Partnering with Wheaton College and the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism
The Billy Graham Center for Evangelism at Wheaton College has announced a yearlong partnership with LifeWay Research to promote the advancement of biblically faithful evangelism, reports Christianity Today. Dr. Ed Stetzer, Executive Director of LifeWay Research, has been named a Senior Fellow to provide consultation and direction for the center alongside BGCE leaders. Stetzer and LifeWay Research will cultivate a national research project taking a new perspective on the unchurched population and the churches that are effectively reaching them in collaboration with Dr. Rick Richardson, Professor of Evangelism and Leadership at Wheaton College. The project will be shared at a national, multi-denominational conference in 2016, details about which will be released later this year.
Colleges of Distinction Rank Concordia University for Fifth Straight Year
Chicago-area Lutheran liberal arts college Concordia University has been named a College of Distinction as well as a Christian College of Distinction for the fifth consecutive year by the Colleges of Distinction college guide. The guide recognizes schools based on four primary “distinctions:” engaged students, great teaching, vibrant community, and the success of its graduates. According to patch.com, schools are nominated for the list by high school teachers and college counselors. Characteristics of a College of Distinction include a focus on high-quality undergraduate education, a variety of innovative learning experiences, an active campus life with opportunities for personal development, and a strong reputation in the eyes of employers and graduate schools.
Hope College and Belmont University to Offer Benefits to Same-Sex Spouses
Holland, Michigan’s Hope College and Nashville’s Belmont University have individually agreed to offer benefits to same-sex spouses in light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision to grant marriage rights to same-sex couples, Christianity Today reports. Hope College, which has ties to the Reformed Church in America, stated that as long as the state of Michigan recognizes the marriage, benefits will be offered to any legal spouse, but weddings taking place in the on-campus chapel will remain in accordance with the RCA’s belief of heterosexual marriage. Belmont, which split with the Tennessee Baptist Convention in 2011 but remains a nondenominational Christian institution, also extends benefits to “all legally married couples.”
Baylor University Named a “2015 Great College to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education has named Texas’s Baylor University to its prestigious honor roll status within its 2015 “Great Colleges to Work For” survey for the fifth consecutive year. Baylor has achieved this recognition more than any other college. The designation is determined by top ratings from the institution’s employees on workforce practices and policies. Baylor is only one of three in the “large university” category to achieve the honor in 11 out of 12 categories for specific best practices and policies, according to a release on Baylor’s website, including Collaborative Governance, Professional/Career-Development Programs, Teaching Environment, Compensation and Benefits, Job Satisfaction, Work/Life Balance and more.
Samford University Gets $1 Million Grant to Train Military Vets in Nursing
Samford University’s nursing school has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration of over $1 million to launch a program for veterans seeking a bachelor of science degree in nursing, according to AL.com. Samford’s School of Nursing faculty will receive training on how to serve veterans most effectively, and the program will admit honorably or generally discharged members of the armed forces with prior healthcare training. Some may even receive course credit for previous training or opt to receive refresher courses as needed. The program will begin in the summer of 2016 and seeks to graduate 30 individuals over the course of the three-year grant.
