Dear New OBU Students and Parents,
It's hard to believe move-in day has finally come! Congratulations to each of you on your decision to commit significant time, effort, and money to Oklahoma Baptist University. The OBU experience can be life-changing, and we're hopeful that it will be wonderful for you. We are a diverse coalition of students, alumni, and other OBU stakeholders whose own lives have been greatly enriched by OBU's tradition of distinctively Christian liberal arts education.
Some of you won't have heard of Save OBU before, so we'd like to introduce ourselves. In the past two years, two extremely dedicated and well-loved professors were forced to resign from OBU though they had done nothing wrong. Because they were not accorded rights guaranteed by the Faculty Handbook, their colleagues, students, and a host of OBU alumni and friends became concerned about the administration's unprecedented actions. Students' protests were largely ignored, and they remained very confused about what this turn of events meant for OBU. Faculty morale sunk to an all-time low and last fall, the president barely dodged a no-confidence vote in the Faculty Council. Concerned alumni circulated a petition. A group of retired faculty and staff (who had collectively committed many hundreds of years of service to OBU) demanded an explanation, but none was forthcoming.
Last December, the Save OBU blog emerged. We've reached tens of thousands of people with our concerns about OBU. Some things have improved. For example, the provost (chief academic officer) was finally forced to undergo a performance evaluation that included faculty input (which was no doubt scathing). Most departments have been allowed to fill faculty vacancies without undue administrative meddling, which had become a huge problem. And a lot of other things on campus are going well. OBU's athletic programs are stronger than ever. Enrollment continues to be strong. An ambitious capital campaign is underway.
But many concerns remain. Faculty morale continues to be low, and this will not change until there is change in the Provost's Office. While the president is trying to mend fences with the faculty, there is obviously a huge amount of distrust. The bookstore, though visually appealing, is inadequate for a university. It does not sell any books from mainstream publishers in the areas of history, literature, social science, natural science, etc. OBU administrators have spent unprecedented time and effort cozying up to elites within the Southern Baptist Convention, many of whom prefer indoctrination over education and have been extremely hostile toward Baptists who happen to be moderate rather than fundamentalist.
Though hugely unpopular in the executive suite, Save OBU will continue to cast a shadow over Bison Hill until our concerns are acknowledged and resolved. Many current students (as well as hundreds of alumni) are part of our coalition. But faculty are not. They could be fired for publicly supporting Save OBU.
We believe many of the problems are the natural result of broader changes in Baptist politics at the national and state levels over the past 30 years. But when it comes to OBU specifically, we believe Provost Stan Norman is primarily at fault and President David Whitlock is primarily responsible for the unethical dismissals and chipping away at academic freedom. Under their tenure, OBU has dropped from #109 to #390 in the Forbes college rankings. Whether your six-figure OBU tuition bill is being paid by cash or credit, you should be concerned about the downward trajectory that could devalue the degree you will earn. Other Baptist schools with extreme administrators are already flirting with loss of accreditation.
Fortunately, OBU still has wonderful and caring professors and a great student body. We want you to be aware of the problems detailed above. But above all -- today and every day -- we are so grateful that you are now a part of the OBU family.
-Save OBU
Showing posts with label Parents. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parents. Show all posts
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Saturday, May 12, 2012
OBU's 2012 Commencement: Beneath the Surface
Congratulations to the OBU Class of 2012! The Green Book lists 23 regulations pertaining to "College Citizenship," and I hope the graduates went out and broke 1 or 2 of them last night. God loves a joyful celebration!
I understand it was cloudy yesterday -- perhaps an apt metaphor for the storm clouds of conflict looming over the campus. I saw part of the ceremony, which was streamed on Shawnee Live and is also available "on demand" through OBU's website. It was hard to believe a decade has passed since I walked across that stage! But I was so happy and proud for all the students and their families. I have to credit last fall's alumni petition for providing the impetus to start Save OBU. And I credit Contributing Editor Veronica Pistone for helping make sure the movement survived its infancy. But the truth is, we wouldn't be this far without the hundreds of OBU students who have expressed interest in our movement, read our blog, and kept the issues salient on campus. I'm especially grateful to the several dozen students -- mostly seniors -- who actively helped out by providing information, context, and nuance on a number of fronts. We invite you to even more active participation in Save OBU now that you are alumni! And we trust that the torch of student leadership is passing to students who may not remember OBU under Brister or Parrish, but who nonetheless revere academic freedom, Baptist freedom, and OBU's great liberal arts heritage.
While it was entirely appropriate for the university to pull itself together to honor the 246 graduating seniors, there are a handful of relevant tidbits that curiously didn't make it into the official press release.
Speakers
Commencement Address/Honorary Degree
OBU conferred an honorary doctorate on the Rev. Dr. Tom Elliff, a former missionary, Oklahoma Baptist minister, and current president of the SBC's International Mission Board. Of course, no opportunity is wasted to remind everyone that OBU sends more missionaries to the IMB than any other college. And we will not waste an opportunity to a) courteously remind everyone that correlation does not imply causality and b) reiterate our view that Oklahoma's contribution to the mission field owes as much to Falls Creek as to OBU, and that as with all BGCO ministry and mission priorities, funding for Falls Creek suffers because of the BGGO's $2.5 million annual subsidy to OBU.
After hearing Dr. Elliff's rather innocuous homily, I almost felt bad for highlighting his role in the Fundamentalist Takeover (and aftermath) of the SBC. It's amazing how downright likable fundamentalists can be when they're not waging ideological warfare and destroying our treasured institutions. The bondservant/slave and kamikaze illustrations seemed a little strange at first, but do indeed point to important servant/surrender aspects of the Christian life. But given his open disdain for moderates in the SBC and the fact that OBU gave him an award less than a year ago, I continue to feel that honoring him in this way was insulting, particularly to faculty. Still, they politely applauded the man who likened moderates in Southern Baptist life to "barnacles and parasites" that he himself proudly "removed from the Ship of Zion."
Awards/Acknowledgments
Retiring Faculty
We certainly join OBU in commending the service of six very fine retirees. At least two of them have been courageously and openly opposed to some of the bad policy and personnel changes we've seen in recent years. One of the retirees, interviewed in The Bison last fall, said she doubts she would be hired by OBU today. What a tragedy. Still, we must thank these very fine folks for their service and leadership over the years. We wish them all the best as they begin exciting new chapters in their lives.
Faculty Awards
There is widespread suspicion among the faculty that politics played a role in the Promising Teacher Award this year. Many faculty had assumed the award would go to an effective and well-loved professor who just finished his sixth year -- his last year of eligibility for the award. Of course, being an Episcopalian may have been the kiss of death, given a certain administrator's recent obsession with church affiliation politics. OBU may be saying to young professors, "We may not be able to fire you or deny you tenure 'in a winsome way,' but don't think you're getting any extra awards unless you a down-the-line fundamentalist Baptist." Many were surprised that the promising teacher honor went to a relatively newer hire who is demonstrably more in line with the fundamentalist party line. As one insider explains:
Student Awards
Last year, when our own Veronica Pistone won the Outstanding Religion student award, the OBU website featured a nice writeup and a picture of Dean Mark McClellan giving her the award. We're told that Dean McClellan was not too happy that one of last year's most decorated graduates (a woman now studying for the ministry at a non-SBC seminary) has become a prominent figure in the growing opposition to the BGCO's mutually draining stranglehold on OBU. This year, another woman won the Outstanding Religion award. But Dean McClellan told the religion professors that "we need to be careful who we choose for this award because we don't want someone getting the award and then using it as platform against OBU." Thankfully, the faculty convinced the dean that their choice would not "turn" on OBU after she graduated and she won the award she so richly deserved. However, just to be safe, there is no photograph or press release this year. (EDIT: Yes, there is: here.)
Oh, and just for the record, perhaps Dean McClellan should consider that maybe his bosses in Thurman and friends in the Baptist Building are the ones who are using their positions as platforms against OBU. And maybe rather than thinking that some of these "gals" (his term for female religion and ministry students) turned on OBU, he might consider that it is OBU that has turned on women, particularly strong, bright women who reject the fundamentalist vision of "biblical womanhood."
We will continue to monitor the distribution of student and faculty awards in the months and years to come.
Music
Just a quick shout-out to the organist, whoever s/he was. "How Firm a Foundation" is a wonderfully appropriate graduation prelude and I enjoyed the rendition immensely, as well as the rest of the medley. Speaking of music, we wish the University Chorale a safe and successful tour this week! And in the coming weeks, we'll be blogging about changes in the College of Fine Arts under the new regime.
--
So there you have it. OBU may not be in the throes of a full-on faculty rebellion or a dramatic fundamentalist takeover (yet). But this week's celebrations definitely papered over a number of important conflicts that exist as a result of OBU's relationship with the BGCO. We'll continue to keep you informed of progress and changes.
Again, our very best wishes to the OBU Class of 2012! "May thy spirit guide thy sons, keep thy daughters true!"
I understand it was cloudy yesterday -- perhaps an apt metaphor for the storm clouds of conflict looming over the campus. I saw part of the ceremony, which was streamed on Shawnee Live and is also available "on demand" through OBU's website. It was hard to believe a decade has passed since I walked across that stage! But I was so happy and proud for all the students and their families. I have to credit last fall's alumni petition for providing the impetus to start Save OBU. And I credit Contributing Editor Veronica Pistone for helping make sure the movement survived its infancy. But the truth is, we wouldn't be this far without the hundreds of OBU students who have expressed interest in our movement, read our blog, and kept the issues salient on campus. I'm especially grateful to the several dozen students -- mostly seniors -- who actively helped out by providing information, context, and nuance on a number of fronts. We invite you to even more active participation in Save OBU now that you are alumni! And we trust that the torch of student leadership is passing to students who may not remember OBU under Brister or Parrish, but who nonetheless revere academic freedom, Baptist freedom, and OBU's great liberal arts heritage.
While it was entirely appropriate for the university to pull itself together to honor the 246 graduating seniors, there are a handful of relevant tidbits that curiously didn't make it into the official press release.
Speakers
Commencement Address/Honorary Degree
OBU conferred an honorary doctorate on the Rev. Dr. Tom Elliff, a former missionary, Oklahoma Baptist minister, and current president of the SBC's International Mission Board. Of course, no opportunity is wasted to remind everyone that OBU sends more missionaries to the IMB than any other college. And we will not waste an opportunity to a) courteously remind everyone that correlation does not imply causality and b) reiterate our view that Oklahoma's contribution to the mission field owes as much to Falls Creek as to OBU, and that as with all BGCO ministry and mission priorities, funding for Falls Creek suffers because of the BGGO's $2.5 million annual subsidy to OBU.
After hearing Dr. Elliff's rather innocuous homily, I almost felt bad for highlighting his role in the Fundamentalist Takeover (and aftermath) of the SBC. It's amazing how downright likable fundamentalists can be when they're not waging ideological warfare and destroying our treasured institutions. The bondservant/slave and kamikaze illustrations seemed a little strange at first, but do indeed point to important servant/surrender aspects of the Christian life. But given his open disdain for moderates in the SBC and the fact that OBU gave him an award less than a year ago, I continue to feel that honoring him in this way was insulting, particularly to faculty. Still, they politely applauded the man who likened moderates in Southern Baptist life to "barnacles and parasites" that he himself proudly "removed from the Ship of Zion."
Awards/Acknowledgments
Retiring Faculty
We certainly join OBU in commending the service of six very fine retirees. At least two of them have been courageously and openly opposed to some of the bad policy and personnel changes we've seen in recent years. One of the retirees, interviewed in The Bison last fall, said she doubts she would be hired by OBU today. What a tragedy. Still, we must thank these very fine folks for their service and leadership over the years. We wish them all the best as they begin exciting new chapters in their lives.
Faculty Awards
There is widespread suspicion among the faculty that politics played a role in the Promising Teacher Award this year. Many faculty had assumed the award would go to an effective and well-loved professor who just finished his sixth year -- his last year of eligibility for the award. Of course, being an Episcopalian may have been the kiss of death, given a certain administrator's recent obsession with church affiliation politics. OBU may be saying to young professors, "We may not be able to fire you or deny you tenure 'in a winsome way,' but don't think you're getting any extra awards unless you a down-the-line fundamentalist Baptist." Many were surprised that the promising teacher honor went to a relatively newer hire who is demonstrably more in line with the fundamentalist party line. As one insider explains:
It's clear that the administration chose him for the award to make a statement, especially in light of Veronica's Save OBU blog post.This awkward situation underscores the problems created when faculty search committee recommendations are ignored and when politics and ideology figure so prominently in OBU administrators' decisions about who to hire, honor, and reward. Many faculty suspect this move is administrators' way to try to justify their decision to overrule the faculty search committee, which unanimously preferred another candidate. Anyone want to take bets that the Christian apologetics professor wins the award next year?
Student Awards
Last year, when our own Veronica Pistone won the Outstanding Religion student award, the OBU website featured a nice writeup and a picture of Dean Mark McClellan giving her the award. We're told that Dean McClellan was not too happy that one of last year's most decorated graduates (a woman now studying for the ministry at a non-SBC seminary) has become a prominent figure in the growing opposition to the BGCO's mutually draining stranglehold on OBU. This year, another woman won the Outstanding Religion award. But Dean McClellan told the religion professors that "we need to be careful who we choose for this award because we don't want someone getting the award and then using it as platform against OBU." Thankfully, the faculty convinced the dean that their choice would not "turn" on OBU after she graduated and she won the award she so richly deserved. However, just to be safe, there is no photograph or press release this year. (EDIT: Yes, there is: here.)
Oh, and just for the record, perhaps Dean McClellan should consider that maybe his bosses in Thurman and friends in the Baptist Building are the ones who are using their positions as platforms against OBU. And maybe rather than thinking that some of these "gals" (his term for female religion and ministry students) turned on OBU, he might consider that it is OBU that has turned on women, particularly strong, bright women who reject the fundamentalist vision of "biblical womanhood."
We will continue to monitor the distribution of student and faculty awards in the months and years to come.
Music
Just a quick shout-out to the organist, whoever s/he was. "How Firm a Foundation" is a wonderfully appropriate graduation prelude and I enjoyed the rendition immensely, as well as the rest of the medley. Speaking of music, we wish the University Chorale a safe and successful tour this week! And in the coming weeks, we'll be blogging about changes in the College of Fine Arts under the new regime.
--
So there you have it. OBU may not be in the throes of a full-on faculty rebellion or a dramatic fundamentalist takeover (yet). But this week's celebrations definitely papered over a number of important conflicts that exist as a result of OBU's relationship with the BGCO. We'll continue to keep you informed of progress and changes.
Again, our very best wishes to the OBU Class of 2012! "May thy spirit guide thy sons, keep thy daughters true!"
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
OBU Students/Parents Weighing Transfer
If the OBU administration was serious about the widespread concern, sadness, and anger its personnel and policy changes have caused in the past two years, it would, at a minimum, acknowledge mistakes in the forced dismissal debacles and appoint a chief academic officer the university community could actually trust to do the right thing.
Continuing to ignore student, faculty, and alumni concerns will have increasing consequences. Consider this letter we received from an Oklahoma couple who graduated from OBU in the late '80s and whose child is a current underclassman at OBU:
Continuing to ignore student, faculty, and alumni concerns will have increasing consequences. Consider this letter we received from an Oklahoma couple who graduated from OBU in the late '80s and whose child is a current underclassman at OBU:
I am concerned about the route the university is taking, to a point where we will make a decision as to whether she will return next fall.
Our child has not been brought up in a conservative household and consequently holds rather liberal social values. My husband and I thought OBU is a good place for her because of the lack of a partying atmosphere. It was also very academic in nature, emphasizing the need to study and LEARN. We both felt we had a good, well-rounded liberal arts education, and assumed she would receive the same.
Her [subject area redacted] professor last semester had a decidedly socially conservative slant (which is fine) and led discussion accordingly (which is not). My daughter felt intimidated if she spoke up with a different opinion. She even felt her grade might be in jeopardy. When I learned about your blog and Facebook page, I asked her about it. She knew about it, but didn’t want to “like” the page for fear she would get in trouble (her words).
I grew up in [name of BGCO church redacted], and my mother still attends there. My mother is very concerned about her church’s direction now. It has caused her and some of her friends, who have been lifelong members, a great deal of disappointment and disillusionment.
How many of these kinds of stories will OBU administrators have to hear before they start paying attention? Or, should I say, how much revenue will they have to lose (knowing that the BGCO's subsidy accounts for an ever-decreasing proportion of OBU's annual operating budget)?
The concerned parent goes on to say that her mother's pastor, who is not a fundamentalist but who knows how to play nice with the Baptist Building boys, is under scrutiny from the BGCO for his church not sending many students to OBU. We know the BGCO has a ton of pastors who advise youth in their congregations against OBU because they think it's too liberal. But could it be the case that the BGCO also has pastors who can't in good conscience recommend OBU because it is becoming too fundamentalist?
Here at Save OBU, we struggled with how to advise prospective students. Many of our supporters categorically refuse to recommend OBU to young people in their spheres of influence. But as a community, we settled on a middle ground, providing relevant facts for prospective students in their families to consider while also highlighting the benefits of an OBU education.
As for prospective transfers, I can say (speaking only for myself) I hope this young woman and her parents can find enough confidence in OBU's direction to justify staying. But I certainly understand their concerns. And I fear that this situation will have to play out in many more students' lives before top leadership realizes they have a problem.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Student Saturday: Prospective Student Edition
Today was OBU's Winter Preview Day. In the spirit of that event, Save OBU is pleased to offer some information and perspectives for prospective students and their families to consider.
We have had a lot of internal discussions about how best to approach this topic. One the one hand, many of us are so angry about the recent disastrous changes at OBU that we are hesitant to recommend it to anyone. On the other hand, some of us fear that if we actively drive the best and brightest students away from OBU, the dumbing down will move from the bookstore into the classrooms, and OBU's transformation into a fundamentalist Bible academy will only accelerate.
After consulting with many Save OBU supporters and OBU stakeholders, I am releasing our open letter to prospective students and their families. While a full-scale boycott might be more dramatic and effective, there is enough disagreement in our ranks that we are instead going to provide some information and trust prospective students and their parents consider to it in their prayers, discussions, and deliberations about the once-in-a-lifetime, $100,000 investment they are considering.
We have had a lot of internal discussions about how best to approach this topic. One the one hand, many of us are so angry about the recent disastrous changes at OBU that we are hesitant to recommend it to anyone. On the other hand, some of us fear that if we actively drive the best and brightest students away from OBU, the dumbing down will move from the bookstore into the classrooms, and OBU's transformation into a fundamentalist Bible academy will only accelerate.
After consulting with many Save OBU supporters and OBU stakeholders, I am releasing our open letter to prospective students and their families. While a full-scale boycott might be more dramatic and effective, there is enough disagreement in our ranks that we are instead going to provide some information and trust prospective students and their parents consider to it in their prayers, discussions, and deliberations about the once-in-a-lifetime, $100,000 investment they are considering.
Dear Prospective OBU Students and Families,
As a diverse coalition of OBU students, staff, and alumni, we are grateful for your interest in Oklahoma Baptist University. We're biased, of course, but over the years we have found OBU to be a great place to work, study, and live. Our wellspring of affection for OBU is so deep, in fact, that we are grieving over recent changes -- some subtle, some dramatic -- that have deteriorated the quality and integrity of OBU's academic program.
This website lays our objections to some of the policy and personnel changes that are leading OBU away from its proud liberal arts tradition. We invite you to explore the site and email us with any questions you may have. Specifically, we are concerned about the following:
With the weight of all these problems heavy on our hearts, we can offer only a qualified endorsement of OBU to prospective students at this time. We wish this were not the case, as there are so many redeeming qualities about OBU, not least of which is a still-outstanding faculty compared to many peer institutions. Even as OBU boasts expanding graduate programs, strong enrollment and even a new football team, it is struggling to maintain a robust commitment to what has long been its bread-and-butter: a rigorous, balanced, and moderate Christian liberal arts education. OBU's reputation is suffering, too. In only two years, it has dropped from #109 to #299 in the Forbes college rankings. Other Baptist colleges that have been taken over by fundamentalists have experienced dramatic faculty morale problems and have even struggled to maintain accreditation. OBU is still a long way from mass firings or being stripped of accreditation, but the sad truth is that all these recent changes have hurt our reputation. Until we see a change in administrative leadership (at this point, we're seeking a change in direction more than a change in personnel), we believe OBU is on the wrong path.
Given the high cost of the investment you are considering, we feel an obligation to alert you to these issues. The most academically talented students seeking a distinctively Christian higher education should also consider Wheaton, Calvin, William Jewell, and Whitworth. Colleges operated by the Baptist General Convention of Texas are easy to get into (except Baylor) and have been generally free of the fundamentalist influences that have recently deteriorated OBU's academic program. Oklahoma City University is, of course, more urban. It is also not nearly as conservative.
Please continue to keep OBU under consideration. In spite of the problems noted above, Bison Hill remains a truly special place. Yes, it's true that it has a policy of forced chapel attendance and forbids men and women from socializing in each other's dormitories. It is a very authoritarian institution and prizes conformity. But you will find professors who genuinely care about your intellectual and spiritual growth. You will find a community that truly nurtures your development as a person. And, though Shawnee is a small city compared to some of your hometowns, you will be surprised how much fun you will have there with your new friends. Should you decide to pursue medical, law, divinity, or other graduate degrees, you will find that OBU prepares you well. Professors have a demonstrated commitment to individual students' success. Even though two great professors were forced out and treated shamefully, literally dozens of amazing professors remain at OBU.
We suspect that OBU's admissions office will not bring any of these issues to your attention. However, we do urge you to let the university know that you, too, are concerned about the issues raised here and that they weigh heavily on your decision. In addition to alumni, Save OBU counts many, many current students and OBU parents among its strongest supporters. Should you decide on OBU (and we hope you will), we are especially eager to welcome you into our movement.
Our Very Best Wishes,
Save OBU
As a diverse coalition of OBU students, staff, and alumni, we are grateful for your interest in Oklahoma Baptist University. We're biased, of course, but over the years we have found OBU to be a great place to work, study, and live. Our wellspring of affection for OBU is so deep, in fact, that we are grieving over recent changes -- some subtle, some dramatic -- that have deteriorated the quality and integrity of OBU's academic program.
This website lays our objections to some of the policy and personnel changes that are leading OBU away from its proud liberal arts tradition. We invite you to explore the site and email us with any questions you may have. Specifically, we are concerned about the following:
- Dismissing well-loved and highly effective faculty members without just cause, but rather for ideological reasons
- Remaking the faculty by replacing aging moderates almost exclusively with younger conservatives and fundamentalists who adhere to the ever-more extreme Southern Baptist party line
- Disregarding faculty norms, ignoring faculty search committee recommendations, and creating an unsustainably contentious and hostile dynamic between faculty and administrators
- Gutting curriculum areas like philosophy, a core discipline in the liberal arts which is being replaced by "Christian apologetics," a Sunday school-like field that spoon-feeds answers rather than engages tough questions
- Censoring academic materials by contracting with a fundamentalist bookstore, thus denying the OBU community access to mainstream boks in the natural and social sciences, history, literature, the arts, philosophy, and non-fundamentalist theology
With the weight of all these problems heavy on our hearts, we can offer only a qualified endorsement of OBU to prospective students at this time. We wish this were not the case, as there are so many redeeming qualities about OBU, not least of which is a still-outstanding faculty compared to many peer institutions. Even as OBU boasts expanding graduate programs, strong enrollment and even a new football team, it is struggling to maintain a robust commitment to what has long been its bread-and-butter: a rigorous, balanced, and moderate Christian liberal arts education. OBU's reputation is suffering, too. In only two years, it has dropped from #109 to #299 in the Forbes college rankings. Other Baptist colleges that have been taken over by fundamentalists have experienced dramatic faculty morale problems and have even struggled to maintain accreditation. OBU is still a long way from mass firings or being stripped of accreditation, but the sad truth is that all these recent changes have hurt our reputation. Until we see a change in administrative leadership (at this point, we're seeking a change in direction more than a change in personnel), we believe OBU is on the wrong path.
Given the high cost of the investment you are considering, we feel an obligation to alert you to these issues. The most academically talented students seeking a distinctively Christian higher education should also consider Wheaton, Calvin, William Jewell, and Whitworth. Colleges operated by the Baptist General Convention of Texas are easy to get into (except Baylor) and have been generally free of the fundamentalist influences that have recently deteriorated OBU's academic program. Oklahoma City University is, of course, more urban. It is also not nearly as conservative.
Please continue to keep OBU under consideration. In spite of the problems noted above, Bison Hill remains a truly special place. Yes, it's true that it has a policy of forced chapel attendance and forbids men and women from socializing in each other's dormitories. It is a very authoritarian institution and prizes conformity. But you will find professors who genuinely care about your intellectual and spiritual growth. You will find a community that truly nurtures your development as a person. And, though Shawnee is a small city compared to some of your hometowns, you will be surprised how much fun you will have there with your new friends. Should you decide to pursue medical, law, divinity, or other graduate degrees, you will find that OBU prepares you well. Professors have a demonstrated commitment to individual students' success. Even though two great professors were forced out and treated shamefully, literally dozens of amazing professors remain at OBU.
We suspect that OBU's admissions office will not bring any of these issues to your attention. However, we do urge you to let the university know that you, too, are concerned about the issues raised here and that they weigh heavily on your decision. In addition to alumni, Save OBU counts many, many current students and OBU parents among its strongest supporters. Should you decide on OBU (and we hope you will), we are especially eager to welcome you into our movement.
Our Very Best Wishes,
Save OBU
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Getting OBU Parents Involved
One of our goals is to build a diverse, broad coalition united in support of OBU's liberal arts tradition. We know there is unprecedented discontent among students, faculty (current and retired), and alumni. But we often forget about some of OBU's most important stakeholders: parents. These men and women are ten times more important to OBU's revenue stream than the BGCO, and oftentimes, we do not even inform them about what is going on.
If you are a current student, talk to your parents about what is going on at OBU! Email them a link to this page. Get them involved in the conversation. Our success depends in large part on their support!
We have added a section for parents to the navigation bar at right. For your convenience, our open letter to OBU parents is printed here.
Dear Parents of OBU Students,
Welcome to the Save OBU blog! On behalf of the many supporters who have long histories of deep affection for OBU, we are grateful to you for investing in Oklahoma Baptist University. Though OBU is owned and operated by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (which funds about 6% of OBU's operating budget), parents and lenders provide the overwhelming majority of OBU's revenue. You are a significant stakeholder in OBU!
As you probably know (especially if your son or daughter is an upperclassman), discontent among students, faculty, and alumni is at an all-time high. Last spring, you may have heard about a student-produced newsletter called "The Norm." You may also have heard about an alumni petition that circulated last fall and generated hundreds of signatures. Perhaps your student has discussed these issues with you. But unless you are unusually engaged in campus life, we suspect you may be wondering about what all the fuss is about.
Save OBU has an informational function in addition to an activist one. The university, understandably, does not publicize the rather substantial discontent to prospective students and their families. We want to provide some relevant facts and data that give evidence for our primary contention: that OBU's identity as a leading liberal arts college is perilously in danger. In our view, the trouble has been brewing for nearly a generation, but has accelerated dramatically in just the past two or three years.
Some History
In the 1960s, after longtime President John Wesley Raley built OBU into an esteemed institution, the university established a proud tradition of offering a balanced, moderate Christian liberal arts education. Presidents James Ralph Scales (who went on to the presidency of Wake Fores University) and Grady C. Cothen championed academic freedom, open inquiry, and Baptist values like the liberty of the conscience. Even as fundamentalists at the national level planned and executed a takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention's boards and agencies in the 1980s, OBU remained a proud, moderate institution.
But the glory days would be short lived. By the early 1990s, fundamentalists had taken over the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. As an example of the extremism and paranoia, the BGCO formally censured a former executive director who had served the convention for more than two decades. His infraction? "Consorting with moderates." With the election of Mark Brister to the OBU presidency in 1998, the BGCO's dream of remaking OBU in its own fundamentalist image seemed close to fruition. Several moderate faculty were nudged into early retirement. Student journalism was censored. But President Brister ultimately came into his own as a leader who stood up for students and faculty, and not the puppet president the Baptist Building in Oklahoma City had hoped for.
Some Current Events
Today, the BGCO's negative influence on Bison Hill is everywhere apparent. Two professors have been unjustly dismissed in violation of Faculty Handbook policies and basic H.R. ethics simply because of their relatively more moderate views. Philosophy, one of the core disciplines in the liberal arts, is being replaced by courses in "Christian apologetics" and "Christian worldview" -- classes you are more likely to find at unaccredited fundamentalist Bible academies than reputable liberal arts universities. Even the OBU bookstore, which Barnes & Noble capably managed for years, is now run by a fundamentalist company that stocks 99 cent Christian romances, but refuses to carry mainstream works in the social and natural sciences, history, literature, philosophy, and theology.
As you are aware, OBU prides itself on being well-rated by national magazines that publish annual college rankings. While OBU is expensive, it does its best with financial aid and is a very good value compared to peer institutions. But OBU does not tell you that in the past two years, it has fallen from #109 (2009) to #299 (2011) in the Forbes college rankings. The unfortunate personnel, curriculum, and bookstore policies are already having an effect. Increasingly, faculty openings will be filled by fundamentalists who lack the impressive faculty credentials that characterized OBU for decades. The best and brightest students and professors have many options in Christian higher education. They will not settle for the fundamentalist Bible academy OBU seems to be devolving into. At some point, OBU's accreditation may even be at risk. As OBU's academic reputation continues to suffer, your child's OBU degree will not have the same value on resumes and graduate school applications that it did even a decade ago. Of course, student loans have to be repaid regardless. As you can see, it's a dire situation.
Connecting the Dots
As Southern Baptist elites and bureaucrats have become radically more conservative in the past 30 years, they are desperately clinging to the power they hold over Baptist institutions. OBU is being pulled from its moderate moorings and will fall into fundamentalist control unless it gains independence from the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Many Baptist schools have already parted ways with their increasingly fundamentalist state conventions (Baylor, Wake Forest, Furman, Mercer, and Stetson, to name just a few). Unsurprisingly, in every case both the school and the convention are much better off. The schools are freed from fundamentalist control and can continue to provide liberal arts education in the best spirit of the Baptist tradition. The state conventions are freed from burdensome financial obligations and can invest more effectively in their core ministries and missions.
Without BGCO control, OBU administrators would not have had to fire professors, gut curriculum areas, or dumb down the bookstore. And without having to spend 17% of its budget on OBU, the BGCO could invest significantly in other collegiate ministries, missions, and evangelism. At some point in the past, it probably made sense for the BGCO to operate a university. But as the convention has changed so radically, the partnership no longer makes sense. BGCO control is having a deleterious effect on OBU's quality, and it needs to end.
We invite you to explore our website, join our movement, and even like us on Facebookor follow us on Twitter if you wish! Let OBU know of your concern, and, if you are anOklahoma Baptist, start a conversation in your church about why OBU and the BGCO would each be better off without one another. Spread the word to your friends and any OBU alumni you know. And, as always, feel free to contact us any time (SaveOBU@gmail.com).
Thank you for your consideration. The fundamentalists are counting on your silence and inaction as they remake OBU in their own image. We cannot let that happen. Please make your voice heard.
If you are a current student, talk to your parents about what is going on at OBU! Email them a link to this page. Get them involved in the conversation. Our success depends in large part on their support!
We have added a section for parents to the navigation bar at right. For your convenience, our open letter to OBU parents is printed here.
Dear Parents of OBU Students,
Welcome to the Save OBU blog! On behalf of the many supporters who have long histories of deep affection for OBU, we are grateful to you for investing in Oklahoma Baptist University. Though OBU is owned and operated by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (which funds about 6% of OBU's operating budget), parents and lenders provide the overwhelming majority of OBU's revenue. You are a significant stakeholder in OBU!
As you probably know (especially if your son or daughter is an upperclassman), discontent among students, faculty, and alumni is at an all-time high. Last spring, you may have heard about a student-produced newsletter called "The Norm." You may also have heard about an alumni petition that circulated last fall and generated hundreds of signatures. Perhaps your student has discussed these issues with you. But unless you are unusually engaged in campus life, we suspect you may be wondering about what all the fuss is about.
Save OBU has an informational function in addition to an activist one. The university, understandably, does not publicize the rather substantial discontent to prospective students and their families. We want to provide some relevant facts and data that give evidence for our primary contention: that OBU's identity as a leading liberal arts college is perilously in danger. In our view, the trouble has been brewing for nearly a generation, but has accelerated dramatically in just the past two or three years.
Some History
In the 1960s, after longtime President John Wesley Raley built OBU into an esteemed institution, the university established a proud tradition of offering a balanced, moderate Christian liberal arts education. Presidents James Ralph Scales (who went on to the presidency of Wake Fores University) and Grady C. Cothen championed academic freedom, open inquiry, and Baptist values like the liberty of the conscience. Even as fundamentalists at the national level planned and executed a takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention's boards and agencies in the 1980s, OBU remained a proud, moderate institution.
But the glory days would be short lived. By the early 1990s, fundamentalists had taken over the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. As an example of the extremism and paranoia, the BGCO formally censured a former executive director who had served the convention for more than two decades. His infraction? "Consorting with moderates." With the election of Mark Brister to the OBU presidency in 1998, the BGCO's dream of remaking OBU in its own fundamentalist image seemed close to fruition. Several moderate faculty were nudged into early retirement. Student journalism was censored. But President Brister ultimately came into his own as a leader who stood up for students and faculty, and not the puppet president the Baptist Building in Oklahoma City had hoped for.
Some Current Events
Today, the BGCO's negative influence on Bison Hill is everywhere apparent. Two professors have been unjustly dismissed in violation of Faculty Handbook policies and basic H.R. ethics simply because of their relatively more moderate views. Philosophy, one of the core disciplines in the liberal arts, is being replaced by courses in "Christian apologetics" and "Christian worldview" -- classes you are more likely to find at unaccredited fundamentalist Bible academies than reputable liberal arts universities. Even the OBU bookstore, which Barnes & Noble capably managed for years, is now run by a fundamentalist company that stocks 99 cent Christian romances, but refuses to carry mainstream works in the social and natural sciences, history, literature, philosophy, and theology.
As you are aware, OBU prides itself on being well-rated by national magazines that publish annual college rankings. While OBU is expensive, it does its best with financial aid and is a very good value compared to peer institutions. But OBU does not tell you that in the past two years, it has fallen from #109 (2009) to #299 (2011) in the Forbes college rankings. The unfortunate personnel, curriculum, and bookstore policies are already having an effect. Increasingly, faculty openings will be filled by fundamentalists who lack the impressive faculty credentials that characterized OBU for decades. The best and brightest students and professors have many options in Christian higher education. They will not settle for the fundamentalist Bible academy OBU seems to be devolving into. At some point, OBU's accreditation may even be at risk. As OBU's academic reputation continues to suffer, your child's OBU degree will not have the same value on resumes and graduate school applications that it did even a decade ago. Of course, student loans have to be repaid regardless. As you can see, it's a dire situation.
Connecting the Dots
As Southern Baptist elites and bureaucrats have become radically more conservative in the past 30 years, they are desperately clinging to the power they hold over Baptist institutions. OBU is being pulled from its moderate moorings and will fall into fundamentalist control unless it gains independence from the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Many Baptist schools have already parted ways with their increasingly fundamentalist state conventions (Baylor, Wake Forest, Furman, Mercer, and Stetson, to name just a few). Unsurprisingly, in every case both the school and the convention are much better off. The schools are freed from fundamentalist control and can continue to provide liberal arts education in the best spirit of the Baptist tradition. The state conventions are freed from burdensome financial obligations and can invest more effectively in their core ministries and missions.
Without BGCO control, OBU administrators would not have had to fire professors, gut curriculum areas, or dumb down the bookstore. And without having to spend 17% of its budget on OBU, the BGCO could invest significantly in other collegiate ministries, missions, and evangelism. At some point in the past, it probably made sense for the BGCO to operate a university. But as the convention has changed so radically, the partnership no longer makes sense. BGCO control is having a deleterious effect on OBU's quality, and it needs to end.
We invite you to explore our website, join our movement, and even like us on Facebookor follow us on Twitter if you wish! Let OBU know of your concern, and, if you are anOklahoma Baptist, start a conversation in your church about why OBU and the BGCO would each be better off without one another. Spread the word to your friends and any OBU alumni you know. And, as always, feel free to contact us any time (SaveOBU@gmail.com).
Thank you for your consideration. The fundamentalists are counting on your silence and inaction as they remake OBU in their own image. We cannot let that happen. Please make your voice heard.
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