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TWU heads south
Gabby Labastida
An additional Trinity Western University campus is now up and running as of last month, with a smooth start to the new year for both the students and the new campus programs.
The facility, located in Bellingham, Wash., joins the Laurentian Leadership Centre as TWU’s two satellite campuses.
So far, the university has 22 students enrolled, which is not as many as hoped for. Despite the small size, Dr. Dan Sanford, Bellingham campus director and part-time professor for the past three years at TWU, is excited for the new opportunities this campus will offer older students wanting to finish their degree.
This new and smaller campus will serve students 23 years-old and older who cannot attend a day program, said Stanford, adding that there are “no opportunities for evening studies” in universities such as Western Washington University and small community colleges around the area.
TWU hopes this additional campus will “compliment a need in Washington state,” said Sanford. It will also work to bring “visibility and fundraising” to TWU.
Because this campus is new, only two Bachelor degrees are currently offered: one in Psychology and another in Social Sciences. There is also an opportunity to earn a certificate in Human Services. A B.A. in Leadership is in the works, yet Sanford said that they must first comply with the standards of the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board, who approves all degrees.
These programs are focused for mature students who were in their third or fourth year but were not able to complete their degree for various reasons, and now want to return to their area of study.
The campus uses a trimester calendar, and has no breaks except for Easter, Christmas and American Thanksgiving. The program is split into 7-week units, with only one course being taken at a time.
“It is an intense program [as there are] no summer vacations,” said Sanford.
This program is unique in that two-thirds of the learning is in a classroom, while one-third is online.
Aside from the obstacle of small enrolment, the other major issue facing the young program is financial lending for students, because “[the university is not yet] qualified for federal insured loans,” said Sanford. Students needing financial aid must borrow from private banks in order to fund their studies if they have financial needs.
There are issues being discussed to continue improving this campus. So far, Sanford said he would like to, “add at least more degree areas, [and] more choices for students.”
He also adds that this new campus is not meant to “compete with Western Washington or other community colleges but to complement them, offering different B.A. degrees” in order to access the need for a university degree completion that focuses on working adults.
Has the university made a decision as to whether or not these mature students will be expected to sign and stand by the Responsibilities of Membership?
The implications of deciding in either the positive or negative on this issue are certainly quite striking and I think it reveals the deeper issues related to the ROM. The standards themselves are written in such a way as to leave no room for “opting out”, even if you’re a night time student or an online student.
I’m not going to take a stand on this: I’d rather just open up a little peek at this side of the issue. Enjoy
Great question Norm. Definitely something to look into. As for now, I did ask Dr. Raymond in an interview in September if satellite campus students were required to stay within the university distinctives, and his definitive answer was:
“Absolutely. The essence of the university, must be maintained, although the form in which the education takes place may be different.”
Whether or not his “absolutely” includes the ROM, I can’t say Although I was in context implying the community standards when I said “university distinctives,” I can’t be assured he interpreted them as such.