Shared governance at a newly accredited institution By Matt Forster
denominational representatives, on the
one hand, and members solicited by the administration, on the other. After Dr. Rigdon became president in 1996, however, the board was restructured as a self-perpetuating board of 29 members. In the past, board meetings were poorly attended, often with less than half the members making it to meetings. The new board, on the other hand, has a better attendance record and is more active in forming, rather than just approving, policies. President V. Bruce Rigdon has Shared governance may be easier at a led Ecumenical Theological
E arlier this year, the Ecumenical
Theological Seminary in Detroit received full accreditation from the Association of Theological Schools. Accreditation means that for the first time since the seminary was small school. The mission statement, for example, was jointly written by the board, administration and faculty. Student members sit in on board meetings as well, though without voting rights, and adjunct faculty are welcome to Seminary to full accreditation by the Association of Theological Schools. In 2002, the Presbytery of Detroit voted to give ETS the building, land and endowments participate in regular faculty meetings. (A of the First Presbyterian Church founded in 1980 (as the Ecumenical Theological (left), which the seminary had Center), students can complete all the separate faculty tenure committee makes leased for 10 years. requirements for a master of divinity degree in recommendations to the president and academic Detroit. Until now, M.Div. students had to finish dean, which are approved by the board in a their degrees at one of the seminary’s closed session.) cooperating institutions — Colgate Rochester Sister Anneliese Sinnott, a member of the Crozer Divinity School, Garrett-Evangelical Adrian Dominican religious congregation and Theological Seminary, McCormick Theological ETS’s academic dean, says the faculty is pleased Seminary, Methodist Theological School in Ohio, with the role they play at the school. Their Seabury-Western Theological Seminary or Trinity involvement is a considerable asset to the Lutheran Seminary. institution. Even though few professors have The new recognition also means that the offices on campus, students feel the faculty is school is required to follow ATS guidelines on accessible. “That was one area that the school governance. The Rev. V. Bruce Rigdon, a observers commented on,” she says. “Everyone Presbyterian who is president of the seminary, involved with the school has a strong sense of says that when the school began considering ownership.” candidacy in the late ’90s, they found that their Dr. Rigdon is already seeing the benefits of decision-making structure was already in line accreditation. Not only is enrollment increasing, Matt Forster, a graduate of with ATS standards. The board, administration Gordon-Conwell Theological but ATS has set some goals for the school that Seminary, is a freelance writer and faculty had well-defined roles and will make the institution stronger in the future. who lives in Goodrich, collaborated in directing the school. For example, the school has been asked to Michigan. If there was a single group that needed to be improve assessment so that it can better strengthened, it was the board. The original determine whether programs and policies are PHOTOS COURTESY ECUMENICAL structure of the board had been two-tiered, with meeting their intended goals. IT ■ ■ THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY