# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S215
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES 218

Board for Higher Education and submitted to the Board of Directors
for recommendation and for reference to the Fiscal Conference.”

Practically all church and secular institutions of higher learn-
ing apply the principle of ranking to their teaching staffs. The
policy does not extend generally to the high school level, nor do
junior college faculties usually distinguish four ranks as do the
universities and senior colleges. However, it seems that Synod’s
unique combination of the high school and junior college levels
in pre-professional boarding schools; its operation of two senior
colleges and two theological seminaries as part of the same system;
and its policy of extending calls which involve permanent tenure
to personnel which frequently has neither training for nor ex-
perience in the teaching profession would indicate that some de-
gree of flexibility which offers both the opportunity to observe
and to train prospective teachers and which provides for means of
tangible recognition of exceptional ability, accomplishment, and
devotion would be most desirable. The proposals on ranking are
designed to provide such benefits. ,

- It should not be assumed that the adoption of these proposals
would automatically require every faculty to include all ranks
of teachers at any given time. It may well be found desirable to
use only two or three ranks in a given faculty. At another time a
Board of Control may find that a representation of all four ranks
on its faculty will more adequately serve its purposes. The adop-
tion of the principle of ranking will, in the opinion of your Board,
tend toward greater efficiency in administration and instruction
because it will provide the opportunity to create sufficient flexibility
to meet the needs throughout the educational system as well as a
means of satisfying the constantly changing requirements of in-
dividual institutions. Its application will not destroy the desirable
elements of stability which have contributed notably to the success
of our schools. In addition, the plan will contribute toward solving
several related problems for which no other solution has become
apparent.

1. In conjunction with the recommendations on the mechanics
of electing professors, the proposals on ranking are a factor in
carrying out Synod’s directive that the Handbook Revision Com-
mittee “after consultation with the Board for Higher Education
and the synodical educational institutions, propose to Synod for
adoption a method of selecting and calling members of the in-
structional staff at all our Colleges and Seminaries which will be
along the general lines of current American educational practice
and at the same time will adequately safeguard the special interest
of Synod.” (Proceedings, 1944, P. 219, Par. 220.)

2. The synodical Convention of 1941 provided that “When a