by jowens | Apr 27, 2018
Welch College’s total annual enrollment totaled 436 for the 2017-18 year, marking the highest enrollment in 33 years, according to Provost Matthew McAffee.
“Recently, our highest enrollment was in 2006, with a total head count of 420,” McAffee said. “We are thrilled by this headcount and believe it shows we’re gaining significant momentum in enrollment growth.”
Registrar Sharon Rodgers completed final enrollment statistics for the 2017-18 year, after registration for the third session for the Online and Evening Adult Studies programs was complete.
In 1984, total annual enrollment was 461. The highest since then was in 2006 with a total of 420. The college’s highest annual enrollment was in 1981, with a total of 648.
“For the past five years, Welch has been experiencing a rebound in enrollment from our difficult years back in the Recession,” President Matt Pinson said. “Like many Christian colleges, Welch’s enrollment dipped in the aftermath of the Recession, and we struggled as a result. We’re thankful to have seen enrollment gradually increase over the past five years, and it’s great to see it reach pre-Recession levels.”
“College enrollment trends have changed over the years,” said Daniel Webster, Director of Enrollment Services. “Our high years back in the late 1970s and early 1980s were when the Baby Boomers were in college. Since then, not only have the numbers decreased in general, but also factors like free community college, lottery scholarships, and the advent of online education have had a negative impact on the enrollment of residential Christian colleges. So we’re thankful for this gradual growth in times like these,” Webster explained.
College officials credit the college’s name change and relocation to its new campus in Gallatin, Tennessee, with much of the recent growth. “The name change and new campus have contributed to this growth, and the hard work over the past decade by Mrs. Debbie Mouser and others on the Enrollment Team has laid the kind of foundation that will ensure healthy growth over the next decade,” added Webster.
Pinson said, “I expect enrollment to top 500 in the next year and set an all-time record in the year or two after that.”
For more information, visit Welch.edu. To give to the capital campaign to fund construction of the new campus, visit Buildingonthelegacy.com.
by jowens | Apr 12, 2018
Welch College has named Russell Houske as Men’s Resident Director at Welch College and Rebekah Talbot as Women’s Resident Director, according to Jon Forlines, Vice President for Student Services.
“We are pleased to announce that Mr. Houske and Mrs. Talbot will be serving in these roles,” Forlines said. “We believe they will continue the excellent job done by Anna McAffee, who served as women’s resident director for eight years, and Mike Edwards, who served as men’s resident director for seven years, as well as five years in the 1990s.”
Talbot, a 2012 Welch music education graduate, served as a music teacher in North Carolina public schools before returning to Welch as academic office manager for two years. She has served as a homemaker and photographer since 2016. She and her husband, Chris, who serves as campus pastor and teaches youth and family ministry at Welch, have two sons: William (age 2) and James Elliott (eight months).
Houske recently joined the Welch staff as Facilities Services Manager, after serving as a bi-vocational youth pastor, pastor, and paramedic. He recently completed his B.S. in General Christian Ministry at Welch and is now enrolled in the master’s program in Theology and Ministry at Welch. He and his wife Amber have four children: Jacob, a freshman at Welch, Jackson (15), Carleigh (14), and Cayden (12).
“Our resident directors and their spouses are really like dorm parents,” Forlines said. “In recent years, the spouses have played such an active role that we’ve begun to think of them in this way. Chris Talbot and Amber Houske are going to be sharing some of the RD responsibilities. Both the Talbots and Houskes are exceptional Christian couples who will bring their ministry backgrounds to this role which is so important in the spiritual formation of our students.”
The new resident directors will begin their duties in June of this year.
by jowens | Apr 10, 2018
Welch College and HomeLife Academy have completed a dual enrollment agreement that will speed the admissions process for HLA students who want to enroll at Welch for college credit under the Tennessee Dual Enrollment Grant program, according to Dr. Greg Ketteman, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at Welch.
The Dual Enrollment Grant, funded through the state’s Tennessee Promise initiative, makes it possible for Tennessee HLA students to take up to twelve hours of college credit while completing their junior and senior years of high school. “Tennessee’s Dual Enrollment Grant, combined with Welch College’s special tuition rate for DE students, makes it possible for HLA students to take the first six hours at no out-of-pocket cost and the next six hours at very low cost,” Ketteman said.
HomeLife Academy’s Director of Academics and Counseling, Mrs. Lynn Knowlton, said, “We are pleased to partner with Welch College to make it easier for HLA students to earn college credit at a Christian college.”
Welch College is a four-year, residential college in Gallatin, Tennessee, that offers over 40 majors. The college is accredited regionally by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is ranked among top regional colleges by US News and World Report. That same publication also ranked Welch College among the top-ten best higher educational values in the state of Tennessee.
HomeLife Academy is a non-traditional K-12 private “umbrella” school and ministry that has served thousands of homeschoolers over the last fifteen years. The vision and mission of HomeLife Academy, a member of the Association of Christian Schools International, is, “We believe that God gives every child unique and wonderful gifts to use for His glory and honor. Our mission is to inspire and equip parents to help develop those gifts.”
For more information contact Kayla Newland at knewland@welch.edu or 615-675-5343.
by jowens | Apr 9, 2018
Welch College has recently added a new B.A. degree program for students interested in the humanities and arts, according to Welch Provost Matthew McAffee. “This interdisciplinary program will provide new avenues for helping students to be creators of culture that will reflect the Christian worldview,” program coordinator Phillip Morgan said. “Students will choose three areas of study from among our English, History, Music, and Psychology programs.”
The Humanities and Arts degree is designed to provide a solid foundation for graduate study in students’ focus areas, as well as entry into such fields as law, journalism, ministry, music, and counseling, among others.
Dr. James Stevens, chairman of the Department of Music at Welch, said, “This exciting new Humanities and Arts degree will bring further diversity to the program offerings at Welch College, allowing students to focus on several different disciplines within a biblical setting and Christian worldview.” Stevens was instrumental in the degree approval process and believes it will further diversify and grow the music program.
McAffee said, “I am delighted to see our Welch faculty members developing programs like this one. It allows us to maximize our current course offerings by providing creative new combinations to meet the diversity of interests among current and future students. Furthermore, this degree showcases our mission-driven focus to bring the Christian worldview to bear on all fields of knowledge.”
Those interested in the bachelor’s degree in Humanities and Arts should contact GoToWelch@welch.edu for questions and Welch.edu/GoToWelch to apply.
by jowens | Apr 4, 2018
Dr. Robert E. Picirilli and Dr. Claude Pressnell, Jr. will address the Welch College class of 2018, according to President Matt Pinson. Robert Picirilli, professor emeritus and former academic dean at Welch College, will present the baccalaureate sermon Thursday evening, May 10, at 7:00. Claude Pressnell, president of the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA) will address the graduates at the 10:00 a.m. commencement ceremony on Friday, May 11.
Picirilli, professor emeritus at Welch College, taught New Testament and philosophy at Welch, serving long-term as Academic Dean. He is author of Free Will Revisited and numerous other books and journal articles. He is also the editor of the Randall House Bible Commentary series. Picirilli served as president of the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges and moderator of the National Association of Free Will Baptists.
Pressnell has spent over thirty years in higher education administration, serving as president of TICUA since 2000. In 2003 the United States Senate appointed Pressnell to the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, of which he served as Vice Chair from 2007 until his second and final term expired in 2008. In 2017 Pressnell was approached by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to consider being appointed as the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education. Pressnell respectfully declined the offer in order to remain in Tennessee and continue his work with TICUA.
Pressnell serves on numerous international, national, and state-level boards. He also has served as an international advisor on higher education reform to foreign governments in the Middle East, South Asia, the Balkan region of Europe, and South America.
President Matt Pinson said, “This is such an important occasion for the entire college family, and especially for the graduating seniors. Commencement week always brings us face-to-face with our mission as a college—to educate leaders to serve Christ, His Church, and His world through biblical thought and life. We’re grateful for the opportunity to have two such excellent speakers address the graduating class, and we hope that you will join us in this special time of celebration.”
by jowens | Apr 2, 2018
Welch College President Matt Pinson announced today a new event to celebrate the Christian faith in our community: Strong and Courageous. The event, May 15 at 7:00 p.m. on the Welch College campus, will include entertainment, inspirational speakers, and the awarding of the Strong and Courageous award.
“The inspiration for the event comes from the charge given to Joshua in Joshua 1:9 for him to be strong and very courageous as he leads the children of Israel,” Pinson remarked. “Likewise today, Christians who continue to be strong and courageous in their faith positively affect their work, neighborhood, and community with Kingdom values.”
Headlining the entertainment for the evening will be Ricky and Sharon Skaggs. Also featured will be musical performances by the Welch College ensemble Rejoice! and other musical talent at Welch. These musical performances will provide a setting for inspirational challenges by individuals such as noted physician and scientist Dr. Ming Wang.
Pinson said, “Ricky and Sharon Skaggs are residents of Sumner County who have dedicated their lives not only to writing and producing outstanding music, but also to sharing with others the impact of Christ upon their lives. They are great examples of combining faith, work, and life. We are also privileged to hear from Dr. Ming Wang, a compelling speaker whose career has ably demonstrated the integration of faith, science, and community impact.”
Sponsorship opportunities as well as individual tickets remain available. To learn more, contact Derek Altom at 615.675.5262 or go to the event website at welch.edu/strongandcourageous/. Proceeds from the event will support student scholarships at Welch College.
Welch College offers over 40 different programs of study with degrees at the Associate’s, Bachelor’s and Master’s levels. The college partners with other higher education institutions to offer unique programs of study in traditional and online settings. Welch participates in both the Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect scholarship financial aid programs. U.S. News and World Report has consistently ranked Welch as one of the outstanding colleges in the South.
