met by Jeremy Hodson (Development and Alumni)….who graciously let me sleep at the Crowne Plaza from 8am until 11am! Didn’t really think I would but I guess it was still only 4am in Jakarta, so it was just getting to bed a little late! Jeremy took me to Southern Cross….the campus is nice…an old RAF base they have turned to great use….in many ways a ready-made campus. Many of the facilities are leased to other entities including the Bob Hughes Christian School and a Business College as well as apartments leased to local residents…some students and staff and even a few outsiders. 
Jeremy and I had a good talk about how fund-raising works…he’s energized by his work…and is focusing on 1:1 “friend-raising” instead of dinners/lunches as before.Met with Steve Fogarty (Pres), Jeremy Hodson (Development), Shane Clifton (AVP), Steve Carter (American Prof.), Greg Cortese (CFO), Jacqueline Grey (O.T. Prof.)….great conversation.
Steve had prepared a wonderful 3 page paper laying out ideas and analysis for me. Thanks Steve…the first someone has done that work for me in all my travels! They gave me several gifts….including a REAL BOOMERANG….not the kind meant to hand on a wall they said…, a wonderful picture book of amazing Australia, and texts written by several of their own. They are proud of their staff. Jacqueline’s book “Them, Us, and Me” on New Testament, David Parker’s, “Learning New Testament Greek Now and Then,” a book on the history of SC (“Miracles”), and a recent issue of the Australasian Pentecostal Studies edited by AVP Shane.Southern Cross is accredited with the government as an institution….for 20 years at the subdegree (AA) level, and since ’96 for their undergrad degree in theology/ministry. Last year got it for their B.C.M. a degree in contemporary ministry. They are working on department accreditation in teaching, hope to get it eventually in Business, and to try again in Creative Arts. They feel the government process unfairly compares them to state schools with much greater resources…eg. In art studios etc.
They see themselves as moving from being a Bible School to a liberal arts model…just as many US schools made this transition over the past 20 years and more. There are no real models of liberal arts in Australia for them to follow, or for them to hold up to the government as a benchmark. There ARE 6 other “evangelical schools” in Australia…and perhaps 2 accredited Catholic schools…one with affiliation with Notre Dame in the US. Their two major advantages are their excellent property and their network with churches in the Pentecostal tradition. They have moved their campus 5 times in just a few decades but feel they are better situated now than ever. They enroll about 2000 students this year. About 1000 are in a lower level (Certificate 4) (AA?) and operates largely in churches using DVD lectures with local facilitators. It gives “credit” but only transfers to BA programs at a 50% (2:1) rate. It is considered part of the “vocational” higher ed category with the government. They have another 300 students in their Partner College program, an 700 in the full higher education programs including both undergrads and master’s programs on this campus and in their site in Brisbane. They have about 80 in residence on the campus…..Australian students don’t follow the US model of “going away” to school but prefer to do it close to home. Eg. Classes are held at the Spring Hill church (80-100 in attendance) only 35 minutes away even tho their main campus is underutilized, because students will prefer not to make that trip. They value a “flexible delivery system” even for these 700 students, combining online courses developed by their own staff with and face-to-face intensives and regular instruction. I asked how this delivery fit their explicit desire to model the US liberal arts model. They do embrace the idea of a “broader” education than the usual vocational model but don’t want/expect to become largely residential given the Australian preference for education close to home or online.
Among the biggest “drags” on their progress is the need for resources for capital and program development. Building improvement to appeal to students and program startup funds are both needed. They also wrestle with government relations. The government assigns “slots” which are tied to the student’s ability to borrow with government loans, and these cannot be transferred to other institutions. (This also explains their intention/hope to acquire a campus in New Zealand where acquiring the college would give them slots allocated there by the NZ government permitting growth.)
Among the ideas that were most appealing to them: 1. Closer relationship with a larger US institution that might help them “jump start” added programs that will appeal to students and accelerate their enrollment growth. 2. Informal CCCU “accreditation” via informal formative/evaluative academic and administrative audits. Tho it initially seemed to me this process might not be helpful to them, they said they thought it would. We discussed how this could be done without creating a complex set of criteria. It could involve a US team of those who have done accreditation who ask for a simple (eg 25 page) self-study on several areas…eg. Academic programs, facilities, recruitment, fund raising, governance. Then a visit, a team report. The school would cover costs and probably small stipends. The resulting report would help the school benchmark against US “perspectives” (vs. “standards”) and if it also became a condition for a new CCCU status (“Associate?”) it might help them in establishing credibility in their pursuit of added government accreditation. 3. Web sites listing retirees, sabbaticants, including THEIR people seeking these opportunities in the US.
After a great lunch….asian!....I met with Shane and group of faculty/staff: Norell Nelton (O.T. & distance education), Josh Denton (Tutor in biblical languages), David Parker (22 year veteran in N.T….who would LOVE to attend one day an SBL meeting!), and Lily Arasaratnam (Head of the Leadership program). A great talk here too.. including their ideas about some new ways of promoting partnerships! 1. Video broadcast/webcast of Atlanta Forum workshops! (We REALLY should try to do this!), perhaps a presentation originating from overseas!, 2. SWAT teams for workshops in many areas…including disciplinary areas. 3. Shared full-text resources, 4. Shared online course slots esp at the upper division level, 5. Web listings of US opportunities for staff as well as faculty, 6. Workshops in pedagogy and assessment (Norell), 7. DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC FACEBOOK GROUPS….which can gain momentum of people like Bob Gundry, Nick Wolterstorff, Dallas Willard would lend their reputation by joining it….even if they don’t check in often. 8. A Centralize listing of publications from CCCU members and affiliates. (Books and journals like theirs.)
Finally I met with Jackie Grey and 4 students…Andrew, Analise, Gudrun, and Rebecca, all of them first year students in the Masters of Theology. They’d like listings of US courses and not just full-programs available for visitors, publications from CCCU members, case studies on integration, and networks of CCCU people around the world.
From Steve’s written suggestions to me, he affirms a number of those listed elsewhere in my blog….and adds: 1. Networking of Asian-Pacific, Latin, and African CCCU members regionally. 2. Appoint regional representatives to feedback info to the CCCU in the US. 3. Low-entry cost electronic resources for overseas members. 4. Funded fellowships for overseas scholars to study in the US. 5. Adopt a new membership category for overseas institutions. (His ideas were more developed than this….so apologies to Steve for such a rough caricature!)
Greg Cortese…my fellow “paisan” from Italy drove me in his Z3 convertible (Yes!)
to the Criniti’s Southern Italian Cuisine restaurant….YES!! 
Looked like the hottest spot in town! They were lined up to get in as we left. Had some fun on the street. Greg’s favorite hot kalamata olives were great….he out ate me…..35 to 28…give or take a few! The veal limone was great…..Kit’s not surprised right?....Steve’s “small size” Frank Sinatra (or was it named Pavarotti?)….clams etc….was huge! Steve’s wife Sandra joined us…as well as Mark. I’d met Sandra with Steve in D.C. for the President’s Forum a month ago….so I felt “at home.” I guess because the fall weather was fabulous, the language is no barrier, and the culture is southern California casual…I felt very much at home. Enjoyed the fellowship. Thanks to you all for a great day and yet another evidence that the Lord has many dedicated people engaged in this crucial Kingdom work!
No comments:
Post a Comment