# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1953_S992
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

196 SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES

six years in synodical schools. The estimate for June, 1953, is that
39.2% of the students who will apply to the seminary in September
will have had that amount of training in Synod’s Preparato

schools. "y

The ultimate effect of a continuation of such ratios of advanced
standing admissions is a volume of graduations from the sem;
in excess of the estimated needs which Synod accepted and listed
in Table 4, page 164, of the 1950 Proceedings:

1950 __ 125 1955 148 1960 175

While it is not possible, under the circumstances, to make an
absolutely accurate estimate of St. Louis production, present indi-
cations are that a total of 200 graduations may be expected from
the seminaries in 1955 and that the number will rise, if no adjust-
ments are authorized, to approximately 280 by 1959,
Your Board believes, and asks to be corrected if Synod does
not agree, that the directive of Handbook Section 6.07b, calli
upon the Board to “determine, direct, and supervise, within the
intent and resolutions of Synod, the educational and administrative
standards, policies, and procedures of Synod’s educational system
and institutions” is ample authority to issue policy directives in
this connection to regulate such internal activities as transfers
within Synod’s system of preparatory schools; transfers from the
preparatory schools to Springfield; admissions at advanced levels;
direct admissions to the St. Louis Seminary without preparatory
school training; permissible course loads for students; uniform
grading systems; methods of computing quality point averages; and
uniform practices in preparing and evaluating transcripts. The
clear resolutions with regard to the operation of the Springfield
Seminary and the Fort Wayne experiment also are ~held to be
adequate. It appears to your Board, however, that more effective
screening procedures should be established by the schools; that

-a minimum residence requirement policy should be established by

Synod; and that specific provisions should be made to assure Synod
that a harmonious balance between production and needs will be
maintained and that the present opportunity to do so will be effec-
tively used to select only the best students for final ministerial
training and for graduation from the seminary.

First Recommendation
In the detailed discussions of the Advisory Council (college
and seminary presidents) and your Board, there was ready agree-
ment that no board, commission, or officer of Synod is currently
charged with responsibility for carrying forward the detailed studies
necessary to keep Synod informed on the degree of balance be-

SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES 197

Synod’s requirements in pastors and teachers and the po-
tial supply of such professional personnel.
ten ed, further, that the present situation offers Synod
aries ing opportunity to establish objective screening proc-
an outstanding to retain only the highest-quality students for
esse desig to the ministry. This approach was considered de-
uate se Synod expects, shortly, to have an ideal setting in
sirable pe eaduct such screening at the three successive levels of
which . ° ollege, the Senior College, and the theological seminary.
the are . rogram of this type promises to contribute materially,
An ofetvine blessing, to the welfare of the Church through main-
ter nce of the highest standards of ministerial training. -
me since it is impossible for any agency to prejudge the specific
uality of students applying for admission to the preparatory col~
q it would seem improper and unwise to restrict the total
ree timents at the institutions (except to guarantee that staff and
sant capacity shall not be overextended), or to prohibit admissions
piathe college level. Such action might provide for the automatic
clusion of desirable applicants and would preclude a satisfactory
raisal of these men. Assuming that Synod wishes to abide by
the estimates of future needs accepted at Milwaukee and recog-
nizing the effects of the pronounced trend toward advanced stand
ing admissions in Synod’s preparatory colleges, your Board for
Higher Education .
Recommends that the functions and duties of this Board be
extended to include responsibility for efforts to maintain a harmo”
nious balance between the production of professional servants i
the Church and Synod’s indicated needs in this area; and the Boar

Recommends, further, that Synod be guided, at this time, by
the requirement estimates accepted by the Milwaukee Convention,
with the understanding, however, that these estimates are to be
reviewed triennially by Synod and adjusted in accordance with
actual experience; and the Board

Recommends, further, that this Board be instructed to arrange
for the construction of objective criteria for measuring readiness
for admission to the St. Louis Seminary; that these criteria be co-
operatively developed by representatives of seminary and college
faculties and other competent participants designated by the Board;
and that they serve as basic data for determining eligibility to enter
the seminary; with the understanding, however, that provisions will
be made for a limited number of admissions on the basis of char-
acter recommendations by the faculties of the preparatory schools;
and the Board