“We are excited to be welcoming a diverse, accomplished group of 51 new full-time faculty to Shorter University,” said Shorter President Don Dowless. “Some of the faculty have a previous relationship with Shorter, either as a student or adjunct professor, while others are getting to know Shorter for the first time. What they all have in common is a commitment to delivering an academically excellent Christian education to all of Shorter’s students.”
Shorter University officials declined to provide a list of those who have left, but the Save Our Shorter website provided a list that its supporters compiled. According to the website, the Save Our Shorter group was “created to reveal the truth about what is happening on the Shorter campus and how the inept leadership by Dr. Dowless, Dr. Nelson Price and the Shorter Board of Trustees is slowly destroying the reputation of our beloved school and causing irreparable damage to the cause of Christ.”
The website lists 84 people who have left since staff and faculty members were told last October they would be required to sign a lifestyle statement. Not all on the list left because of the statement of faith issue, and not all were full-time faculty.
The Board of Trustees passed a measure earlier this year that required staff and faculty to sign a Faith and Personal Lifestyle statement in which they agree, among other things, to “reject as acceptable all sexual activity not in agreement with the Bible, including, but not limited to, premarital sex, adultery and homosexuality.”
In a press release issued Thursday, Shorter officials acknowledged that some chose to leave rather than sign the statement.
“Without question, Shorter is in a time of transition,” said Dowless. “Our recommitment to Shorter’s Christian roots has generated both enthusiastic support as well as some vocal opposition. But through it all, our focus has remained fixed on delivering the highest-caliber education to our students within an authentic Christian context.”
The university issued a news release on Wednesday announcing the staff of the nursing program, saying there was a “full complement” of faculty. Angela Haynes, who served as assistant professor of nursing since 2011, is the new dean. She replaces Vanice Roberts, who is now heading up the nursing program at Berry College.
“God has equipped us beautifully with a faculty who have a wealth of experience in nursing,” Haynes said. “The renewed strength of the School of Nursing is a testimony to God’s faithfulness campus-wide,” she added. “He’s given us an opportunity to invest ourselves in transforming lives through Christ.”
12 NEW TEAMS JOIN THE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
http://glitternight.com/2012/08/15/12-new-teams-join-the-national-christian-college-athletic-association/
Go Hawks!
http://www.gpb.org/news/2012/08/15/shorter-university-has-51-new-faculty#
Sorry for the typo in my last comment, didn't know I was being graded.Welcome to the real world, people in just about every field of work out there are running into CHANGES that they have dedicated their lives and career to.Sorry about your luck buddy.Join the club.
Some CHANGE from the other side,sounds like you don't like it. Like I've said before if you don't like Shorter College go find one you do like and support it.I don't like a lot of things but I don't cry and want them to change for me.I just find what I like and stick with it.jeeez
appears to be what he wants. A "Great Christian" tends to just come and tear people down to make things "better." Dr. Dowless can go hang out at the First Self Righteous Church with Dan Cathy and Bertha Betterthanyou, and eat all the chicken in the world. I'm sticking to steak.
It is possible to make changes in a university environment more quickly than could be done in other types of institutions. With many students graduating each year and a new group coming in, change can happen quickly. Students will be the judge when they take classes and choose to stay or leave. People who are out for any target they can find will ultimately not be the defining factor to Shorter's success or failure.
I see a bright future.
Dr. Dowless has set rules for his faculty that would exclude Christ, and then claims that he did it because it's Unchristian to drink alcohol in public. Since when is it unchristian to do exactly what Christ did?
Your post tells me that you are a kool-aid drinker more than a christian.
"for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (and if thou wantest to rank sins in order of severity, please refer to the Book of Dowless)
Neither the leadership at Shorter, nor the documents themselves, have suggested that you are less Christian because you may choose to consume alcohol in public. You may, however, not be the best choice as an employee at an institution that is trying to create an alternative to the alcohol-saturated culture at other universities.
Wren,
I would take hopeful comments like yours any day over gloom and doom.
As for alcohol saturated cultures at other campuses, has that ever been the case at Shorter, even before this policy was put into place? If not, what's the point of enacting it now if not simply as an exercise of power by a petty dictator?
I can't recall making the comments you've mentioned...not that such statements would be particularly inflammatory...I just like to ensure that I'm being quoted fairly and accurately. Can you link to the specific article or reference the comment for me?
And no, such a statement is not in itself inflammatory in any way. But it is hypocritical for such statements to be used in regards to policies and doctrine under which Christ himself would be excluded from Shorter.
No harm done...I'm sure you figured it sounded like something I might have said, given my support for the policies. Precision is important to me, but no need to split hairs.
Might I suggest that your analogy is a bit overreaching? Cultural differences between the first and twenty-first centuries aside...it does seem a bit silly to suggest that if the Son of God had incarnated in our current time and space, and had chosen to apply for a faculty or staff position at Shorter in lieu of his earthly ministry as Savior of the world, perhaps he would or could not have been hired because of an occasion when he had a glass of wine at a public wedding.
Would you account for other variables that might attribute to decreased enrollment? The State of Georgia university system has reported about two thirds of their institutions will either remain flat or decrease in enrollment this year...not unlike many other university systems acrossed the nation. Seems to me that the information could most certainly be manipulated if it is used to draw one-dimensional conclusions without fully considering a wide range of multi-faceted contributing influences, many beyond any institution's control.
http://romenews-tribune.com/view/full_story/19729869/article-Enrollment-drop-is-latest-challenge-for-colleges?instance=article_results
I couldn't answer that question for you...would be better directed to the Offices of Enrollment Management or Public Relations. I do know that many offices on campus, including mine, have felt overwhelmed by the rapidly increasing enrollment numbers in recent years. While any enrollment decrease will have a financial impact, I think everyone is looking forward to some breathing room.
The more pressing issue is what to do about it now that it is upon us.
This will be an important test of Dr. Dowless's abilities as a leader -- can he inspire them and help them keep their chins up?
Those faculty gaps also reduce the financial shortfall from losing so many students. I don't know what the average tuition is, but I'm guessing a 150-student shortfall probably leads to a $2 to $4 million gap in revenues.
Josh, what's the normal enrollment in Rome?
Guess they were wrong about that belief, eh? More than 150 short? What about the fact that historically, Shorter has never pulled more than 64% Baptist? Ya think some of those Presbyterians, Episcopals, Methodists, Catholics and such just didn't get the message about how wonderful it was going to be?
If you feel compelled to reply to Missing's comment, at least bring some statistics to the table rather than make excuses.
If I were a nursing student I would worry because the assumed leader, Ms. Haynes, of the BSN program is fairly new to the nursing field (2007 BSN degree) and is definitely new to nursing education with only two semesters of teaching.
Truth is, the remarkable nursing program that was created is no longer there. The incoming students will have to be self sufficient and extremely self disciplined if they are going to succeed because their leader as well as their instructors will be "learning" right along with them.
Sad, sad situation and my prayers are with the innocent students. Shorter better wake up before its too late!
Or is this all just a technicality?
Risking accreditation is a very serious matter and should be carefully considered by any student pursuing nursing. I'd hate to do my work, only to find that my school has jeopardized accreditation and my degree is at risk.
As far as how it will affect the program, I am not sure. However you can view the GBON rules and regulations via http://rules.sos.state.ga.us/cgi-bin/page.cgi?g=GEORGIA_BOARD_OF_NURSING/index.html&d=1.
Pay particular attention to Chapter 410-3-.05 item #4. I will copy it for you to read but wanted to document where I found the information so others would not think I'm ill informed.
This sections reads as follows:
(4) The nurse administrator, who is appointed with the authority and responsibility for the
development, administration, and evaluation of the nursing program(s) within the nursing
unit, must have at least one (1) earned graduate degree in nursing and at least three (3)
years of teaching experience in a nursing education program leading to initial registered
nurse licensure or completion of a higher degree in nursing.
Ms. Haynes does not have at least three years of teaching experience in a nursing education program, she only has two semesters.
A number of hires have received all degrees from the same institution. This is known as academic inbreeding and is discouraged.
Many new hires have K-12 teaching in the resume. While in and of itself this is not bad, it is very unusual to see. Generally good universities don't hire people who haven't stayed within the university setting. To see the numbers here smells desperate.
Too many new faculty are teaching out of their area of expertise. The vaunted Harvard hire has a 13 month MA in Education from Harvard and is teaching Psychology. One of the education professors only has theological degrees. This is not a sign of strength.
They have moved a number of staff over to cover classroom assignments. The counselor and Director of Student Services is now a professor of "Human Services" a title I have never heard of previously. The director of online ed, himself a nepotism hire, is now a business professor whose qualifications are an MBA that appears to be an online program.
Additionally, they are still doing teaching demos with classes less than a week away.
I could go on, but the pattern is clear.
Contrary to Mr. Arnold's assertion, this is clearly a desperation move. It may succeed, but it in no way shows a rush of scholars to fill these slots, even in an academic job market that can only be described as dreadful.
"My question is...what if these faculty members prove to be exceptionally good at what they do? What if faculty productivity increases...students' rate professors favorably on classroom evaluations...or assessment measures report substantial learning? What if Shorter's standing in the national rankings increase? Or what if their selectivity increases?"
I know I'd be surprised -- but very pleased.
I wish you were higher up in the organization -- there'd be better chance of this. You're smarter and savvier than your administration.
As for SACS, the issue as I see it is not the Lifestyle Statement itself -- as SACS has said, that's not within their scope. The issue is the tremendous turnover and turmoil. SACS is not going to like that. SACS really, really wants to see school's follow their internal procedures, especially as regards hiring and promotion. Maybe SACS is overly silly and insistent about this, Josh, but they take it seriously. By SACS' standards and Shorter's own published procedures, the administration has made many irregular moves.
If you look at SACS' Brewton-Parker report, you'll see they're probably not going to like the Shorter's financial stability. Here's a link to their summary report:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CEIQFjAA&url=http://www.sacscoc.org/2012 June Actions and Disclosure Statements/Brewton Parker College.pdf&ei=IuwmUODGDYmG8QS7sICgDQ&usg=AFQjCNGinHohjSnHqSnxwx-tRPv9iUqt9Q
Between the section entitled "Why was Brewton-Parker College denied reaffirmation of accreditation and placed on Probation?" and SACS' principles at
http://www.sacscoc.org/pdf/2012PrinciplesOfAcreditation.pdf
you can use this almost as a checklist for Shorter.
In examining this list and looking at the review posted on saveourshorter.com, I see a desperate president trying to fill the gaps with anything he could find, not the lofty credentials that were promised to those who believed in you.
You have feared opening the hiring process to those whom Shorter should be attracting. You knew that finding highly qualified, highly credentialed faculty with extensive teaching experience who will sign on to your Fundamentalist agenda would be impossible, despite your avowal that this caliber of faculty would "flock" to Shorter.
You have compared your college to a number of fine Christian universities, yet you fail to attract even ONE candidate from your peers. What does that tell you about what you are offering. If, as has been contended, times are hard for faculty looking for openings in highly-respected schools because there are NO openings available, where is your pool of eminently qualified candidates.
Given the reports of your Faculty Retreat, families of graduates next year better be prepared for a revival, not a commencement.
You, sir, have failed Shorter University. Your actions disgust me.
The buck really stops with the Board of Trustees and with J. Robert White, the head of the Georgia Baptist Convention.
Each of those Trustees is individually responsible for the success or failure of the University. If Dr. Dowless isn't good enough, it's their fault if they picked him and if they're just letting him make chuckle-headed decisions while ignoring the financial side (especially fund-raising).
The Trustees liability climbs when there's true malfeasance and not just ineptitude. If I was a Trustee, I'd be alarmed that the new HR director came, looked around and quit within 2-3 months. This was an experienced HR professional who'd signed the Lifestyle Agreement. Sexual harassment, theft, nepotism, abuse, discrimination, etc, etc. -- if it's illegal and it involves employees, sooner or later it lands at the HR director's door.
What spooked him into leaving? What did he try to correct that got overruled? Or what did he see that alarmed him? Why didn't he want his name on the line?
If I were a Trustee, I'd want to find these answers out ASAP. I would not settle for bland reassurances from Dr. Dowless or Stephanie Owens, his old boss. I'd dig because I'd know my own neck was on the line.
http://rn-t.com/view/full_story/19724363/article-Shorter-University-School-of-Nursing-prepared-for-fall-semester?instance=news_special_coverage_right_column
If Shorter is playing fast and loose with State licensing requirements for its nursing program, that could cause serious problems: with the State, with the 2 local hospitals that work with Shorter and with prospective students.
It's one thing to tangle with SACS on faculty hires; it's another thing altogether to get in trouble over medical licensing and quality assurance.
Let's hope that"LoveThyNeighbor" is ill-informed.
The more I look over the list I downloaded, the less impressed I am. This is a very weak list.
I had thought that perhaps the reason Dr. Dowless had done so little fundraising was because he was out recruiting new faculty. Now I don't know what he's been doing this last year. Scarier still, I worry think he doesn't know either.
Some of those 51 are not even new hires -- just existing Shorter people shuffled around.
Even then, Dr. Dowless still hasn't replaced all the faculty that left.
Dr. J. Robert White, Dr. Lamar Barden, Joe Frank Harris Jr., Bob English, Parnick Jennings, Joy Battles, Jerry Emerson, Dr. Nelson Price -- are any of you paying attention??
Put the whole campus in an uproar and run off half your staff and faculty the same year SACS is in for their once-every-10 years (or is it every 8?) accreditation review.
Make a particular point of doing in a doctrinaire fashion when they expressed previous concerns about excessive Georgia Baptist Convention interference in academic affairs.
Do it while they're evaluating your sister GBC school, Brewton-Parker College, and downgrading their accreditation in possible anticipation of pulling it altogether.
Couldn't they have at least waited a year until SACS (the accreditation organization) had come and gone? That would have bought almost a decade to straighten out any ensuing difficulties.
Do the President and Board have any old-fashioned, Baptist common sense? At all?
Do all of the above in the most ham-fisted, inept way as possible.
Try to scare even your own supporters into wondering whether you know what you're doing.
Are these 2 other schools mismanaged? Are they hemorrhaging faculty, staff and students? Are they behind in paying their local bills?
No, I don't think so, but if I'm wrong I'm sure someone here will correct me.
So if you have Dr. Dowless's theological values does that automatically mean your locomotive is going to jump the tracks? Are other schools with the GBC's values running much more smoothly than the GBC's 3 struggling colleges? Yes.
(The 2 other GBC colleges are tiny Truett-McConnell and Brewton-Parker College; BPC is on probation and may lose accreditation).
Time for some new engineers for the railroad!
This is an especially good idea if Dr. White doesn't intend to give them much money; so far it doesn't look like he does.
In the meantime, this is all just an embarrassment for the GBC, especially in front of the CBF and other SBC state conventions.
Christ would be appalled at what the administration at Shorter is doing to good Christians with their asinine statements.
The band that plays the song is LMFAO; here are their official lyrics:
http://www.lmfaomusic.com/lyrics/default.aspx?tid=26630360
Here are links to LMFAO's own videos:
http://www.lmfaomusic.com/media/default.aspx
Here's the definition of the initials in the band's name:
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/LMFAO
They stand for "Laughing my ___ing ___ off"
Here are links to Shorter's own videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCweKAH5lO4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw1WlnL9GHE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXbVNo1YNCY&feature=plcp
I can only imagine the subsequent conversations between Dr. Dowless and:
* Mrs. Dowless
* the Board of Trustees
* Dr. Nelson Price
* Dr. J. Robert White (head of the Georgia Baptist Convention)
* Dean Sabrena Parton (mastermind and choreographer)
I'm sure some folks may have been "LMFAO" after this but I doubt it was Dr. Dowless!!
I can't help but picture Dr. Dowless as someone who (years ago) watched the original Footloose movie and cheered on the preacher who hated dancing.
I support the poster who pointed out how quiet the local churches have been on this issue. Lock step. Makes me really glad that I no longer attend church and would never subject my children to it. It really irks me how Christians pick and choose which bible verses they are going to focus on. Ignore the gluttony of all the obese church members, focus on the homosexuality of other; Ignore the parts about stoning your children (God didn't REALLY mean that part) and focus on those parts that you agree with. I was raised in church and I can assure you gay people had NOTHING to do with my turning my back on religion, it had EVERYTHING to do with "religious people".
Finally, I know one Shorter employee who is desperately seeking a job. He/She said "Please help me, I have GOT to get out of here!"
http://www.metrolyrics.com/party-rock-anthem-lyrics-lmfao.html
See the comments section of this article for more info:
http://www.rn-t.com/pages/full_story/push?article-More changes occurring at Shorter &id=19057733#comments_19057733
Students reported complaining but the administration says no students complained.
Does anyone know the minimum percentage of doctorates needed for accreditation?
Fortunately, I think the percentage of faculty with doctorates faculty-wide is higher since more than half used to have doctorates and some of them have stayed.