Welch College plans to alter the Fall 2020 schedule in light of COVID-19 concerns, according to Provost Matthew McAffee. Fall face-to-face classes will begin on campus Monday, August 24, one day earlier than originally scheduled. The Monday before classes begin is usually set aside to register returning students who did not pre-register during the spring 2020 semester. Returning students will still be able to register or make adjustments to their course schedules during drop-add week (August 24-31). All class meetings will be completed before students leave for Thanksgiving break, which begins November 25. Students will not return to campus after Thanksgiving break. Final examinations will be administered remotely December 1-4. Fall break, originally scheduled for October 23-26, will also be cancelled.
“Welch College is taking proactive measures to ensure the safety of our students should there be a spike in COVID-19 cases in late fall,” McAffee said. “Finishing our class meetings before students leave for Thanksgiving break will eliminate the possibility of an outbreak occurring on campus following Thanksgiving travel.” President Matt Pinson said, “The safety of our students is a high priority for us at Welch College. So we’re making every effort to provide the highest quality of education to our on-campus students, while taking every precaution to ensure their safety and security.”
Should you have additional questions related to the fall schedule, please contact the Academic Office (provost@welch.edu).
Welch College recently received an emergency relief grant of $400,000 from the Free Will Baptist Foundation to cover impairment from COVID-19, according to Welch president Matt Pinson.
“We are so thankful to the Free Will Baptist Foundation and its Board of Directors for this generous grant,” Pinson said. This will help us close the enormous gap between income and expenses caused by the Coronavirus.”
Economists predict that higher education will be one of the economic sectors hardest-hit by the Coronavirus pandemic. This is especially true of colleges and universities that rely on in-residence dorm students for the bulk of their revenue.
“The entire fiscal year for most private, residential colleges is based on how many students come at one point in the year—the fall semester,” Craig Mahler, vice president for financial affairs said. “Higher education experts are bracing for an extremely difficult year. In addition to enrollment, industry projections are that gifts will be down drastically owing to job losses, the impairment of donors’ investment portfolios, etc. Add to that all the money we’ve lost by sending students home for half the spring semester, and you have the perfect storm.”
College officials predict that the $400,000 grant from the Free Will Baptist Foundation, as well as a Small Business Administration loan of over $700,000 and CARES act grants of over $300,000 will help make up a fraction of the shortfall. But most of it will have to be done by budget cuts and additional appeals for funds from alumni, friends of the college, and denominational supporters.
“Our greatest challenge is going to be students not being able to enroll because of parents’ job losses and other economic harm that has come to their families,” Pinson said. “With the huge unemployment rate, we’re already hearing this. Some of our friends and supporters aren’t going to be able to give for the same reasons. But we’re praying that those who still can give will support these students who won’t be able to attend Welch without that extra support.”
For more information, or to give to support needy students, please visit welch.edu/give/ and click on Coronavirus Student Relief Fund.
Welch College announced recently that, in response to the Coronavirus crisis, it would be rolling back tuition to its 2019–20 level and initiating a program of scholarships for students in Sumner County and surrounding areas, according to Welch president Matt Pinson.
“Several surveys in the past few weeks have shown that a large percentage of parents of high school seniors are probably going to keep their kids closer to home for lower-cost college options this year because of the Coronavirus,” Pinson said.
“Even seniors themselves, in high numbers in these surveys, fear they might not be able to go off to college this fall. Researchers are citing the general anxiety and uncertainty regarding COVID-19, as well as parents’ worries about affordability in the wake of the recessionary economy caused by the virus. In response, we’ve decided to return tuition this year to its 2019–20 rate. And, with the new scholarships earmarked for local families, together with the Tennessee Hope and Promise scholarships Welch accepts, students can get a private Christian higher education at Welch for a price that is competitive with the four-year state universities here in Tennessee.”
Welch College moved to Gallatin in 2017 after selling its property in midtown Nashville near Vanderbilt and building an entirely new campus across from Station Camp High School.
Dr. Charles Lea, Special Assistant to the President at Welch, knows the Sumner County higher education scene well, having served for many years as Academic Vice President at Volunteer State Community College and as founding director of the Hendersonville campus of Union University. “A lot of Sumner Countians still don’t know much about Welch,” Lea said. “They drive by and admire the beautiful new campus, but they don’t realize what a jewel we’ve got here in Gallatin: It’s the only accredited, four-year residential college in Sumner County, with so many programs in which to get a degree.”
“Welch is ranked 16th among Southern Regional Colleges in U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges. During these uncertain times, a student can begin college at Welch, complete needed general education, and transfer to the college or university of his or her choice,” Lea continued.
The college’s plan is to offer special scholarships to students in Sumner, Wilson, Trousdale, and Robertson Counties, Simpson County in Kentucky, and the northeast region of Davidson County, including Goodlettsville, Madison, Old Hickory, Hermitage, and Donelson.
“We’re really putting on a push to reach out to students in these areas, some of whose parents have had a cut in pay or a job loss, many of whom are just uncertain about moving away for college this fall and are looking for lower-cost options closer to home,” said Daniel Webster, Director of Enrollment Services at Welch. “Most people don’t realize that our tuition is in the bottom quartile of private colleges in the state. When they think of ‘private’ college, they automatically think ‘pricey.’ But with this COVID-19 scholarship, we can get local families down to a price that’s competitive with what they’re going to pay at four-year state colleges.”
“There’s amazing added value to attending a small Christian college like Welch,” Webster added. “It’s a close-knit campus community, which ensures students get extra personal and spiritual mentoring. And the academic mentoring that goes on when you have a low student-faculty ratio—only 9 students for every faculty member—helps students succeed better in their profession or in graduate school. It’s one of the reasons we’ve recently gotten our graduates into graduate schools like Vanderbilt and MTSU here at home, and places like Florida State and Duke and Cambridge elsewhere.”
A high percentage of Welch graduates enter graduate and professional school, Webster added. “But what sets Welch apart for most students and parents is that we undergird the Christian values and beliefs their parents taught them. We don’t dismantle in four years the values that parents spent the first eighteen years trying to instill.”
“The college has majors in myriad fields of study,” Lea said. “Just one of those, for example, is Nursing, a profession that is in high demand. Welch has a program in which pre-nursing students who maintain a 3.0 GPA are guaranteed admission into a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) at either Union here in Sumner County, or at Cumberland or Belmont. A guarantee to get into nursing school is hard to come by.”
In a letter last week to parents and students, Pinson indicated that Welch plans to open its doors to on-campus students this fall and will observe the most rigorous best practices in safety, sanitation, and social distancing.
For more information on Welch, its degree offerings, or its scholarships, email recruit@welch.edu.
With the Coronavirus pandemic, we are in a situation that is unparalleled in our nation’s history. Never before have we experienced shelter at home orders and the mass closure of many businesses, schools, and social gatherings. The revenue lost to our economy is in the trillions because of lay-offs, closures, and job losses. No one is sure how long it will take for us to recover.
Welch College, like most colleges and universities across the country, was forced to send students home to complete the semester online. Our students have been resilient and have praised our faculty and staff for their continued investment in them. Yet they’re eager to return to campus and engage in a traditional classroom learning environment.
We are looking forward to starting classes on campus in the fall. However, many students who want to be here fear they will not be able to attend. In fact, higher education analysts are predicting a significant decline in enrollment this year. Much of that decline will result from the lack of funds because of job losses in their families. Furthermore, the majority of our students depend on summer jobs to save money for their education, and those have not been available.
That’s why I’m writing this letter: to appeal to you to help these young people who want a Christ-centered education but cannot afford it because of this pandemic. We need your help for the many students who want to join us this fall but won’t be able to without it.
I don’t know how the pandemic has affected you financially. You may say, “Matt, I’m one of the ones out of work. I’d love to help, but I just can’t.” To you I say, “I understand.” Will you join me in daily prayer that God will move on the hearts of those who can help?
But you may be one whose job and income was not hurt by the crisis. I appeal to you to make a special gift that will directly impact students. We don’t want a single individual who hopes to be at Welch to be kept away because of the lack of funds. Your generosity will make the difference for them.
In my tenure as president, I have typically refrained from “crisis appeal” letters. Yet if there has ever been a crisis as it relates to our young people’s ability to be in school this fall, this is it. Will you respond? Students will begin making final decisions soon, and I want to be able to tell them that Welch’s supporters believe in them.
If you want to help, you can give at welch.edu/give or send a check to us at 1045 Bison Trail, Gallatin, TN 37066. Will you let us hear from you? The future of a student from your area may depend on it.
After the cancellation of multiple summer events owing to the potential spread of COVID-19, Welch College has cancelled all on-campus youth events and suspended the travel of Welch student representatives, according to David Williford, Vice President for Institutional Advancement.
“It was not an easy decision to cancel the tours of the Rejoice! and Evangels ministry teams and not send out camp reps,” Williford said. “Yet, based on the information we have at this time, we think this is best for our campus community and for those youth and youth sponsors who would be traveling to and from our campus.”
Daniel Webster, Director of Enrollment, works closely with these visiting groups and trains Welch student reps for conferences and camps. “We’re sad about these cancellations. Hosting youth events like Welch Summer Camp and E-TEAM Missions is the highlight of my department’s summer,” Webster said, “With the cancellation of the Truth & Peace Youth Leadership Conference and several summer camps, we realize now that many cancellations are occurring. We informed our student reps that cancellations were coming so that they could look for summer work.”
Relatedly, the college hosts other events and two external groups who utilize college facilities each summer. After conferring with both the Cumberland Valley School of Gospel Music and the Steve Hurst School of Music, it was determined the COVID-19 pandemic made it necessary to cancel those events for this summer.
Craig Mahler, Vice President for Financial Affairs, said, “Though the impact of this global pandemic creates many challenges, the priority of both the college and our denominational and other Christian ministry partners is to maintain an environment that allows for the well-being of our college family and summer guests. We look forward to our guests’ return in the summer of 2021.”
The college continues with preparations to welcome students to the campus for residential learning in late August. Campus leaders are planning a release of detailed plans that allow for a safe return to the campus by the week of August 16.
Thank you for your patience and prayers as we have navigated together the uncharted waters of the COVID-19 storm. We are encouraged that President Trump, Tennessee Governor Lee, and other state and local officials are now implementing a phased lifting of “Safer at Home” executive orders. As a result, Welch College will schedule Dorm Move-out appointments as planned beginning May 4 through May 15, 2020.
The Welch Special Committee on Coronavirus has conferred with local officials, including leaders in the medical community, about a planned, controlled dorm move-out process. Medical officials with whom we have consulted deem the planned process to be appropriate and in accord with social distancing guidelines.
Students who return for dorm room move-out are required to observe the guidelines published earlier (e.g., no entry into campus buildings other than their dormitory, observation of social distancing practices while on campus, frequent handwashing, and covering coughs/sneezes). (See the information communicated originally here.) No one with a temperature of greater than 100 degrees is allowed to enter the buildings; therefore, temperature checks are required upon arrival (for students and their guests). Anyone with a temperature of 100 degrees or greater must reschedule for a later date. Furthermore, a face mask/covering (not provided by Welch College) is required during move out. Students must leave the campus no later than the ending time of their appointment. The College has arranged to disinfect public areas in dormitories daily during scheduled dorm move-outs, unless, due to a large number of appointments, multiple cleanings are advisable.
Dorm move-out appointment times occur on Monday, May 4 through Friday, May 15* as follows:
8 a.m. – 11 a.m.
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
To schedule your dorm move-out appointment, see your college email. If you have questions or need assistance, email the Special Committee on Coronavirus at COVID-19@welch.edu.
We greatly appreciate your many expressions of support and encouragement, and we look forward to seeing you on campus again soon!
Special Committee on Coronavirus
Members, in alphabetical order:
Matthew Steven Bracey
Greg Fawbush, Co-chair
Dr. Jon Forlines
Russell Houske
Dr. Greg Ketteman
Craig Mahler, Co-chair
