Higher education

Seminaries Under Stress
Elizabeth Redden
Inside Higher Ed
March 11, 2008

    Of the 11 Episcopal seminaries in the United States, one recently announced it would end its main residential program, another is shutting down one of its campuses, and a third is selling a good portion of its campus. The changes reflect not only each institution’s own financial or enrollment straits but also changes that are coming in Episcopal seminary education, which has historically played a key role in American theological life. Among them are an embrace of distance education and new, more flexible alternatives to the traditional residential seminary model thus far sustained for centuries, and ever-increasing numbers of collaborations involving other seminaries, Episcopal and non, and non-sectarian colleges, as tiny institutions struggle to survive.

Among the developments:

    * Episcopal Divinity School (EDS), in Cambridge, Mass., sold seven buildings on its eight-acre campus to Lesley University, a non-sectarian institution, for $33.5 million. Under the terms of the sale, announced Thursday, EDS will maintain ownership of 13 buildings. As part of the agreement, Lesley, which has already housed undergraduates on the seminary’s campus under a leasing arrangement for about three years, will now own residence halls and a dining facility on EDS’ grounds. The two institutions will share a library.

    * Bexley Hall Seminary, which in 1998 began a gradual move from Rochester to its native state of Ohio to affiliate with Trinity Lutheran Seminary, is completely closing its Rochester satellite, prompted by concerns about re-accreditation of a very small branch campus and limited prospects for future growth.

    * And, most dramatically, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, in Evanston, Ill., recently said it would shut down its three-year residential master of divinity (M.Div.) program, the traditional backbone of a seminary’s offerings. Seabury-Western has scaled back its course offerings significantly for the coming year — suspending recruitment and admissions for all programs, pledging to help masters’ and certificate students “find alternative arrangements for the completion of their programs” as needed, and negotiating the terms of a teach-out with a Methodist seminary located across the street. All those who graduate through 2009 will receive Seabury-Western degrees. Beyond that, officials say, details are still to be determined.

It’s all here …

Comments

[Anon]

And I assume the closings have nothing to do with TEC's no longer believing in the Bible and moving away from traditional Christianity.

[Ms. Cornelius]

Having more non-traditional seminary options would be a blessing.

[Ed Clarke]

"And I assume the closings-------etc." Who SAYS "TEC no longer believes in the Bible and is moving away from traditional Christianity?" I certainly have seen no signs of that in my congregation! What a stupid, unthinking, inane statement! Where did you come up with that gem anyway? Off a cereal box? PROVE IT!

[Ed Clarke]

Regarding the seminaries' activities: over the past several years, some of the secular colleges and universities have also had financial and enrollment problems, sometimes resulting in personnel layoffs or other drastic cutbacks, and/or merging of campuses for cost savings. So let's not be attempting to read any more into the seminary stories other than what's been published. Their situations aren't unique in this day and age, "Anon", or whoever posted that insulting piece about "TEC's no longer believing in the Bible and moving away from traditional Christianity."