Anyway, not to interrupt a sabbatical or anything, but it looks like someone’s having fun with the sidebar links.

Despite your apology I’ll go ahead and comment:

I agree, up to a point. I was actually thinking about how I never see comments from the blog author before I saw your comment. It does seem pretty odd.

Then again, he’s not obligated to interact with commentators. Sometimes I do on my blog, and other times I don’t. I don’t have a lot of time to spend online (I know, I blog a lot for someone with limited time) so that’s how it goes.

Preacherman - gotta disagree with you this time brother. I don’t see where Mike has to commit to come back and comment on his blog. He’s announced he’s taking a sabbatical — and I would hope we of all people would honor that. I’ve generally found the more Mike comments, the more readers demand of him to answer all types of questions and chime in on debates. My two bits.

Haven’t checked the blog in a while, sorry. Like I said, one man’s experience. Our experience with the grads from Harding and OC has been better in this ONE area (knowledge and application of scripture). The ACU kids we’ve interviewed are not bad men and women, I hope you don’t think that. But honestly we may have to look at what our expectations are for a 23 year old, I admit that.

I left ACU with over 43,000 in student loans, I would hate to know what students like me leave with these days.

I actually think that it’s up to us contributors to create a challenging spiritual environment. Some of us do, some of us try to, and some of us are just ’snipers’ looking for some wayward soul to shoot down… And it will probably always be this way… ; - )

I concur. But maybe its just a forum for the laity.

But I also wonder why I need to respond as well.

No one changes their mind only barbed comments. I don’t want people to think like me unless they already do.

Maybe I would be wiser If I didn’t “need” to respond.

Will explain that more later. i have 10 grad assistants who help with the class. i teach monday and wednesday and they meet in small groups on friday.

Am using a computer in Peru and am having trouble finding punctuation marks.

Look for a new posting in a couple days.

Mike

It’s hard to believe that some classes have a bigger attendance than my church today. Wow! But at least the kids get to have fabulous instruction from Mike and others. I did not mean to imply that the teaching would be any less. I guess I am questioning why ACU admin and PR did not mention one of the best areas of scholarship it offers its students, both under-grad and post-grad. And that is its Bible, theology, and missiology studies — and defining strengths marking it differently from other liberal arts universities. How did they come to omit these disciplines in their marketing strategy?

I feel for you as a parent of a college student. I know the costs for higher education are spiralling to the heights, and somehow there needs to be some reform to fix the serious disconnect between learning and gaining knowledge and expertise for career fields and the costs required for today’s students to achieve their best.

And while I do agree there are some beautiful campus improvements made over the last decade or so, I wish some of the money ear-marked for greener grass would have gone to bolster and support the tremendous teaching staff and musical artists found in ACU’s music department. They could really use more solid scholarship funding to recruit and retain dedicated music and performance arts students. But that is just my personal wish-list wistfully thinking out loud.

Thanks again. Blessings!

(Sorry for this…I am still an eraser child at heart. My mind was obviously listening for dinner boiling over!)

It’s hard to believe that some classes have a bigger attendance than my church today. Wow! But at least the kids get to have fabulous instruction from Mike and others. I did not mean to imply that the teaching would be any less. I guess I am questioning why ACU admin and PR did not mention one of the best areas of scholarship it offers its students, both under-grad and post-grad. And that is its Bible, theology, and missiology studies — and defingin strengths marking it differently from other liberal arts universities.

I feel for you as a parent of a college student. I know the costs for higher education are spiralling to the heights, and somehow there needs to be some reform to fix the serious disconnect between learning and gaining knowledge and expertise for career fields and the costs required for today’s students to achieve their best. How did they come to omit these disciplines in their marketing strategy?

And while I do agree there are some beautiful campus improvements made over the last decade or so, I wish some of the money ear-marked for greener grass would have gone to bolster and support the tremendous teaching staff and musical artists found in ACU’s music department. They could really use more solid scholarship funding to recruit and retain dedicated music and performance arts students. But that is just my personal wish-list wistfully thinking out loud.

Thanks again. Blessings!

I’m sure the 4,700 number includes post grad. students as well. If you recall the campus from even 15 years ago, you’d agree it’s beautiful today!

College of any kind is expensive. Lower priced alternatives such as the UT and A&M systems have exploded in the past decade in terms of cost. I would agree that ALL college students need primers in debt mgt.

I’m no expert - such an ACU parent. I’m sure others have more accurate info.

I know times have changed at ACU, but it seems with its special emphasis as a university with an emphasis on Biblical teaching and theology that having one teacher for 300 students is somewhat over the top, and contradicts ACU’s administrative marketing statements.

I read ACU’s press statement for Business Wire from the link you referred us to, and in that press release, they do not even include Biblical/theological studies amongst its list of ‘strong academic programs include…’ which is supposed to be one of the strong selling points setting apart an education at ACU from any other university. Perhaps parents might look into other Christian universities such as Rochester College, or by other Christian denominations, like Furman (http://www.furman.edu/main/aboutfurman.htm) , for an equally excellent Christian university educational experience. Its campus is certainly more beautiful than ACU’s (another mention in this press release), which has been upgraded recently despite the university’s $3-million shortfall, declining enrolment, and serious faculty cutbacks. (Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and learning to appreciate West Texas beauty is rather like acquiring a taste for very fine wine.)There’s also a little white lie in claiming to attract ‘about 4,700 students’ – a bit of a number stretch, no?

I appreciate all you do to teach and entertain 300 freshmen in one Bible 101 class, and the lesson planning that must take. I just do not see how ACU’s administration would place such a low premium on hiring the amount of Bible faculty needed to make that instruction as beneficial or meaningful if it were committed to keeping a smaller teacher:student ratio. I fail to see how issuing ‘free’ iPhones/iPods is going to make Bible 101 anymore meaningful to incoming freshmen.

Will ACU offer free courses on how to keep these kids from going into debt with all the extra gadget charges it requires them to use as ‘tools’ for learning? They’re going to need it!

‘About Abilene Christian University
ACU’s innovative, diverse learning environment attracts about 4,700 students from nearly every state and 60 nations to its beautiful 200-acre Texas campus. Strong academic programs include business, pre-med, theatre, physics, psychology, education and information technology.’