)
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FWIW……North Dakota had “Sheyenne River Academy” in Harvey, N.D. till 1977. (my two oldest sisters graduated from SRA. ) The South Dakota Conference closed “Plainview Academy in Redfield, South Dakota” and Dakota Adventist Academy was built! Back it’s first year…it had 185 students…..reportedly this year they started out with only 41 students. Private education is simply becoming too costly IMO.
Today Dakota Adventist Academy is doing FINE…..near Bismarck NORTH DAKOTA! http://www.dakotaadventistacademy.org/DAA_About.html#loc
“The academy is located on approximately 1,300 acres fourteen miles northwest of Bismarck, North Dakota on the Missouri River. It is one the most northerly academies in the continental United States and has the distinction of being on the Lewis and Clark Trail. To locate the Academy drive north from Bismarck on Highway 83 for three miles to Highway 1804 and turn left. Continue for eleven miles on Highway 1804. You will see the Missouri River on your left a few miles from the Academy. DAA is on the right side of the highway. Turn right onto Plainview Avenue and proceed up the hill. The administrative offices are located on the main floor through the center doors.”
“Dakota Adventist Academy has a rich heritage beginning with the operation of Elk Point & Plainview Academy in Redfield, South Dakota in 1902 and Sheyenne River Academy that opened its doors in 1904 at Harvey, North Dakota. In the fall of 1977, students enrolled in the new school still under construction near Bismarck, North Dakota now known as Dakota Adventist Academy. DAA was closed for the 1987-88 school year. With renewed dedication and sacrificial giving the academy was reopened in August 1988. This monumental feat was accomplished through generosity of constituents, conference financial support, and the highly publicized "DAA Advance".
Inga is right….that DAA closed, it was for one year,, But Bob got it wrong. It IS in N.D. 3 or 4 years ago, my 3rd sister attended the class reunion of what would have been her graduating class from “Sheyenne River Academy,” if we hadn’t moved to Maine. And she reconnected with many of her friends from SRA ….the reunion was held at DAA.
At some point in time, the N.D. and the S.D. conferences combined…to become the “Dakota Conference.” I am unaware when that happened.
Bob may be thinking of an Independent school in South Dakota…..can’t recall it’s name right now….but it’s associated more or less with some very conservative SDA’s, which is my impression.
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Thanks for the correction. I was thinking of the conference school, and for some reason thought it was located in SD rather than ND.
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well, with all that talk about Weimar back in March, we now see that it is going to have a marriage with Amazing Facts.
We just had on our local news that the adventist school in Redding, Ca. is closing. That is a pretty big church and they have over 60 children I believe. I have said for a long time that we have out-priced our SDA families out of our schools.
We should have stayed with the Temple Plan years ago. That plan gave every child in the church a free education and ALL the members helped support the children.
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well, with all that talk about Weimar back in March, we now see that it is going to have a marriage with Amazing Facts.
We just had on our local news that the adventist school in Redding, Ca. is closing. That is a pretty big church and they have over 60 children I believe. I have said for a long time that we have out-priced our SDA families out of our schools.
We should have stayed with the Temple Plan years ago. That plan gave every child in the church a free education and ALL the members helped support the children.
The Temple Plan took money away from the Conference and the Sustentation program and kept the money in the local church. It also took money away from the federal tax coffers. Just too supportive
of the congregational governance for a heirarchal organization. But, it is ironic that we build school after school overseas and our own children go wanting!!! This will have devastating impact over time as we watch the Adventist Education collapse from coast to coast.
A solution please???
Gailon Arthur Joy
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It is old news but a bell-weather of the troubling times that North American SDA Education is facing:
January 28, 2008
"Weimar Institute of Health & Education Board Votes to Close College
After 30 years of training Seventh-day Adventist youth and young adults for lives of consecrated ministry, the Board of Directors of Weimar Institute of Health & Education voted to close the college program as of June 20, 2008. Taking fiscal responsibility, the difficult decision came after seeking various financial and ministries solutions for several years....
The Board also voted to form a taskforce of business, finance and strategic planning experts to advise the Board in developing a sound, long-range plan that is consistent with its unique mission and philosophy...."
It is well known that AUC and CUC are facing seemingly insurmountable financial issues and enrollment continues to wain, for various reasons, but definitely not a positive direction.
I have seen the demise of several SDA Academies and the virtual elimination of junior academies in the northeast and nearly every SDA academy continues to struggle for existence.
What is the direction of Adventist Education in North America and why is it that we can open new schools by the dozens in places like India, Myanmar and Indonesia, but our own NAD education system is best described as "on life support"?
The answer is simple, you have to do like any business and cut expenses and contain cost. Most Principals, Pastors, and Teachers that are the core leadership for our schools never had any kind of courses in finance or business management, yet usually its left in their hands.
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That is a novel approach...cut a school budget. Unfortunately, way to many budgets have been cut to the point that the school no longer exists...the ultimate cut.
Why is it that we do not support education in the NAD?
Gailon Arthur Joy
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Well our little school has kids bulging out the door and others wishing they could come, and I am trying to find a way to get each and everyone of them in and find financing for them so the parents can afford it. If church members made it their goal to find a way so that every Adventist child and any other that wanted to come to our schools could attend and get financial support, and members who assisted and encouraged them to come, all our schools would be full to capacity.
Members need to care, have a little love in their heart for others and act on it, do that and the financial and other problems are solved.....
My wife told me that the unspoken Adventist rule of thumb back in the day was every Adventist child that wanted would get a Adventist education whether they could pay or not the full tuition, and the members took care of it, we seemed to have forgotten that ..........
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Yes, the current model of Adventist Education in North America is in serious trouble and has been for more than 20 years. Is it fixable? Absolutely!
My two cents:
Elementary Schools - Where they are at least on-par educationally with the local public schools and are generally healthy in other ways, parents will embrace the sacrifice to send their kids. The one room school is still a very desirable model. It helps if the conference is willing to require that teachers are really qualified for the enormous task they are charged with.
Academies - I hear many parents say that there is no way they are going to send their child off to boarding school in this day and age. Many of the parents were themselves once in our academies and know first hand that some, not all, teachers in academies carry serious baggage that put the students at risk. Does anyone think keeping a boarding academy open year after year for under 50 students makes sense?
Colleges - In this day in age, is there any reason we can't establish one or two super universities that would have the resources to compete with the best as far as quality of education at a more competitive price. Is travel really the issue it once was. Assuming the various Union conferences were willing to leave their egos at the door, isn't this something that could be explored?
Maxey
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Gailon - someone was saying something to the effect that the program at AUC was faltering for want of students... anything to that?
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Well our little school has kids bulging out the door and others wishing they could come, and I am trying to find a way to get each and everyone of them in and find financing for them so the parents can afford it. If church members made it their goal to find a way so that every Adventist child and any other that wanted to come to our schools could attend and get financial support, and members who assisted and encouraged them to come, all our schools would be full to capacity.
Members need to care, have a little love in their heart for others and act on it, do that and the financial and other problems are solved.....
My wife told me that the unspoken Adventist rule of thumb back in the day was every Adventist child that wanted would get a Adventist education whether they could pay or not the full tuition, and the members took care of it, we seemed to have forgotten that ..........
I wonder at times just what is best? Parents both working away from the home so that they can afford to pay for the kids to go to SDA Schools, or one parent staying at home, and being there for the children, when they come home from public schools? :dunno:
My husband and I both worked 12 hour shifts to fund our 4 kid's way through SDA Schools. We often wonder what would have been different had one parent been at home all the time. :scratch: One can only do what they think is best in the given circumstances, but I think if I had my time over again, I'd stay home and send the kids to public schools.
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Well our little school has kids bulging out the door and others wishing they could come, and I am trying to find a way to get each and everyone of them in and find financing for them so the parents can afford it. If church members made it their goal to find a way so that every Adventist child and any other that wanted to come to our schools could attend and get financial support, and members who assisted and encouraged them to come, all our schools would be full to capacity.
Members need to care, have a little love in their heart for others and act on it, do that and the financial and other problems are solved.....
My wife told me that the unspoken Adventist rule of thumb back in the day was every Adventist child that wanted would get a Adventist education whether they could pay or not the full tuition, and the members took care of it, we seemed to have forgotten that ..........
I wonder at times just what is best? Parents both working away from the home so that they can afford to pay for the kids to go to SDA Schools, or one parent staying at home, and being there for the children, when they come home from public schools? :dunno:
My husband and I both worked 12 hour shifts to fund our 4 kid's way through SDA Schools. We often wonder what would have been different had one parent been at home all the time. :scratch: One can only do what they think is best in the given circumstances, but I think if I had my time over again, I'd stay home and send the kids to public schools.
I just thank God that HE is part of the parenting that happens with our kids. I don't think there is a right or easy answer, but God knows our motives and intentions, and He loves our children more then we do. We do our part and trust God to do His.
I stayed home full time with my daughter until she was in 1st grade. One of us always did what we could to get her after school and be there then. And as she got older, we were fortunate enough to be around in some way after school. Oddly, in her first 6 years of life, I took care of other working parents children who were not school age yet so I could be home and make something ($1 an hour can you believe!!) and they were happy to have me because they knew there was structure in my child-care environment.
A couple who were great friends of ours, were both nurses, and I took care of their children for 5 years as they worked long shifts that bought them longer weekends and other bulk periods of time with their children.
I think if you do what God seems to put there for you, and if you can get a bit of help from family and friends, so everyone is in it together, our kids learn many of our values no matter which way we do it and that can't be bad.
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Gailon - someone was saying something to the effect that the program at AUC was faltering for want of students... anything to that?
AUC has many problems, not the least of which is the adventist apartheid problem. AUC does not have the support of two very important constituencies:
Atlantic Union College Alumni;
Atlantic Union Conference constituency.
The enrollment continues to be challenged and does not seem to have a real solution. Frankly, whites will not support it for very prejudicial reasons and blacks will not support it because they already have their own college and view AUC as a white college. Some would argue that is reverse prejudice. Therefore, it is safe to assume that it will not be a collage at some point when the Union finally either decides it is a waste of time or they simply run out of money, or both.
The very reason for the existence of the Atlantic Union Conference is subject to concern as we have no hospitals left, we have no union academies, we have no Union institutions, it suffers from polished but lackluster leadership and is certain to loose its college either to a merger or a simple closure.
Is their a solution...yes, reformation and atonement would go far but you have an academic community headed by a man who is of questionable SDA beliefs and would be quite happy if the name Ellen G. White was never spoken again.
I have no faith in his solutions, which so far are too little too late for too mnay problems. The problem is not money, it is spiritual. They just don't got the power!!!
Gailon Arthur Joy
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Gailon - someone was saying something to the effect that the program at AUC was faltering for want of students... anything to that?
AUC has many problems, not the least of which is the adventist apartheid problem. AUC does not have the support of two very important constituencies:
Atlantic Union College Alumni;
Atlantic Union Conference constituency.
The enrollment continues to be challenged and does not seem to have a real solution. Frankly, whites will not support it for very prejudicial reasons and blacks will not support it because they already have their own college and view AUC as a white college. Some would argue that is reverse prejudice. Therefore, it is safe to assume that it will not be a collage at some point when the Union finally either decides it is a waste of time or they simply run out of money, or both.
The very reason for the existence of the Atlantic Union Conference is subject to concern as we have no hospitals left, we have no union academies, we have no Union institutions, it suffers from polished but lackluster leadership and is certain to loose its college either to a merger or a simple closure.
Is their a solution...yes, reformation and atonement would go far but you have an academic community headed by a man who is of questionable SDA beliefs and would be quite happy if the name Ellen G. White was never spoken again.
I have no faith in his solutions, which so far are too little too late for too mnay problems. The problem is not money, it is spiritual. They just don't got the power!!!
Gailon Arthur Joy
Why do you say Atlantic Union College is for whites/blacks?.....where does that come from?
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If you look at the tuition it just keeps going up and up, that is what needs to be addressed first as it is what affects heavily a students decision to come...
Atlantic Union College
338 Main St
South Lancaster, MA 015611000 General information
Financial aid office
Admissions office (978) 368-2000 Ext.
(978) 368-2280 Ext.
(978) 368-2235 Ext.
Type of institution: Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above
Federal Aid: Institution has a Program Participation Agreement with the US Department of Education for eligible students to receive Pell Grants and other federal aid.
Degrees offered: Certificates/Less-than-2-year certificate, Certificates/Less-than-2-year certificate, Associate degree, Bachelor degree, Certificates/Postbaccalaureate certificate, Certificates/Postbaccalaureate certificate, Master's degree
Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate Colleges--Arts & Sciences
Number of students: 488 (2005)
2006-07 Undergraduate application fee: $25.00
Academic year prices for full-time, first-time undergraduate students
Tuition and Fees 2006-07 2005-06 2004-05
In-State ...$14,380 ...$13,500 ...$12,860
Out of State ..$14,380 ..$13,500 ..$12,860
Books and Supplies ..$600 ..$600 ..$1,000
On-Campus
Room and board ..$4,500 ..$4,500 ..$4,180
Other Expenses ...$500 ...$2,000 ...$2,000
Off Campus
Room and board ..$4,500 ..$4,500 ..$4,180
Other Expenses ..$2,000 ..$2,000 ..$2,000
Off Campus w/ family
Other Expenses ..$6,500 ..$6,500 ..$6,180
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An Adventist college and Adventist institutions should not adhere to apartheid principles in any way. There should be institutions that recognize the ability and acheivements of individuals regardless of race or other designations. If there is a college in the Atlantic Union, it should be available and "Affordable" to every SDA youth / college student regardless of background.
Of course it would be nice to have the four hospitals we use to have back as well.
We should be a model of indiscriminate living in a discriminate world.
If this cannot be, there is no good reason to exist.
Gailon Arthur Joy
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An Adventist college and Adventist institutions should not adhere to apartheid principles in any way. There should be institutions that recognize the ability and acheivements of individuals regardless of race or other designations. If there is a college in the Atlantic Union, it should be available and "Affordable" to every SDA youth / college student regardless of background.
Of course it would be nice to have the four hospitals we use to have back as well.
We should be a model of indiscriminate living in a discriminate world.
If this cannot be, there is no good reason to exist.
Gailon Arthur Joy
:amen:
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An Adventist college and Adventist institutions should not adhere to apartheid principles in any way. There should be institutions that recognize the ability and acheivements of individuals regardless of race or other designations. If there is a college in the Atlantic Union, it should be available and "Affordable" to every SDA youth / college student regardless of background.
Of course it would be nice to have the four hospitals we use to have back as well.
We should be a model of indiscriminate living in a discriminate world.
If this cannot be, there is no good reason to exist.
Gailon Arthur Joy
You keep using "apartheid principles" what do you mean, that they hate some race or another? Are you saying that about the professors and teachers in Atlantic Union College or the 'Bostonians' that go to Atlantic Union College, or the Administration of Atlantic Union College, who are you talking about...
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I am talking about the principal of maintaining "seperate but equal" facilities and administrative entities throughout the North American Division. Having "regional conferences" that then fight for control of assets and facilities from "conferences" that they overlap is archaic and is a form of Adventist Apartheid. It also represents a waste of assets and lost economies of scale that should be applied to simply "evangelize" all the people that are within a "conference" territory.
My experience is that the principal of "Seperate but equal" is really isolated and unequal for one group or another. Institutions suffer because neither group will properly support the institution and it will eventually loose it's vitality. We are christians, we either live together or die together. Heritage should not be an issue within the Remnant Church.
Gailon Arthur Joy
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I am talking about the principal of maintaining "seperate but equal" facilities and administrative entities throughout the North American Division. Having "regional conferences" that then fight for control of assets and facilities from "conferences" that they overlap is archaic and is a form of Adventist Apartheid. It also represents a waste of assets and lost economies of scale that should be applied to simply "evangelize" all the people that are within a "conference" territory.
My experience is that the principal of "Seperate but equal" is really isolated and unequal for one group or another. Institutions suffer because neither group will properly support the institution and it will eventually loose it's vitality. We are christians, we either live together or die together. Heritage should not be an issue within the Remnant Church.
Gailon Arthur Joy
The issue is not that simple, people tend to gravitate towards and interact with their own race, ethnic or or cultural origin or background. Thats why we have White, Black, Korean, Hatian, Spanish, Carribean, etc.. SDA churches. If you try to force integration in this area, you will meet with a lot of resitance, and the same if you try to dismantle the structure set up for some. It needs strong leadership and much work to get that done, we as members have to do the first part by deciding that is what we want done and electing those leaders needed to do the job. We have to open our hearts and our churches so that everyone feels loved and welcomed in them, and until that happens, nothing will change.....
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If you look at the tuition it just keeps going up and up, that is what needs to be addressed first as it is what affects heavily a students decision to come...
Couple of points Reddog:
Several years ago, my nephew was "recruited" by my brother’s “friend” at AUC, to go to AUC (FWIW.....I spent 3 years there) He lasted about 4 day's then went to AU.
Couple of years ago, I looked at the "graduating class" assembled on the rear porch of Hankins Hall. Guess what, NOT ONE WHITE MALE in the entire group!
I asked my physician friend, (and academy roommate….and best friend of my bothers and mine) up in Maine why he didn't send his kids to AUC....he said AUC was so screwed up.....took a whole day to get "Registered," AND, at that, the "academic advisors" got it WRONG...because they couldn't even follow their own catalog! But when he took his son up to the University of Maine....they were very "professional" and had his son "advised" and all registered in 3 hours!
I asked how many from Pinetree Memorial Academy in Freeport Maine graduated then went on to AUC.....the answer was that out of 22 graduates that year. 20 went to "Southern ," One went to AUC because of their Nursing Program. and one didn't go on to higher Education!
You list the cost of an "Adventist" education, at AUC. FWIW, my daughter attends a State University a 180 miles south of me. Her "cost" is roughly $9,500 total for Tuition, fees and books for a year......and I find it cheaper to pay for her one bedroom loft Condo...with two Baths, Fireplace ect., then either living in a "dorm," Or sending her over to Keene Texas...where her "cost" would be roughly double! Besides, she's getting an excellent education.....without all the racial disharmony which has infested "Adventist Education" since at least 1967!
FWIW….when I went to South Lancaster Academy back in 1964-1965 on the campus of AUC….AUC had over 700 students. Now their lucky to get 488? WHY WASTE the time, and the money of the Atlantic Union Conference?
(At Angelo State University, Unlike AUC,......they don't have a bunch of Haitians from NYC....rioting and stabbing the Jamaicans in a campus RIOT!...where they had to call in all the 7 police departments from the nearby small towns!.........Likewise, unlike Oakwood College, in Huntville Ala……AT Angelo State University in San Angelo Texas….they don’t have RIOTS, where the whole local police department has to come out and arrest students….who try to destroy police cars!.....frankly the day of “Adventist” colleges is over…..and “Adventist” will be lucky to continue to finance places such as LLU!}
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Let me correct that and note that the days of Conference Sponsored Education is waining and close to its last legs. However, there are a number of alternatives that seem to be gaining ground and support that will gradually replace the old worn out institutions that have been plundered by an education system gone awry.
ANd no, I do not believe they have either the money or the intution to fix it. It would mean opening those old red books and closing revered institutions that defy logic and Adventism. But alas, it will be a slow, painful and financially draining process that simply will wear out the patience of the saints.
Vote with the wallet, stockholders. It is the one sure fire way your vote will count and be clearly understood.
Gailon Arthur Joy
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My oldest daughter spent one year in an Adventist elementary school. I didn't think she was doing well and put her in public school. My three younger children have always attended public school. I guess it was easier for me to come to that decision because I am a first Gen. Adventist. I didn't have the multi generational tradition and family expectations to consider.
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My oldest daughter spent one year in an Adventist elementary school. I didn't think she was doing well and put her in public school. My three younger children have always attended public school. I guess it was easier for me to come to that decision because I am a first Gen. Adventist. I didn't have the multi generational tradition and family expectations to consider.
I am clearly a product of Adventist Education and proud of it...but that was two generations ago. My children are also products of Adventist Education and it was heart-ache and serious concerns repeatedly for the teaching and the teachers.
In fact, we home schooled my daughter for grades 5-8 and then sent her to another academy rather than the one just five miles away. It was an excellent choice but even there the theology just never met the gray matter for some reason. One has to recognize the regretable choices of children as the source of issues.
Somehow, the premise that you must love them enough to let them do their own thing, a concept a good friend propogates, just does not settle well with me. I still want to take her out to the woodshed for a little primal education on occasion.
I regret to admit, I have difficulty recommending that anyone make the sacrifice for the current conference schools, unless you are in an area where the public education is clearly deficient. One has to make up their own minds and look to the Lord for guidance, but with so many great online schools these days, it is difficult to justify handing them over to teachers who are no more grounded in the Faith than the boulder I just moved. I sometimes think a boulder has a better chance.
Gailon Arthur Joy