# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S189
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES 187

already has achieved regional accreditation as a Junior College,
but. would be unable to retain its present status if it eliminated
its general education program, reassigned its present faculty, and
entered the Senior College category.

Obviously, this plan does not conform to a policy of leaving
the present system of Junior Colleges intact. The high school
departments would be lost at these three institutions. It is also
reasonable to expect that enrollments in the remaining Junior
Colleges would be seriously depleted because many students would
find it desirable to complete their high school studies locally and
then to enroll directly in one of the Senior Colleges. The only
alternative for the remaining Junior Colleges would seem to be
an expansion of their general education program in order to
attract support. It is apparent that eventually this proposal would
involve rather complete cancellation of the entire philosophy which
currently supports Synod’s plan of ministerial training.

Nor would the costs of preparing the physical plants be minor,
Extensive adjustments would be required, especially at Oakland:
library, physical education facilities, laboratories, chapel, faculty

housing, land.
River Forest and Seward

One of the most popular proposals asks Synod to expand its
existing Senior Colleges at River Forest and Seward.

The logic and feasibility of this plan might well attract con-
siderable favorable consideration under normal circumstances. In
view of the current shortage of teachers, however, it is difficult to
see merit in the adoption of any plan which diverts space or energy
at our Teachers Colleges to other purposes, or which may tend to
increase recruitment problems for the teacher-training program.

The question of effective spiritual conditioning of ministerial
students on a campus devoted to co-education also merits careful
study. It is not likely, in view of currently increasing demands for
women teachers, that Synod could undertake any adjustments which
might decrease the supply.

Finally, consideration of a plan to conduct the terminal pro-
fessional education of teachers in the same school with preparatory
ministerial training would imply the need for extremely careful
planning and an exceptionally high quality of adntinistration. More
efficient operation could, no doubt, be achieved in a single objective
(liberal arts college—teachers’ college — professional ministerial
training) school, but if it were found desirable to attach a new
division to the present Teachers Colleges, it would appear that the
new arrangement would require complete administrational re-
organization, with separate deans and faculties serving the Teachers