LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 242

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242 HIGHER EDUCATION

influence than any other groups and commissions at work. How-
ever, it is certain that its reports have received, and will continue
to receive, great attention, distribution and study. Policy making
groups will need to consider many decisions, at least for the
immediate future, in the light of findings of the commission.
Most of the recommendations to date appear to be valid and
helpful, also for synodical higher education. The commission
gives strong support to the concepts of diversity and pluralism
in higher education. It sees the continuation and strengthening
of quality private church-related and church-owned colleges as
essential to the future health of higher education. The commis-
sion, however, has failed so far to come forth with viable, work-
able, practical recommendations for ways to solve the fiscal
dilemmas being faced by so many non-public institutions.

There will likely be many fewer major studies of higher
education produced in the near future. “Less study, less talk,
and more action” has become one of the most popular themes
among those concerned about colleges and universities.

Students

“Spiritual renewal" and “Jesus movements” continue to
grow among students on campuses generally. Pentecostal and
charismatic groups can be found at most colleges and uni-
versities.

The peace agreement in Vietnam and the ending of the
military draft influenced the “campus mood” this spring. En-
rollment patterns will be watched carefully this fall to see what
effects the end of the military conscription will have.

The amendment giving the vote to 18-year-olds helped wipe
out the last remnants of in loco parentis on almost all campuses.
Many church-related colleges are attempting to explore more
fully what it means to be “‘our brother’s keeper.”

Since 1870, the number of students in colleges in America
has doubled every 12 to 15 years. The current sharp slowdown
in growth and the realization that after a likely increase of only
three million in the 1970s there will probably be a decline in
enrollment in the 1980s have been traumatic experiences for
many colleges and universities geared for decades to growth,
and for the last two decades to particularly rapid growth. As
a result, many adjustments still need to be made in planning for
the future.

Enrollment patterns have begun to reflect the growing beliefs
that not everyone needs a college education and that American
colleges are geared to produce many more people than needed
in certain fields, such as teaching.

Faculty

The greater availability of faculty members has generally
been received as a blessing by colleges, if not by graduating
candidates. The lack of mobility among faculty people and the
difficulties being faced in trying to reduce overstaffing, however,
have led to frustrations with and reexaminations of tenure
policies and practices.

Renewed efforts to place emphasis on teaching effectiveness
rather than on publications as the major criterion for hiring and
promoting faculty members received a big push forward when
the Carnegie study reported that 95% of the students and 86%
of the faculty members agreed with this preference.

Finances

The financial worries of higher education in America con-
tinue to be very real but do not appear to be the obsession they
were at the time when the Synod last met. Some private and
church-related colleges have closed and others see little hope for
survival. But more often, as reported by Vermilye Dyckman, the
executive director of the American Association for Higher
Education, “the initial shock of curtailed prosperity has given
way to a shirt-sleeve, belt-tightening determination to make do
with what's at hand.” There is no doubt that in many cases the
new austerity has helped to burn off fat and tone muscles grown
sluggish with complacency.

State aid to students in nonpublic colleges has continued to
grow. For example, seven of the 13 synodical colleges in the
United States are located in states which now provide some aid
to students in our colleges. However, in spite of the trend toward
greater state aid, new and increased funds must be found by
most private and church-related colleges, even the strongest
ones, if they are to continue as effective institutions.

Programs

Almost all programs in colleges and universities have been
influenced by the continued trends toward greater flexibility,
fewer required courses, more calendar options, and greater
efforts for relevancy in course material. There has been some
turning away from the cognitive aspects of higher education and
a movement toward learning through actual experiences, with
more attention to development of feelings and attitudes. More
and earlier ‘“‘field work’’ experiences have been brought into
almost all programs of professional training, especially teacher
education. ‘General education” has continued as a disaster
area in most cases, because of the lack of agreement about the
kind of person an ‘‘educated”’ man or woman should be and the
unwillingness of many first-rank professors to teach under-
graduate courses in the larger colleges and universities. Com-
munity 2-year colleges continue to be the fastest growing
segment in higher education. Degrees by examination, open
university type programs and increased opportunities for people
to obtain higher education throughout their lifetimes are re-
ceiving much attention in theory and some in practice.

Pastoral Education

In pastoral education generally in the United States more
denominations and seminary leaders have come to believe that
it is impossible adequately to train a counselor, an educator,
a scholarly theologian, a church administrator, a social actionist,
and a parish pastor all in the same 3-year program. Also, the
concept of the worker priest or nonstipendiary ministry is being
promoted by many, not as a stop-gap measure of an economi-
cally floundering church, but as a tested method of effective
service. These two factors have resulted in greater variety in
programs and degrees and in alternate routes to the ministry
now offered or planned in many seminaries. Continuing educa-
tion for pastors has become almost universally accepted as
a ‘‘must” in most denominations.

Looking Ahead

In spite of all of the problems, uncertainties, and dilemmas
being faced by higher education in the United States, there
seems to be a strong underlying optimism in colleges and uni-
versities generally as we approach the 1973—74 school year.
Some of the significant related feelings seem to be that: students
are of higher quality and show greater potential than ever
before: faculties are stronger and the support for greater
emphasis on good instruction will increase; the favorable atti-
tude toward innovation in teaching and learning will continue:
the financial crunch has not and will not destroy higher educa-
tion; the image of ‘‘college and university” is again improving
and public support is on the increase: most of the recent changes
in curriculum and social life made with student help have been
good and were long overdue: colleges can adjust to the realities
of enrollment and finances and become even better places to
work and study.

B. In the Colleges and Seminaries of the Synod
Enrollment Patterns

Regular review of the enrollment patterns at synodical
schools is one of the best ways to maintain an estimate of the
degree of success in the recruitment efforts of the church and
of the attitudes of young people toward the various ministries.
Enrollment patterns also give the best indication of the number
and types of graduates likely to be available for professional
service to the church in the future.

In the 2 years following the Milwaukee convention more
than 2,000 young men and women have graduated from the
schools of the Synod and entered into professional or worker-
priest ministries. As predicted, however, the number of “‘tradi-
tional” calls has decreased. Certainly, also as predicted, the
Synod and its congregations will have the opportunity at least
in the years immediately ahead, to secure workers for the
many needed new and expanded ministries, and to upgrade the
professional preparation of faculty members in Christian day
schools.

In its report to the Milwaukee convention, the Board for
Higher Education warned, however, that “it would be most
unfortunate if the present fiscal problems and the resulting
decline in the number of calls would lead to a sharp reduction
in the number of students and thereby cause another cycle