SWNID has received word from reliable--though not official--sources that Puget Sound Christian College will not reopen after the 2007 spring semester.
PSCC's faculty and staff have worked hard to keep the institution afloat, often foregoing paychecks. But the economic difficulties of running a Bible college in the Seattle area seem to have caught up with the institution.
A few years ago we delivered a series of lectures to the PSCC students and faculty. We enjoyed our time there tremendously. And under these sad circumstances, we will now especially treasure our PSCC "Anchors" tee-shirt that we were given as a memento.
8 comments:
A few years ago I took a class from a PSCC professor who insisted on belittling the education and environment at CCU. He once asked the class what typology was, but had already alienated himself so severely that no one would answer him.
He then took the liberty of assuming that the education in the bibs studies department here was just that poor. He began to repeat himself, "Geez, don't you all have an Interp. class here?" There was much groaning and smacking of the forehead on the part of the students.
Unfortunatley this individual was the only impression I ever had of PSCC, but I do maintain confidence that good things were done through its brief ministry (Certainly this was the case if Magnus SWNID visited there!). I wish, however, that the closure had come to one of the eight Restoration colleges in the Midwest.
What I'm trying to get at here is the most problematic, in my mind, symptom of the disorganization of our movement. We fund nine minor but functional colleges in the East/Midwest but the only school (at least that I know of) on the West coast folds. There certainly must be a better way of doing this! But then again, who would be the first to close their beloved door for the sake of the oh-so-forgotten principle of our founding. Oh what was that again?... That's right, unity!
The question is, in a situation like the current one, cui bono? One University hoardes some of the top scholars in their fields but can't pay them while another enjoys a massive endowment which they will not share with the other boys and girls. It's clear that each of these institutions have unique strengths which, if combined, could go a long way in making one fantastic university for our movement as is the case with other denominations.
However, I resign myself to a world where the only school on the West coast closes while next year another school will probably start in Indianapolis (who am I kidding, it's probably already happened).
I have to agree with Bryan D. Our 4 huge RM colleges bring in millions every year, some with enough money left over to start new building projects, and we turn a deaf ear to those colleges that are struggling to stay afloat.
You can't throw a rock in Indiana and fail to hit a Christian church. How many more church plants are starting in the Indy area? Tons. Same is true of Bible colleges.
The West has Hope International University (So. Cal.), which has around 1000 students, and William Jessup University (No. Cal.), which has been growing quite quickly to around 500. Then there's Boise B.C., not exactly West Coast, but part of the NW area, which runs around 300 students or so.
I know of no "demoninational" higher ed. structure that doesn't have inequities and over- or under-concentrations in particular regions. Organization seems to produce chaos at about the same rate that disorganization does.
There is nothing inefficient about having multiple Bible Colleges in the mid-west. Most of the churches are in the Mid-west and they rely on a steady supply of new ministers.
Plus, some people don't want to travel 8 hours to go to bible college. Some like to be closer to their home, their home church, or their weekend ministry.
We should celebrate the richness of each of our bible colleges. There is no disunity. Should every RM church in a metropolitan area merge serve the interests of unity? Could anything be more absurd? Churches serve commmunities. Bible colleges serve regional communities.
Puget Sound closing is a tragedy. The rumor is that a new president came along a few years ago, not unlike a new Pharoah arising in Egypt. He apparently scared away some of the best professors and some of the best donors.
Don't blame anyone else but PSCC for their gross financial mismanagement. I helped clean out the facility in Edmonds, and we were free to take whatever we found "left over". Large TV's and VCR decks. I even made a joke at the time: "no wonder this college is in trouble". For my levity, I got a very cold stare.
But never mind that - let's talk about the shady land deal that was Evergreen Christian Church. That smoke filled back-room deal makes politicians look like saints. The real problem with PSCC is the complete lack of fiscal accountability. Period. Don't blame anyone outside of the administration and the PSCC board. It is a BLESSING that more money was NOT wasted on the financial smoking hole in the ground that is/was PSCC. One of the great aspects of living in the US is that we let failures fun their course and die.
Rejoice that resources are no longer wasted on an administration and board that showed only defensiveness and arrogance when called to account.
Since VCRs cost less than many books, and conventional TVs are not much more than that either, I wouldn't conclude that their presence on campus meant anything about mismanagement.
I concur with Anonymous who stated that 'mismanagement' was PSCB's downfall.
Gross mismanagement by an inept, unaccredited Bible College, that was a horrendous waste of young student's time and financial resources.
Good riddance!
How sad. I am a graduate of PSCC and am very thankful for the education I received. There were some very godly men teaching there. Two that come to mind are Owens and McElroy. I don't consider my time there a "horrendous waste of time."
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