A Letter From President Matt Pinson

by jowens | Feb 28, 2014

Dear Friend of Welch College,

Last week I emailed and posted on our website a prayer letter informing Welch College supporters of opposition from the Richland-West End Neighborhood Association to the zoning of our property as a college campus if sold to Aquinas College, who signed a letter of intent with us in October to purchase our West End campus. I write again to inform you that Aquinas has withdrawn its offer to purchase our campus and to request prayer for our ongoing relocation effort at Welch.

The leadership and board at Aquinas believe that the timing of the zoning process with the Metro Board of Zoning Appeals, which could take several months because of neighborhood opposition, makes it impossible for Aquinas to move forward with the purchase and still have facilities ready for the 2015-16 academic year. Aquinas has gone back to its original plan to build residential facilities on its current campus for its new residential student population.

You may remember that something similar occurred more than twelve years ago, when Watkins College of Art attempted to purchase our campus and backed out under pressure from the neighborhood. Our plans at this point are to continue with the Metro Board of Zoning Appeals hearing scheduled for next month and see this zoning question through, getting a final ruling on our ability to sell the campus to another educational institution. This will keep this issue from arising in the future should another school show interest in the property.

Meanwhile, we will aggressively market the campus to a few residential developers who can develop the three different types of properties we have: (1) condominium-zoned property on West End, (2) educational building lots which will be marketed as new home lots, and (3) older homes that will be sold for renovation. These developers will simultaneously close on the property and lease the campus back to us for 16-18 months while we construct the new campus in Gallatin.

Recently at a rally for Welch College hosted by a group of churches in our area, we sang the old hymn, “God Leads Us Along.” The basic message of that song is that God’s leadership in our lives, while sometimes difficult, is always active, and is carrying us toward the realization of His purpose.

Despite this setback, we remain confident of God’s strong leadership. While we may see this as being led through the fire, as the hymn says, we trust in God’s leadership. So often in Scripture we find the Lord delaying the plans of His people, only to give them something better than they had originally requested. That is how we view this event.

So, as we have before, we seek your prayers for God’s leadership and wisdom, and your continued gifts for the dream of relocation. Thank you for your heartfelt support for the work of the Kingdom through Welch College.

Sincerely,

Matt Pinson

President

A Prayer Letter from President Matt Pinson

by jowens | Feb 21, 2014

Dear Friend of Welch College,

I am writing this letter to ask you to pray earnestly about the relocation of Welch College. As you know, in October Welch and Nashville-based Aquinas College signed a formal letter of intent for the sale of Welch’s West End campus. We remain in formal negotiations regarding the campus purchase and sale. We have now reached a pivotal moment in the relocation process, and we are calling on our constituents to stand with us in prayer during this most critical phase.

The main reason for the delay in signing a contract is a request Aquinas made to the Metro Board of Zoning Appeals regarding a definitive answer on whether or not the campus is zoned for future use as a higher education institution after we sell it. This request resulted in a letter from that Board indicating that they believe the Welch campus can be used as a college by a future owner.

However, the Board of Zoning Appeals stated that the college needed to file an amended parking plan because of some of the properties that had been sold since the last parking plan was accepted in 1977. We have done this, having appealed for as many parking places as we think we can accommodate.

Recently an article in Nashville’s daily newspaper, the Tennessean, stated that the college “wouldn’t be able to continue to operate” if the parking issue was not resolved. This unfortunate wording is misleading and inaccurate. In a conversation with a member of the Welch Administration, the Zoning Board Director stated that the college can continue to operate a campus at its current location even in the unlikely event that the Zoning Board Hearing is not successful. The outcome of the pending zoning appeal will in no way jeopardize the continued operation of the college on the West End campus. The Zoning Board Director is very optimistic about the likely acceptance of the parking plan.

Please pray for Welch College as we move forward with this process. Many of you remember the difficulties the college faced more than 12 years ago during contract negotiations with Watkins College of Art and Design. That institution decided not to pursue the purchase of the campus because of zoning issues raised by the neighborhood association. Similar issues have arisen in this case, and we are asking our friends to pray that Aquinas will not become discouraged during this phase of the process.

Please pray also for our Welch College Board and Administration. They have a long history of wise, careful decision-making. They are fully aware of all of the developments in the pending sale of the property and are exercising all due diligence in the entire relocation process.

The Tennessean article is evidence that Welch College continues to pursue relocation to our 66-acre site in Gallatin. The Relocation Task Force anticipated delays in finalizing the sale of the campus, so this is no surprise to college administration or Board members.

This brings me to my last prayer request: Please pray for patience! Sometimes we’re tempted to grow impatient because things are not moving according to our own timetable. Please pray that we will be patient, dependent on the Lord, and willing to wait on Him and His timetable in relocation.

There is a wonderful spirit on the campus of Welch College. With a nearly 24% increase in dorm enrollment over last year, there is an excitement that is palpable. Despite a downturn in giving in December and January, we are still appealing to God’s people for a wonderful Ketteman Student Scholarship offering on or after February 23 so that we can finish our fiscal year, ending May 31, in the black.

I deeply appreciate your continued support and prayers for Welch College as we pursue every avenue for the marketing and sale of the West End Avenue campus, and as we remain faithful to our 72-year mission to educate leaders to serve Christ, His Church, and His world through biblical thought and life.

In Christ,

Matt Pinson
President

Satisfaction Survey Gives Welch College High Marks

by jowens | Feb 21, 2014

The Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory conducted nationwide among national, four-year colleges ranked Welch College above the national averages in all but 6 of 45 measures of student satisfaction, according to President Matt Pinson. Some 88% of Welch students report that the college met their expectations for a college experience, with 67% reporting that the college exceeded their expectations (compared to 84% and 53% respectively at national, four-year colleges).

Dr. Pinson said, “The areas where we received our highest marks in comparison to other private colleges happen to be the areas we emphasize that distinguish Welch from other colleges and universities. These traits make our campus attractive to students and parents who desire excellent academics combined with a deep, personalized investment in the spiritual and academic life of each individual student.”

Asked if they were likely to enroll again if they had it to do over, 87% of Welch students surveyed responded “Yes” (compared to 73% of students at other national, four-year colleges).

The 10 areas where Welch received the highest marks when compared to other colleges and universities that participated in the survey were as follows:

Provost Greg Ketteman said, “We are always eager to participate in nationwide surveys like the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory, because it gives us a chance to see how Welch College compares with other four-year private colleges. This summary of the recent survey confirms just what we thought about Welch—the vast majority of our students believe they are getting what they came here to find, and our denominational constituency can be assured that Welch College is a name they can trust with tomorrow and with their children.”

“We are very pleased with the outcome of the survey as well as the 24% increase in dorm student enrollment,” President Pinson said. “There is a renewed sense of excitement on the campus of Welch College, and we believe the high marks on this survey, as well as the major increase in dorm student enrollment, are a testament to this.”

Outlaw Shines in Loss

by jowens | Feb 17, 2014

Georgia Northwestern Tech     81

Welch College                          67

February 17, 2014.  Putting two halves together seem to be a pretty tough order this season for the Flames as they fell To Georgia Northwestern Tech on Monday by a score of 81-67.

Recently, Welch College has struggled in the first half of their games, and then played outstanding in the second half.  Monday was the reverse as the Flames put up 41 first half points, but could only score 26 in the second due to poor shooting.  In the first half, WC shot nearly 50% from the floor, but in final twenty minutes, it dropped down to 30%.

“We just couldn’t seem to find our range in the second half,” said Flames’ coach Nathan Willhite.  “It was disappointing.”

Carson Outlaw had another big game for the Flames, scoring 30 points on the night.  Lim Chol chipped in 14 and David Reeves added 10.