by jowens | Sep 27, 2019
Welch College has begun offering select courses in Computer Science as part of its B.S. degree in Business Administration, according to Provost Matthew McAffee.
“We are enthusiastic about this new course of study,” McAffee said. “We’re offering the first course during the Fall 2019 semester: CPS 1123—Introduction to Computer Science. This course will take students with little or no computer programming background and introduce them to the world of computing and the fundamentals of programming languages.”
A follow-up course, Computer Science I, will provide detailed exposure to the rapidly growing field of technology and topics such as structured problem solving, program design, 4th generation languages, debugging, and testing.
To spearhead this initiative, Welch has secured the expertise of Dr. David Sayre, who will serve as Computer Science Program Liaison. Dr. Sayre is an accomplished Computer Science educator, researcher, and entrepreneur. He regularly consults with national defense clients and Fortune 100 companies. His work has been recognized in the Wall Street Journal and industry awards in the computing discipline. Dr. Sayre has a heart for computer science education and Welch College.
“These courses in computer science will focus on producing ‘job-ready’ graduates,” Sayre said. “Nashville’s commercial technology sector can’t find enough qualified candidates, with hundreds of jobs going unfilled from month to month. These courses will allow students interested in Information Technology to start immediately in the core subject while they accumulate the prerequisites required for more advanced topics in the field.”
Classes will be offered in a once-per-week, evening format and will be available to daytime and commuter students.
“Our purpose will be to educate technological leaders to serve the wider community with Christian character,” said Stephen Beck, Associate Undergraduate Dean of Education. “The technical skills acquired from this course of study will serve as a differentiator for future employment opportunities, providing students with the basics for future specialization in web development, network or systems administration, or cybersecurity.”
For inquiries about general enrollment, contact Stephen Beck at sbeck@welch.edu or for specific questions about Welch Computer Science courses, contact Dr. David Sayre at dsayre@welch.edu.
by jowens | Sep 25, 2019
Welch College will be welcoming former Arkansas governor, Fox News contributor, and national television host Mike Huckabee to campus October 8 as the featured speaker for the college’s Constitution Day, according to Dr. Charles Lea, Special Assistant to the President at Welch.
Governor Huckabee will be speaking at 10:00 a.m. in the college’s auditorium in Celorio Hall. “Governor Huckabee has the perfect combination of political experience, commitment to the constitution, and the Christian faith,” President Matt Pinson said. “Welch College is honored to welcome Governor Huckabee to our campus.”
by jowens | Sep 24, 2019
Welch College has received approval for a Mathematics Education endorsement for grades 6 through 12 from the Tennessee Department of Education’s (TDOE) Educator Licensing and Preparation division, according to Provost Matthew McAffee. The program will enable middle and high school teachers to receive a licensed endorsement in mathematics education.
“There is a great need for well-qualified mathematics teachers in public and Christian schools,” McAffee said. “This new program strategically positions Welch to help fill this void with teachers who are committed to the influence of Christ’s kingdom in the world.”
Welch College offers multiple pathways for Mathematics 6-12 endorsement. Pathways for teaching licensure include undergraduate student teaching clinical practice, post-baccalaureate student teaching clinical practice, and post-baccalaureate job-embedded clinical practice programs.
Middle and secondary mathematics educators are in high demand at both the state and national levels. This has led TDOE to identify Mathematics Education as high-demand endorsement area.
“We are excited about this new program,” Stephen Beck, Associate Undergraduate Dean of Education, said, “Training Christian leaders for STEM-related careers helps support the mission of Welch College and opens multiple doors of opportunity for ministry and employment at national and international levels.”
For inquiries about teacher education, contact Undergraduate Dean of Education Dr. Etta Patterson at epatterson@welch.edu. For specific questions about the Mathematics Education program, contact Stephen Beck at sbeck@welch.edu.
by jowens | Sep 21, 2019
Welch College enrolled the highest number of students in 36 years for the Fall 2019 semester, according to Provost Matthew McAffee. Total enrollment statistics indicate 426 students from 24 states, one territory, and five foreign countries, a 5.4 percent increase over last fall’s headcount. The fall of 1983 was the last fall semester that the enrollment was higher, with a headcount of 467.
“We are thankful for the modest increase in enrollment numbers this year,” McAffee said. “The Lord continues to bless our efforts in equipping leaders for Christ’s kingdom work.”
The increase in new students this year occurred with both freshmen and transfer students. This fall 84 new students enrolled in traditional on-campus programs at Welch. A total of 116 new students joined the student body for the new school year, including graduate, online, and adult studies enrollments.
At press time the college reported 185 dormitory students, 36 commuter students, 33 graduate students, 31 Adult Studies students, 50 Online/Lifetime Learning students, and 91 dual enrollment students. The fall’s full-time equivalency (FTE) is 307 students.
“We’re thankful to God for another increase in headcount and FTE enrollment,” President Matt Pinson said. “We’re excited that we have the third highest number of new traditional, college-age students since 2006, one of the top incoming classes in the last twenty years. This is good, especially given the fact that enrollment at many colleges and universities in the U.S. is at a standstill or declining.”
“The composition of the enrollment at private colleges and universities has shifted since the turn of the century, and we’ve seen this at Welch,” Pinson said. “When I was a student in the mid-1980s, we had a large number of married students in their late twenties and thirties who had pulled up stakes and moved across the country to attend college. Those days are gone. That kind of student is now engaging in non-traditional delivery systems, including online and evening classes. It’s exciting, though, to see an upward trend in enrollment occurring across all sectors at Welch.”
For more information about Welch College, email recruit@welch.edu or visit the college’s website at www.welch.edu.
by jowens | Aug 27, 2019
Welch College Press released a new publication this summer, The Apologetics of Leroy Forlines, by F. Leroy Forlines and J. Matthew Pinson, according to managing editor Matthew Bracey.
“The book debuted at the National Association of Free Will Baptists with much enthusiasm and praise,” Bracey said. “We’re proud of this book and believe it honors the legacy that Mr. Forlines has left to us on the topics of apologetics and worldview thinking.”
As detailed on the book’s dust jacket, “In The Apologetics of Leroy Forlines, J. Matthew Pinson brings together select writings of F. Leroy Forlines on apologetics and the knowledge of God. He begins the volume with a lengthy essay on the apologetics of the foremost systematic theologian of the modern Free Will Baptist Church and the contemporary Reformed Arminian movement.”
“The ideas in this book are timely,” Forlines said. “My prayer is that God will add His blessing to this book, using it to extend His kingdom and give Him the glory that is due His name alone.”
Apologetics is the fourth publication from Welch College Press. Previous publications include:
- J. Matthew Pinson, Matthew Steven Bracey, Matthew McAffee, and Michael Oliver, Sexuality, Gender, and the Church: A Christian Response to the New Cultural Landscape
- Christopher Talbot, Remodeling Youth Ministry: A Biblical Blueprint for Ministering to Students
- Phillip T. Morgan and J. Matthew Pinson, Light and Truth: A Seventy-fifth Anniversary Pictorial History of Welch College
To purchase any of these titles, visit https://welch.eduwelchpress.
