Ken Schenck
March 1, 2022
The State of Christian Higher Education
Written by: Ken Schenck
I write this post after an intensive month of important conferences for Christian higher education. The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) Forum happens once every four years. The Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) also met last month for their 75th annual meeting. Along with these two meetings were a couple of other gatherings for Christian college leaders.
Several of us at Campus were present at these meetings, talking to a number of individuals playing different roles at their institutions. As I have reflected on the experience, three main patterns emerged. Together, these patterns give us a good picture of Christian higher education at this crucial moment in history.
Pattern #1:
Long-term financial stability
Many institutions are wrestling with the long-term financial stability of their colleges and universities. Leaders at these institutions want to remain faithful to their mission but are looking for innovative solutions to meet the demands of today’s students. Interestingly enough, the most recent data suggests an average 4.5-year duration for a college president at the moment. It suggests the immense pressure that our schools and their leaders are currently under.
Pattern #2:
New marketing strategies
Colleges and universities recognize the need for new marketing strategies, especially with the Gen-Z student as their primary audience. In general, I found enrollment and marketing leaders very enthusiastic to see the possibilities of putting their online courses into our visual course catalog (a service we will provide at no cost). You could see the excitement they had at the thought of marketing their online courses to dual enrollment students in high school, especially since Campus is serving as the learning platform for the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).
Pattern #3:
Academic flexibility
The pandemic accentuated the need to give students flexibility in their academic journey. Students are desiring a variety of options regarding where and how they learn. As a result, academic leaders have a lot on their plates. I admire these faithful individuals. Despite the stress, they find time outside the short-term whack-a-mole of the urgent to think about what needs to be done for the long-term success of their institutions. They negotiate the competing interests and ideas of incredibly smart (and sometimes strong-minded) communities.
A Call To Prayer
We need to pray for all those who work in these communities of faith--from administration to faculty to staff! Christian higher education is as important as ever, so if you can, take some time right now to pray for our schools and those who lead them!
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