And one of the things thats stood out to me is the relationship that students have with their professors or with their faculty members. Were trying to help people to reach their highest potential for Gods glory. I grew up in a version of fundamentalism that existed in the space between two camps. And then, as Gary was mentioning, we have a dedicated faculty and we also have a dedicated team of instructional designers who were able to come alongside faculty in our Center for Effective Teaching and Engaged Learning, our CETEL group, to support their pivot from face-to-face to remote learning. [4] I could go on and on. Ron Paul Guess who's going to Bob Jones University? Students | Bob Jones University Its hard to not want to support or even identify with your alma mater because you know the reaction that often comes with that admission, and while sometimes exacerbated or one-sided, is largely deserved due to the former structure and heart (or should I say lack thereof) of the institution. The legacy of the past teaches us that. Hugh Pyle and Barry Webb were two of the more frequent evangelists to speak at my dads church. I am a 2002 graduate of BJU, and I only wish I could have been there under Steve Pettit. I am walking down a dark road with no light ahead. Old wounds and power hierarchies are in fashion at Bob Jones University So, yeah, thats why I care. One such certificate is focused on in-demand soft skills with a leadership development program, and that program is a very practical, behavior-based program targeted to individual contributors, supervisors, mid-level managers. BJU-styled moderate fundamentalism barely exists anymore. So, the two that we offer right now are the RN to BSN and then also degree completion in professional studies. Bob Jones University is imploding. What happened? Students and parents should pay careful attention to these board members. Pettit has not mentioned whether he will walk back his resignation since Lewis has stepped down. Some board members have also blamed Pettit for firing some of the schools most conservative professors during a time of budget cuts. Over Pettits time as president, my faculty friends have rejoiced at how the doors have been swung wide open for them to minister to their students needs. Pettit: How about you, Beverly, down in Georgia? And I think about our faculty here at BJU. The certificate will also have an option for the health care and the manufacturing environment, both of which are high-demand industries in Greenville and the Upstate. And unless the board is willing to adopt positions that Bob Jones Jr. would be livid over (KJV-only, anti-art, etc. My piano teacher was Kent Hovinds wife. I think were going to see an increase in experiential learning where students want to apply immediately what theyre learning in the class through projects. Today we are honored to have Dr. Gary Weier with us, who is the provost and executive vice president of Bob Jones University, along with Dr. Beverly Cormican from her home in Atlanta, Georgia. I cant imagine the sorrow he and his family have over seeing this play out once again. The swift reversal initially made little sense to me. Sure, happy to. While on campus, everyone looked like us. While I will always be grateful for the rock solid education and strong Christian impact it had on our lives, I strongly believe that God used Steve Petitt to save BJU from perhaps having to close its doors as other Christian colleges have been forced to do in the recent past. You might get first of all the answer, Well, I teach history or I teach business or I teach theology or I teach nursing, but very quickly or maybe even before that, youll hear the faculty member say that I teach students. That just emphasizes the importance, the primacy of that relationship that we really recognize that we are teaching other people. John Fea | November 13, 2022Leave a Comment According to reporter Steve Rabey, the Bob Jones University may be facing an old school fundamentalist revolt. I transferred in thinking I was gonna keep my head down, get my degree, and get out. Their consumer base had shifted and the school hadnt caught up yet. I think that was a big part of it. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Pettit: And thank you, Beverly, for being with us today on the telephone line from Atlanta, Georgia. Praying for wisdom and grace for all in the days ahead. A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 8 "The Bill Rice Ranch", How to Convince an Atheist that God Exists, A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 7 "My Year as a Bob Jones University Preacher Boy", I Haven't Changed and Donald Trump Hasn't Changed; Maybe You've Changed, A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 13 "The Unraveling Begins", A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 14 "A Jack Kerouac Inspired Pilgrimage", 18 Years and Counting: A Family Forged on the Road, A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 12 "Freedom, Finally". So, as I mentioned earlier, we do have most of our core courses online. If the old boys network is still that strong there, then I dont think I could trust it to continue on a discipleship model rather than revert to a legalistic course. Here is where all 50 state university systems rank on ROIand How to work with our editorial department. Theyve had family members affected by this, maybe somebody in their family has been diagnosed with the virus, maybe a parent whos lost a job or new financial pressures, or somebody in their home who is vulnerable to the disease, so they have to take all kinds of precautions, so its been very personal in its effects. And those of us who were raised in fundamentalism are getting a painful reminder. Its just weird to be here on campus in April, one of our busiest months of the year, and there are no students. However, a few years ago I noticed things began to change. I think many times in our society we think about the four-year undergraduate degree, and we really are trying to think more in terms of a sixty-year curriculum. So, let me begin with just a very general question and that ishow would you describe these times today for education. It is not happening now, and I cant see it happening in the future. BJU President and CEO Steve Pettit in a letter addressed to BJUs Board of Trustees dated March 21, 2023. Important for this article, at that time, in the 80s and 90s, a large system of feeder churches and schools for BJU existed. While its shed some of its more fundamentalist idiosyncrasies, it still occupies an ideological and theological space to the right of places like Liberty and Wheaton. The (Possible) Slow, Strange Suicide of Bob JonesUniversity, The Ten Most Read Articles of 2022 Practically Known Theology. I think thats where our teachers will be, helping students gain those particular skills. So, thats going to be a big change on colleges like BJU in terms of how do we support students who need to be working while theyre in college. The latter, I suspect is why Dr. Pettits leadership is coming under fire. This much deeper approach gave me a burning desire to know more about how the Bible beautifully guides us applies to daily living and philosophies of life. That is not the mark of a saved man. Of course, it doesnt. So, that brought sudden change to their lives. If BJU chooses to let Dr. Pettit go and reverts to focusing on externals, I wont be able to recommend BJU anymore. To be clear, my only stake here is the well-being of my friends and family who are still connected to BJU, especially those employed by the school. BJU has had five presidents: Bob Jones Sr. (1927-1947); Bob Jones Jr. (1947-1971); Bob Jones III (1971-2005); Stephen Jones (20052014); and Steve Pettit, (2014 to the present). And we are confident in Him and were confident in His truths, and were thankful for the good things God is doing at Bob Jones University. The challenge is starker at Bob Jones University, the bastion of American fundamentalism for nearly a century. Bob Jones University Demographics & Diversity Report - College Factual While I received a good education, I cant say the same in the area of spiritual discipleship. That was, in some measure at least, applying what they were learning through their education here. However, they did so in a system that pushed back on that. And those arguments didnt sway our fundamentalist authority figures in the past, why would expect things to be different now? And thats the space BJU exists in, and its the space BJU has existed in really going back to Stephen Jones tenure as university president. And thats really where were trying to win, is to have programs that meet the demands of our local area in our region here. Hi John, Its interesting that you mentioned Peter Ruckman. The world is in desperate need of spiritually strong, loving, and well trained Christian young people, its imperative that Steve Pettit and the changes he has directed at BJU be allowed to continue. But I knew that their well-intentioned appeals would be read as rebellion. Lewis had served as a Board member for 32 years, seven of those as Chairman. Then of course, as weeks and days have gone by, I think another big effect on students and really all of us is that this has had personal effect on us. President Pettit is in fact a Bible teacher/preacher. Largely, it is anything goes on the campus. And then of course, the focus that we have here, our foundation being the sufficiency of Scripture and pointing our students to that, the foundation that has been built and turning all of our hearts in that direction, you cant make a change like weve had to make as quickly and as smoothly as its gone without Gods grace. Theyve always been suspicious of Bob Jones, and some have always gone so far as declaring the school apostate. You'll not only gain the knowledge and skills you need to excel in your career, but you'll also learn how to think critically . My youth group went to the Bill Rice Ranch for summer camp and Bob Jones University over Thanksgiving break. And they all agree: A minority of the board members, supported and prodded by long-standing supporters and players at BJU who are unhappy with what they see as a liberal drift in the universitys standards and mission, want Steve Pettit out. I cant see the devil passing up an opportunity to take advantage of mans prideful tendency to cling to the law instead of grace. Our liberal arts courses, ranging from history to speech to science to the arts, give you an amazing glimpse into God's character and the world He createdand help you connect with people you meet in different . Thats how they operate is online. I had other friends whose parents thought BJU was the closest thing to heaven as could be found on earth. Pettits current contract ends at the end of the 2022-23 academic year, on May 5, 2023. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. My parents were closer to the second group of parents but while sharing some of the stricter views of the first group. Cormican: Well, I would agree with Gary. There is now compassion that was at times missing in my day when punishments (albeit necessary) were sometimes excessively harsh. Steve Pettit saw that first-hand as he was so beloved and integral to the camp ministry there. Disagreements over changes made at the school during the eight-year tenure of Steve Pettit, the schools fifth president and first from outside the Jones family, broke out following an October 4 board meeting in which some board members said they would let Pettit go rather than renew his current contract. For me, even though I wasnt a Christian, I loved visiting Bob Jones University. Gary? Im skeptical that their voices will do much beyond make board meetings a little more uncomfortable. You may very well get your wish. Pettit: So, how is Bob Jones right now adapting to these changes? I grew so much during that time and started reading my Bible like never before. BJUtoday provides thoughtful articles on BJU news and other current topics by the faculty, staff, students and administration of Bob Jones University. 64.7% of Bob Jones University students come from out of state, and 6.36% come from out of the country. If the board moves BJU back in time to some desired halcyon days, their current customer base will disappear. The BJU of my era had undergone many changes from the Bob Jones College that began 50 years prior. Is Ketanji Brown Jackson an evangelical Christian? Weier: And if I could just add real quick as I think about some of the things that Beverly just mentioned, weve mentioned the work of CETEL, weve mentioned the work of SCOPE and the instructional designers and the faculty, but I think it is very, very important to emphasize that key thing that prepared us for this is the work of our staff. So, Gary and Beverly, thank you both for taking the time today to meet with us here on Highest Potential, and I hope that youll continue to follow us week after week as we try to address the issues and the relationships of the day that Gods people find that are important, the things that they are interested in. From magnificent stained glass to medieval religious artifacts . He and his family were/are very involved with the local homeschooling co-op of which a close friend was one of the directors. It is surreal, it is very weird, but from a different vantage point for our online programs, they just continue. Weier: Yeah, I would primarily echo what Beverly just said. Think of it as a school's sticker price. In my estimation as a student this is definitely a help. He forces students to go to wicked, creepy plays. You can read more about my story in my memoir series A Godless Fundamentalist, so I wont go into more detail here. And speaking about micro-credentials, a lot of times people say what in the world is that? The undergraduate student body is split among 42 states (may include Washington D.C.). The residential core courses were already online and of course, already have several online graduate programs so the shift to remote was not as painful as it could have been. Bob Jones University has not released a statement regarding the process of selecting a new President. In the midst of change, I think our ability to be nimble and to be ready to change will be constant because I think our world is always changing, and we have to be ready and we have to be equipped. They talked like us. I never had any desire to see the original Dino park thing he built in his yard (I saw it, just never visited it), so I definitely dont want to visit the one in Alabama. Legacies are on the line. Its going to affect a lot of people emotionally. Pettit: Well, I think we were able to make what seemed to be a pretty quick decision because we had so many things, so many foundational preparations going on before we even got to the decision that had to be made. Even apart from Steve Pettit, the fact that the school is not KJV-only, has allowed girls to wear pants while playing sports ever since its founding (as best I can tell), and has tolerated Calvinist-leaning professors in the seminary for generations are enough to earn BJU the status of anathema. Pettit also aired his grave concerns for Lewis dismissal of the schools fledgling financial, enrollment and donation projections, as well as the boards disregard for good corporate governance and the mishandling of a Title IX investigation into accusations that a board member took inappropriate pictures of female students without their consent. Famous Bob Jones University Alumni - Ranker Calendar of Events | Bob Jones University Past leadership did not understand this. That fundamentalist camp has existed for decades. There is an amazing role BJU can have in influencing the world for Christ. I even think of what happened earlier this semester during Bible Conference and our student body and how they rallied together in all kinds of creative ways to raise money, to raise over $180,000 to purchase the Stork bus for Save the Storks. I think were looking to leverage the skills and strengths of our faculty and staff even more. You all should be ashamed of yourselves, and should repent & follow Christ according to His Word. He said that other than the KJVO literature in the foyer, nothing else seemed odd. Weve been working very aggressively to make sure that students recognize we actually do have those in our curriculum ways to learn problem solving, critical thinking, ways to learn to communicate better. So, he goes with what is popular, not what is biblical. I hope and pray that BJU stays the course, and that one day I can confidently say that it can be trusted to follow God rather than man. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to alter every aspect of our world, its fair to wonder what the future of higher education will look like. That seems to be a key thing in terms of delivering the value that we want to deliver, that relationship with that faculty member, between the faculty member and the student is so important. 1700 Wade Hampton Blvd in Greenville, SC, has had a strong gravitational pull in my life going all the way back to my first memories. I shouldnt have been surprised. The university, with approximately 3,155 students, is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools. For Bob Jones III and his cronies, the direction Pettit has taken the school is an existential threat. This is the reason why the school was hemorrhaging students prior to Pettits arrival. That version doesnt really exist anymore. I knew immediately this was leadership I wanted to learn and serve under. Pettit is widely liked by staff and students at Bob Jones University. Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? Burak: Welcome to Highest Potential with Steve Pettit, a podcast that explores how Bob Jones University empowers individuals to reach their highest potential for Gods glory. So that something we are actively working on right now to streamline that process. That is the most significant thing that came out of my time there and I wholeheartedly believe it came from God-given wisdom to Dr. Steve Pettit. Jones retiring as president of BJU his youngest son will take over. So, welcome Gary, glad youre here with us. Cormican: Certainly. A graduate in journalism and communications, his beats have ranged from Gainesville's city development, music scene, and regional little league sports divisions. He is a hypocrite. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 3.) Cormican: Well, to echo some of Garys comments, we already had built several of our core courses. BJUtoday provides thoughtful articles on BJU news and other current topics by the faculty, staff, students and administration of Bob Jones University. Founded in 1927, Bob Jones University. Secondary separation is the prevailing identity marker of BJU-styled fundamentalism. BJU in recent years, has been on a course to correct past wrongs and focus on the gospel. Pettit does give out chapel books which include the preaching outlines for students which is very helpful. The Christian school I attended was the home of Aunt Carolines Childrens Bible Hour. I mean, thats another word that we hear a lot of people using to describe their lives right now, and thats the way it feels for us here at BJU right now. If they would rather see it close than support their agenda, then I can equally say that I would rather see it close than regress to its former state. [3] As far as our home life, my sisters werent allowed to wear pants. Bob Davis Reynolds Jones was the eleventh of twelve children born to William Alexander and Georgia Creel Jones. Global dexterity is another big thing that we emphasize, so these kinds of things we were already embedding within our curriculum; were just working to accelerate that even more. Pettit: And Beverly, how do you see how BJU is prepared to pivot? BJU PR June 15, 2023 BJU Board of Trustees Appoints Acting CEO by BJU PR BJU Students Achieve 2023 Global Seal of Biliteracy by BJU PR BJU to Hold 96th Commencement by BJU PR 2023 Vintage Dedicated to Betty Solomon by BJU PR Students seemed to be happier and have a confidence in their faith. Fundamentalism In Greenville, South Carolina, where I grew up, there is a university across the highway from where I lived called Bob Jones University. Thats a key word that comes to mind. Cormican: Same, very personal, and I think for our online traditional students, they were already balancing part-time or full-time work with their own education online, and then they have this additional responsibility, perhaps, managing their children now being at home, now being homeschoolers, or caring for family members and perhaps, working on the front lines fighting the coronavirus. Even though I hated the rules, it provided me the sense that my family wasnt as different as I supposed. Him and Jo I think divorced after he was released from prison. Would love to share some thoughts (Pick your brain) on the BJU Suicide/Coup. I think thats been a key way, because we have that longstanding commitment that our people have been prepared to help do this. Everyone was either trying to be like BJU or they were trying to prove that they were holier (translation: more fundamentalist) than BJU. But its really continuous education, a response to the skill set caused by the needs of technology. The fundamentalist old guard would rather burn the whole thing down then allow what they see as compromise and mission drift to occur at their beloved Bob Jones University. The fundamentalist old guards coup aint dead yet. 5.) How do we see that? He has held the position since 2014. Again, thats another high-demand area in Greenville in the Upstate; weve been hearing that for at least two or three years now, and we are going to respond with a program that we hope will launch this fall. Im more willing to share my thoughts in private than to speculate in depth about others motives in public. If you recognize the names and places included in the previous paragraph, you may also realize what I mean when I say that the fundamentalism I grew up in existed between two camps. So, for example, some of the things that Beverly just talked about in terms of in making sure that those key competencies theyre actually from a lot of research from an entity called The National Association of Colleges and Employers key skills that students really want. So, our desire to provide our students a one-stop shop experience for those particular areas when they are initially inquiring to applying to admission to advising and then finally enroll into their courses. So, there are a lot of opportunities that we specifically can focus on through our mission as a result of all this.

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