By's Musings

God

By Leave a Comment

Greeting on New Year’s Day 2021

How do I start BY’s MUSINGS on a high note in the year 2021? This image is courtesy of Presenter Media.

I woke up the day after Christmas thinking about the rapidly approaching new year. At the top of my “WANT TO DO LIST” was a New Year’s Post for By’s Musings. Do I reflect on the year 2020? My first instinct was to say, “No! It was a year many people would rather forget.”

Does that suggest that I should write about the coming 2021 year? If I were to do that, should I concentrate on my personal goals and desires or general world events?  If I look outside my personnel realm of concerns, should I focus on only the positives or negatives? What if I throw caution to the wind and go for broke? I could cover the waterfront and deal with both the good and bad? 

Will the current corona vaccines work? Will enough people get the shots? This image is courtesy of Presenter Media.

Will 2021 bring a return to “normalcy?” At some point, will working vaccines triumph over the virus? Will we achieve some semblance of herd immunity? Will we be able to socialize again? Will we be able to worship in large group settings? Will we have face-to-face learning? Will we be able to go to restaurants and enjoy a great meal prepared and served by other people? Will we be able to participate as spectators or rival combatants in sporting events? Will we be able to have in-office doctors’ appointments? Will we be able to go shopping again in stores and touch items? 

How long into 2021 will our TV newscasts look like this? This image is courtesy of Presenter Media.

Or will 2021 be a rerun of 2020?  Will the Covid virus dominate the news for another year? Will infection, hospitalization, and death counts continue to rise exponentially? Will families and other social structures disintegrate even more in the face of forced separations and tragedies? Will we be dealing with political wrangling for another year? Will small and large businesses continue to fail? Will unemployment numbers and woes persist? Will wages stagnate while prices rise? Will students continue to struggle and fall further behind, creating a lingering educational catastrophe? Will human shortcomings and faults overshadow the good and heroic acts of individuals?

Once I get on the trail of an idea, I have trouble letting go of it. The ideas keep flowing. This image is courtesy of Presenter Media.

After careful consideration and three days of writing, I have decided to attempt to do all of the above and more. Of course, that will require multiple posts.

Surprise! [NOT REALLY!] When I start writing, the ideas never stop. One editor with whom I have worked has accused me of having the Russian novel syndrome.

Before my traumatic brain incidents of 2009, I was hardly ever at a loss for words. I had trouble saying “Hello” in less than 100 words. When the dual cranial explosions and multiple seizures of 2009 introduced aphasia into my life and vocabulary, words became a two-edged sword.

I’m not an artist. This image is courtesy of Presenter Media.

I am still contemplating ideas all the time. However, these ideas now flood my head with visual images. Since I’m not an artist, I can’t draw or paint pictures to describe my thinking. I have excelled at certain painting tasks, like houses, barns, room walls, and cars. The only detailed painting I have attempted is woodwork. I can do this because I can set up a tape barrier to keep me within the lines. I have even had to give up doing this because of increased tremors in my dominant right hand. I can’t paint any houses or barns because my doctors have ordered me to stay off ladders. 

However, to communicate with others, I must revert to words. Finding the right words to use to describe the pictures I see is a huge struggle. I know the words are still in my head. I can’t find them. I must dig through the rubble and sift through piles of debris.

What happens if I incorporate this idea into this story? If it doesn’t fit, can’t I include it in an additional post? This image is courtesy of Presenter Media.

If I am going to write several more New Year’s posts, humanly speaking, it is only sensible to design a plan. The trouble with that approach is that I have too many ideas to stuff into the tiny container of three or four blog posts, and the plan keeps changing. 

God’s timing is perfect. At the appropriate moment, He appeared to Abram with one command. In Genesis 12:1, we read,

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. (NLT)

This command is both precise and deliberately vague. The specificity focused on what Abram was to leave behind. He was to move away from his familiar home and his relatives, especially his father’s family. The vagueness centered on his destination. He was to go to a place which the Lord would show him.

I believe that God is telling me to “Go ahead and write.” It is not yet clear what I will be writing, but I will be writing during January and perhaps beyond. I claim the promise that God gave to Isaiah, 

And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.[Isaiah 42:16, KJV]

With God’s help, I will find my next steps and write my next posts. God bless you and yours as we step into 2021. 

 

By Leave a Comment

Time to Bring Back By’s Musings!

Racing the clock to get things done has a great appeal today for many in this ravaged world. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

It’s time to reopen the pages of By’s Musings. The first working title of this post was Time to Get Back to Work. In the face of what’s happening in the world today, that particular phrase had something of a welcome and satisfying ring to it. Many people would like to be back in the saddle, working regularly, and racing against the clock to meet deadlines. In these past six months, I never stopped working hard, writing each day. It just hasn’t shown up in this blog.

Six months ago, when I published my last post A Short Break from Business as Usual, no one, especially me had an inkling of what was coming. I shut down By’s Musings to concentrate on writing a manuscript and preparing to publish it as a book.

For those six months, that’s where I concentrated my efforts. In September 2019, the working title of my book was A Field Guide to American Higher Education. As I wrote in my September post, I had begun to conclude that this book had no substantial audience clamoring for it. As I noted in my September post, my original ideas were evolving. They were soon to be completely revolutionized.

After that September post, I spent the next month refocusing my thoughts on five questions: 1) For what audience was I writing? 2) What did this audience need? 3) What did this audience want? 4) What would they buy? 5) What did I have to offer this audience? To have a successful book, I had to find the sweet spot at the intersection of the answers to these five questions.

By early October I believed that I had solved that elusive puzzle. I began to work feverously on a new book, An Explorer’s Guide to Biblical Life Planning: Student Edition. What’s in a title? I chose the title of this new book very carefully. Each word or phrase is packed with meaning.

I’m using the term student as a short-hand for individuals between the ages of 16 and 24. Image courtesy of Presenter Media

The phrase Student Edition is my attempt at a short-hand to indicate that the book is primarily intended for an audience ranging in age from 16 to 24. In psychological circles, individuals in this age range are referred to as mid-adolescents, late-adolescents, or early adults. In educational circles, these are the ages typically designated for traditional high school and college-age students. This book was written for the typical, Christian high school or college student and other individuals in that age group. It was written for those in that age who find themselves searching for answers to life’s most important questions.

An explorer ventures into the unknown looking to find answers and their way in a new, unknown world. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

The word Explorer denotes an individual who is actively looking for and seeking something that is currently unknown. They are not sitting back and waiting for the world to be delivered to them on a silver platter. They are engaged in a process that is not always 100% safe and secure. There may be dangers and setbacks along the way. Not every explorer finds riches at the end of their journey. However, they will discover something new about themselves or this world.

The word Guide conveys the idea that this book is not a cookbook that provides recipes for a good life. It is not a series of road maps that show individuals each and every turn that they should take to reach their destination. In addition, it doesn’t assume that the destination is even known at the beginning or part way through the journey.

A guide is a resource or a person that provides a scouting report but does not prescribe the directions an individual must go. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

A guide is an individual or resource which provides helpful information that individuals can use to identify dangers and directions that they should consider taking. A guide can point out things that the individual can’t or chooses not to see. A guide can make suggestions and challenge an individual’s choices. However, at the end of the day, it is still up to the individual explorers to make their own decisions.

The Bible is God’s word to humanity. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

The term Biblical obviously refers to the Bible. The Bible is God’s message to the world. It tells the story of the world through God’s eyes. It is a story in four parts: creation, fall, redemption, and consummation.

The Bible is God’s message to us via parables, proverbs, prayers, songs of praise, historical accounts, and prophecy. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

The Bible was written by more than forty different human authors, all inspired by God, over the course of centuries. These authors wrote in their own styles so it contains many different literary genres and tenors. It is a compilation of 66 different books in the form of narratives, dialogues, proverbs, parables, songs, prayers, allegories, historical accounts, and prophetic tales. Nevertheless, with all this diversity, it is remarkably unified with the same themes running through all its pages.

God gave us the Bible to be a sourcebook and our reference for daily living. It contains all we need to know to distinguish right from wrong. In it, we find the standards by which we should live our lives and the principles we need for guidance.

Samson was both a tragic figure and a hero of the faith. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

The stories in the Bible are about real people just like us. There are stories of triumphs like Joshua at Jericho and David fighting Goliath. There are stories of defeat and tragedies like the first battle of Ai and the fall of Jerusalem, followed by the Babylonian exile. There are miracles like Daniel in the lion’s den and the Israelites being fed by the manna in the wilderness. There are accounts of the highs and lows of everyday life like the parables of the sower and the prodigal son. There were stories of individuals like Samson who was both a hero of the faith and a tragic figure beset by sin. 

God is our refuge. David reminds us in Psalm 18:2 that “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (NIV) 

Christ is our anchor. Where do we learn about Christ? The Bible. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

Jesus is our hope and our anchor. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews emphasizes this in Hebrews 18:2: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, both sure and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” (NIV)

Where do we learn about God and Jesus? The Bible. Therefore we must go to the Bible. It can serve as an anchor in the storms of life. In it, we can find strength and comfort in our desperate times of trouble. In times of ease and satisfaction, it can provide continued encouragement and counsel.

The Bible is a spotlight which shows us who we are and who God is. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

The Bible serves as a spotlight to show us who we are and who God is. We are not robots nor meaningless globs of matter. We are living creations of an all-powerful God, who loves us and gives us a purpose and a destiny.

In Life there are few guarantees. If you are like most people, life will not be handed to you on a silver platter. Most of us have to earn our way in this world. We are required to make difficult choices. Although adolescents may not believe it today, as they get older, they will find that the number of decisions to make increase drastically. At times, it may become even more overwhelming then it seems right now.

The devil can’t force you to do anything. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

It may reach the point where people start making excuses or blaming others for their actions. When facing questions about a particular action, people sometimes resort to the Flip Wilson one-liner: “The devil made me do it.” At other times, individuals try to escape the consequences of their actions by relying on the Bart Simpson defense: “I didn’t do it. You didn’t see me. You can’t prove it.”

Throughout your life, you will learn that the devil didn’t make you do it. You did it. You also will learn that you can’t escape the consequences of your actions. You are responsible for the choices you make and what you do.

I can assure you that you are responsible for who you are and who you become. With the exception of the rare accident, you are responsible for most of what happens in your life.

At times it will feel like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

If the thought of such a heavy burden of responsibility scares you, you are not alone. Most people reach this junction sometime in their lives. From watching thousands of people experience this defining moment, adolescents are fortunate to face it at this time in their life. They’re at a crucial point where they have two very important resources available to help navigate these choppy waters. Those resources are time and readily available help.

COME ON., MAKE UP YOU MIND! It may seem like your parents are always yelling at you. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

I can hear some adolescents already shouting, “TIME! I don’t have time. People, especially my parents, are yelling at me, that I must make important choices about my future, NOW!” Even though I probably do not know your parents personally, I am confident that they care deeply about you. Most parents do love their children and are very concerned that they make the right choices for their lives, now and in the future.

Relax. You don’t have to run everywhere. Time is on your side. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

If I may be so bold, I have one word for you and your parents – RELAX. As we proceed through the book, I will explain why I think you have time on your side. As you proceed through the book I will explain why time is on your side. I will also outline many of the resources that are available to you. They are there to be used. Make certain you use them wisely.

In higher education and management circles, most experts believe that Planning does not involve a static blueprint. It is a process that can change daily as circumstances change. Thus life planning is not a once and done task. It is not something that is fixed at birth or in early adolescence. Put all that together and what do you have? An Explorer’s Guide to Biblical Life Planning: Student Edition.

One of the most dangerous viruses to hit humanity in centuries stopped the world in its tracks with a deadly pandemic. Image courtesy of Presenter Media

Through January things were proceeding nicely. Then the world was turned upside down by a tiny bug, the coronavirus COVID-19. I had a draft of An Explorer’s Guide to Biblical Life Planning: Student Edition finished and in the hands of an editor. Then the world literally stopped. Businesses were forced to close. Schools, churches and governments shut down face to face operations, and move to a virtual world. A whole new set of problems now faced the audience to whom I had addressed my book. Many of my suggestions may no longer applied to this new world. I will have to wait until summer or fall to see if any semblance of the world we knew returns or whether we will be facing a whole new set of challenges. 

I can still think and write. Although publishing a book addressing problems which no longer exist seems counterproductive. However, I have another avenue for expressings my ideas. By’s Musings is still available as an outlet for my ideas. With so many of them pent up begging to see the light of day, I will be publishing a new post at least weekly. My next post will provide my new insights into higher education and the medical enterprise. In the meantime, a words of wisdom for us all: Stay safe, take proper precautions, and pray for deliverance.  

 

By Leave a Comment

Faculty Reward Systems and Faculty Priorities

Only a few, chosen ones, the best of the best may enter into Nirvana. Enter faculty and enjoy your rewards on your terms. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

In a previous post A New Millennium – The Same Old Story, Part I, I introduced the topic of Faculty Reward Systems and Faculty Priorities as one of the current crises in the academy. In the short note about these problems, I referenced an article written in 2001 with the intriguing title Paradise Lost: How the academy converts enthusiastic recruits into early-career doubters. In the almost two decades since that article appeared there have been hundreds of articles lamenting the doleful and declining conditions in the academy for all faculty, not just the early recruits, but even the seasoned veterans.

Paradise Lost. Adam and Eve expelled from Eden. An etching by Gustave Dore from a Dutch Bible. As a faithful reproduction of a two-dimensional work of art in the public domain, this image is in the public domain. Image courtesy of Jan Arkesteijn and Wikimedia Commons.

My first reaction to the article’s title was one of affirmation. I thought I understand the authors’ frustration with the impression that faculty as a whole had lost access to the Garden of Eden, the Land of Milk and Honey. However, the more I reread Milton’s tragic epic the more confused I became. The allegoric allusions between the Biblical creation story and the plight of modern university faculty made less sense to me.

A 16770 line engraving of John Milton by William Faithorne. As a faithful reproduction of a two-dimension work of art in the public domain, it is in the public domain. Image courtesy of Jfhuston and Wikimedia Commons.

In his 1674 version, Milton begins Paradise Lost – Book I  with a verse that is often referenced and quoted:

OF Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit
Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tast
Brought Death into the World, and all our woe,
With loss of Eden, till one greater Man
Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat,
Sing Heav’nly Muse, that on the secret top
Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire
That Shepherd, who first taught the chosen Seed,
In the Beginning how the Heav’ns and Earth
Rose out of Chaos: or if Sion Hill
Delight thee more, and Siloa’s brook that flow’d
Fast by the Oracle of God; I thence
Invoke thy aid to my adventrous Song,
That with no middle flight intends to soar
Above th’ Aonian Mount, while it pursues
Things unattempted yet in Prose or Rhime.
And chiefly Thou, O Spirit, that dost prefer
Before all Temples th’ upright heart and pure,
Instruct me, for Thou know’st; Thou from the first
Wast present, and with mighty wings outspread
Dove-like satst brooding on the vast Abyss
And mad’st it pregnant: What in me is dark
Illumin, what is low raise and support;
That to the highth of this great Argument
I may assert Eternal Providence,
And justifie the wayes of God to men.

Where did that truck come from? I was minding my own business and it just knocked me down and ran me over. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

Having read the Trower, Austin, and Sorcinelli article many times, I don’t get any sense that they are attempting to “justify the ways of God to men.” On the contrary, they are blaming fate and the evil administrations of universities for taking away the riches of which they had dreamed and for which they had worked so hard. I find no sense of contrition or admission of wrongdoing on the part of the faculty that have been expelled from paradise. 

The gates to paradise have been closed to all faculty. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

I selected this article to introduce the topic for a number of reasons. The first reason was very personal. The article was based on the authors’ presentation at the 2001 Conference on Faculty Roles & Rewards, held February 1–4, 2001, in Tampa, Florida. The three authors of the article, Cathy A. Trower, Ann E. Austin, and Mary Deane Sorcinelli, were invited by Gene Rice, director of the American Association of Higher Education Forum on Faculty Roles & Rewards to make a combined panel presentation at the Forum’s annual meeting.

A divided opinion within the audience with faculty cheering it, while administrators and trustees panned it. Image courtesy of Presenter Media

I was at that Forum and I remember their presentation and the mixed response it received from the audience. The faculty side of the crowd loved and cheered the presentation and its conclusions. The administrators in the audience viewed the presentation with semi-veiled skepticism. A couple of trustees with whom I spoke after the presentation expressed undisguised disdain for any thought that faculty had an unalienable right to Nirvana and that trustees were in any way or form complicit in destroying paradise.  

The day the AAHE folded was the day the music died. Higher education lost a great resource. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

I think I missed only one of the dozen Forums on Faculty Roles & Rewards sponsored by the AAHE before it folded in 2005 due to lack of support from the higher education community. In my mind that was a sad day for American higher education.

The American Association of Higher Education was the only membership organization in higher education that was fully open to everyone involved in higher education. It embraced graduate students, faculty, student affairs professionals, administrators, trustees, the staff of higher education organizations, government officials, journalists, higher education commentators, and funding sources.

The AAHE was a forum for airing disagreements. Sometimes those disagreements became heated. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

In the end, its diversity was probably the prime reason for its downfall. It wasn’t specialized enough. Many faculty thought student affairs professionals and administrators had nothing to offer them. Student affairs professionals and academic administrators used different languages. Trustees became quickly frustrated with the bickering between the groups. Graduate students were only interested in finishing their degrees and getting jobs. The government officials felt belittled and badgered for more money for education. Commentators and journalists found cheaper ways to get the stories they needed for their articles. The funding sources only heard cries for more funds and saw little appreciation for their prior gifts.

In spite of its obvious problems, I still believe the AAHE was the best higher education association of the 20th Century. It was a one-stop shop for the most recent research on higher education topics and practical solutions to higher education’s most troublesome problems which had been tested in the crucible of real applications.

I had a soft spot in my heart for the AAHE. It was a great organization. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

In the interest of full disclosure, I admit that I had a soft spot in my heart for the AAHE which impacted my choice of the introductory article. I was privileged to make presentations at ten AAHE conferences: one Annual Meeting; two Technology Conferences; two Faculty Roles & Rewards Forums; and five Assessment Forums. I was invited to make one presentation at a Faculty Roles & Reward Forum and one at an Assessment Forum. For that Assessment Forum, my presentation was designated the principal offering of a given time slot and I had my picture in the conference program. I felt honored to have the opportunity to present an assessment research project design to an audience of over 2,000 higher education professionals at one time. The other eight AAHE presentations went through the normal vetting process by which conference presentation proposals were judged.

I was privileged to serve on two panels reacting to presentations by keynote speaker Gene Rice. Image courtesy of Presenter Media

The invitation to present at the Faculty Roles & Rewards Forum came from Gene Rice. Six months after the AAHE conference where Trower, Austin, and Sorcinelli presented their research findings, Gene Rice was the keynote speaker at a Faculty Development Conference sponsored by the Council For Christian Colleges (CCC). This organization was the predecessor to the Coalition for Christian College & Universities (CCCU). In that intimate setting of approximately 80 faculty members and administrators from 50 Christian colleges, Gene made three plenary presentations over the three-day conference. The format for the conference called for a structured panel response and an audience free Q&A sessions after each of Gene’s talks. I was scheduled to be on one of those panels. However, when at the last minute a panel member for another talk had to withdraw, I was asked to sub on that panel also. Thus, I had the opportunity to comment on Gene’s work twice during the conference, in addition to a presentation that I made on some research that I did on faculty salary models and scales within the CCC. 

This conference was not the first time that I had met Gene Rice. Due to his close association and work with Ernie Boyer, Gene spoke once at Messiah College. Ernie was an alumnus and a long-time trustee of Messiah College. However, whatever I said at the CCC Faculty Development Conference must have impressed him. He sought me out at the luncheon on the closing day of the conference and invited me to present at the next Faculty Roles & Rewards Forum. I told him I would think about it, and 30 seconds later I agreed to do it.

As early as 1970, discussions were beginning about where faculty allegiance and hearts were. Were faculty more likely to be loyal to their institution or more committed to their discipline? The answer wasn’t even close. The overwhelming majority of faculty felt more loyalty to their discipline than to their institution.

There are several reasons for this. The first is the discipline was their first passion. They have spent years immersed in the discipline, training and straining to reach its heights. They see the institution as a means to the end. It is a necessary evil to achieve their goal of climbing to the summit of the discipline.

I raise a glass to toast and honor my discipline. It has nurtured and sustained me when others have deserted me. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

The second is expressed by James Dixon (pseudonym of a professor in the humanities at a college in the South) in the Chronicle of Higher Education December 2015 article Loyalty, Schmoyalty: What do you do when your devotion to your institution is not reciprocrated?. Dixon in a vindictive diatribe decries the “corporatist administrators”, “bitter colleagues”, and the “faceless abstractions like departments and colleges” that inhabit higher educational institutions. [Italics mine]

No more! I finished with those things. From now on, I will only do what is absolutely required by my contract or benefits me or the people that I care most about. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

Dixon summarizes the main points of the article, in the middle of it with the following paragraph:

“But at this point in my career, my priorities have changed. I simply decline to do anything for my department or institution that: (a) interferes with my family life, (b) isn’t strictly required by my contract, or (c) does nothing to benefit me or the people I care about most.”

Senior faculty should leave the grunt work of spinning the mouse cage wheels to the junior faculty. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

Dixon goes on to state that senior, tenured faculty should concentrate on the things that can reward them with love and respect: their family, their discipline, congenial colleagues, and the process of teaching. Leave all the grunt work like committees [Italic emphasis, mine] to the junior, non-tenured faculty so that they can reach the point in their careers where they can concentrate on the really important things. [Italic emphasis, mine]

Faculty work hard the meager pittance that they receive from their institutions.

As a means to an end, institutions do provide faculty with monetary rewards in order to “make a living for oneself and one’s family.” Over the past half-century, there has been much discussion about this. Returning to Gene Rice and why he asked me to present at the Faculty Roles and Rewards Forum, my presentation at the CCC conference was on some research that I had done on faculty pay.

At this time, as a group, the 80+ CCC institutions were fairly uniform. They were generally small. The average enrollment was about 1,200 students. They averaged just under 100 full-time faculty members. Although a few of them were experimenting with non-traditional education and graduate education, most were almost exclusively traditional, residential, liberal arts and sciences, undergraduate colleges.

Traditional faculty ranking system: Top step – Full Professor; second place – Associate Professor; third place – Assistant Professor; not on the podium – Instructor. Image courtesy of Presenter Media

In one way that the CCC institutions resembled the rest of higher education was the fact that more than 97% had a traditional ranking system for faculty: Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Full Professor. Only two institutions in the organization did not have faculty ranks.

With the exception of All 4-Year Publics and 2-Year Privates, the CCC institutions mirrored the IPEDS data for Institutions with Tenure Systems. Image from NCES Data and Data collected by this blog’s author. The graph was created on Libre Office Software by blog’s author.

There were small differences between the CCC institutions and higher education in general related to the question of faculty tenure. In 1995, according to AAUP statistics, approximately 35% of all faculty were tenured or on tenure-track, while 33% were part-time faculty and almost 20% were graduate students. However, the AAUP statistics also indicated that 65% of all full-time faculty were tenured or on tenure-track. College Board data indicates that 92% of public four-year institutions had tenure systems, while 66% of private four-year institutions offered tenured. 

The 1995 picture at CCC institutions was slightly different. The percentage of all faculty that were part-time was just over 40%.  Since very few of the CCC institutions offered graduate programs, less than 1% of faculty were graduate students. Just over 37% of CCC institutions did not offer tenure at all, mirroring the College Board data for private four-year institutions. At the CCC institutions, just over 50% of all full-time faculty were tenured or on tenure-track, which is less than the percentage for all institutions from the AAUP data.

Annual negotiations over salary may carry the connotation of begging for more from the boss. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

One key aspect of my research was the question of whether institutions used a faculty pay scale or relied on annual negotiations or a negotiated starting salary and fixed annual increases. Similar data is not readily available for all four-year institutions. For the CCC institutions in my data set, 97% had fixed salary scales of some sort. Only 2% relied on a negotiated starting salary with fixed annual increases, with the other 1% resorting to annual negotiations.

In my survey, I found that 80% of CCC institutions claimed they had no disciplinary differentials in their salary scales. This egalitarian approach seems to be much different from the general higher education approach. Most likely it is an expression of the faith-based, Biblical ideal of equality and reverence for everyone, and the common service for the Kingdom.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28, KJV)

The results of the annual College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) salary survey show significant differences by discipline in salaries for faculty with the same rank and experience across all of higher education. Salaries for business and finance faculty average twice the salaries for humanities and social science faculty. Overall, the salaries at CCC institutions ranged from 30 to 70% of the salaries listed in the AAUP or CUPA-HR surveys. CCC faculty saw their teaching as a ministry to which they were called.

For all of the institutions that indicated that they had a fixed salary scale, they described it in terms of ladders or sets of stairs. They all began with one uniform base salary. The differences occurred in what institutions used to determine an initial salary and annual increments.  

In my survey, I asked about items that went into determining a faculty member’s initial salary. Every institution indicated that a faculty member’s academic experience, academic degrees and credentials, and starting rank were included as factors in starting salaries. Only 25% of institutions included a factor for professional experience outside the academy. As noted earlier, 20% of CCC institutions factored an individual’s discipline into the salary equation. In all such cases, this factor was positive for a few in-demand disciplines, while there were no subtractions for the many disciplines with lesser demand.

Even in good economic times, a quarter of the CCC institutions had some economic trouble, and another quarter was very strained. Data collected by blog’s author, with graph created on Libre Office software.

I next asked about annual increases. In the decade from 1985 to 1995, the national economy was generally good and inflation had cooled off after the flame up of the 1970s. There was only one downturn around 1992. Therefore, I asked during the decade 1985 to 1994, how many times were salary increases given. Within my survey universe of CCC institutions, 50% gave increases every year, 25% withheld salary increases once, 15% withheld salary increases twice, and 10% withheld increases 2 or more times.

The next set of questions dealt with the factors that went into determining the amount of the increases when they were given. Every institution indicated that they gave an increase for the extra year of service and any promotion in rank that occurred during the preceding year. In addition, 60% of the institutions said that they gave credit for being awarded tenure.

One of the hot buttons in faculty salary and reward circles of this period was the question of merit pay. Of the CCC institutions, 50% said that they rewarded meritorious service with a monetary award. Most of these (42% of all CCC institutions) offered these rewards as one-time bonuses, while the remainder (8% of all CCC institutions) gave the faculty member a step reward, which in effect carried over to succeeding years.

The final set of questions in my survey dealt with whether institutions took inflation into account in salary increases and, if so, how did they handle it. Of the 90% of CCC institutions that regularly gave annual increases (7 or more times in the decade 1985 to 1995), a significant majority (70%) treated the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) as an adjustment to the previous year’s salary, which meant it carried over from year to year. The remaining institutions (30%) credited the COLA as an adjustment to the base salary only. Over the years, this had a negative effect on faculty salaries in keeping up with the cost of living.

The final question returned to the question of the compressed nature of CCC faculty scales in light of the tendency toward egalitarianism. As a Chief Academic Officer, I can guarantee that it was much easier for me to hire an entry-level faculty member rather than a senior faculty member. This was particularly true if the senior faculty member was coming from a public or non-sectarian four-year institution. Our entry level salaries compared much more favorably to other institutions than did our senior-level salaries. The last question asked whether annual increases were applied equally across the board, or were adjustments made by rank. Not surprisingly, egalitarianism won out. More than 80% said increases were always equal percentage-wise across the board. Only 20% said that occasionally adjustments were made by rank, in order to honor senior faculty.

It might not have been as dramatic as God speaking to Moses via the burning bush, but still, God calls faculty to CCC institutions. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

After presenting this data, my colleagues from public and non-sectarian institutions expressed surprise and pity. They could not understand how CCC institutions could attract quality faculty under these conditions. My answer was that we couldn’t attract them. They had to have a sense of calling from God, and that His Spirit did the convincing. 

The next crisis facing American higher education with which I will attempt to deal is The Commercialization of Higher Education. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

 

By 2 Comments

What would you do with an extra 10 years of life?

Celebrating my 73rd birthday was very special. Image courtesy of Presenter Media.

In my previous post, I originally announced that this post would be entitled “What would make a 73rd birthday special?” However, as I wrote this post, I decided on a new title. The essence of the post is unchanged, but I thought the new title would challenge both me and my readers more.

This past week I observed the 73rd anniversary of my birthday. It was a very special day for me. The 73rd birthday is usually not one that is wildly celebrated. What would make a 73rd birthday special? My 73rd birthday represented ten extra years of life that most people, especially medical experts, didn’t expect that I would have.

In the early afternoon of March 16, 2009, less than a week after my 63rd birthday, I was milling about the university’s conference room, having coffee with colleagues and discussing the agenda for our upcoming business meeting, my last scheduled cabinet meeting as provost of the university.  Suddenly, without warning, I suffered a traumatic brain episode. A cerebral aneurysm burst triggering the implosion of a previously undetected, benign meningioma, which was attached to my right frontal lobe.

The headache was excruciating and I was almost completely incapacitated. Due to this experience, I know what the “10” on a pain scale feels like. Everyone in the meeting, except me, thought that I was experiencing a stroke. They immediately called 911. The EMTs arrived within five minutes and loaded me on their gurney for transport to the hospital.

I remember asking someone to call my wife Elaine to let her know what was happening. However, before the EMTs could wheel the gurney out of the conference room, I lost consciousness. I was in a coma for the next four days. My next memory after that request for someone to call Elaine was when I woke up in an ICU hospital bed with gauze bandages all over my head and wires everywhere.

The attending nurse called the on-duty neurologist who just happened to be the surgeon who had performed emergency surgery on me, the evening of that March 16. He rushed to my room and explained what had happened to me in the conference room and the first full day at the hospital. He didn’t pull any punches with a graphic description of the explosion of a cerebral aneurysm and the resultant implosion of a benign meningioma. Twice in the 30 minutes or so that he spent in my room, he spoke the same words: “There are no scientific or medical reasons to explain why you are alive and so alert.”

After the neurologist left I had the first opportunity to talk to Elaine. She told me a tale of terror for her. When she got the call from the university that I was on my way to the hospital, she was too upset to drive herself. She called our pastor who rushed her to the hospital.

By the time she got there, she was not allowed to see me. I was already being prepped for surgery. The ER doctor that she met at the hospital entrance didn’t do much to calm her nerves. She told Elaine to gather the family together. This would be a difficult task since both of our daughters with their families lived in Pennsylvania, a ten-hour drive to where we were living in Western Michigan.

When Elaine asked why she should alarm the family, the doctor indicated that if I survived the operation, which was doubtful, I would never be the same. The doctor said if it were her family she knew they would appreciate the opportunity to say goodbye.

The intervening ten years between March 2009 and 2019 is a tale of roaring firestorm after firestorm and miracle after miracle. During those ten years, I had dozens of medical setbacks. However, I am still alive and able to walk somewhat awkwardly and write somewhat haltingly. Due to my medical problems, I have interacted with scores of doctors who have all said essentially the same thing: “There are no scientific or medical reasons to explain why you are walking and talking.” They all use the same two words to describe me and my conditions: miracle and enigma.

I believe the story of those ten years is one that is crying to be told and I intend to do just that. I am currently working on a separate book-length manuscript which I have tentatively entitled Has anyone seen my life? It was here a minute ago.

The purpose of this post is three-fold. The first is to celebrate an extra 10 years of life that no one in the medical profession expected me to experience. The second purpose is to offer you a dozen of the many lessons that I learned or relearned during the extra 10 years that I have been given. The third and final purpose is to challenge you with the significant question: “What would you do with an extra 10 years of life?

Since this posting is special, I am going to dispense with my self-imposed 1,000-word limit just for this post. I trust you understand my desire to put it all out there in one shot instead of doling it out small piece by small piece.

Due to my medical problems I had to retire from full-time academic employment. This break from 50 or 60 hour work weeks gave me much time to reflect and write. What follows are a dozen of the many lessons that I have learned or relearned through this experience, intensive study, and much contemplation and reflection.

1. God is in control.

There are four scriptural passages that I have kept returning to during this past decade. I challenge you to reflect on each of them and how they apply to your life.

17And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: (Revelations 1:17, KJV)

22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. 24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? 25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? 26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? (Luke 12:22-26, KJV)

10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (Isaiah 41:10, KJV)

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. 4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. (Psalm 46:1-7, KJV)

2. Retirement is not necessarily in God’s plan for us. 

Our modern view of retirement is just that – a recent idea, historically speaking. It was introduced to America in the mid-1930s with the passage of the Social Security legislation. Most of the heroes of the faith found God’s calling to ministry to be a lifetime enlistment. Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, John the Baptist, John the Apostle, Peter and Paul all were faithful servants until they were called home. I can find only one scriptural passage that directly speaks of retirement.

24 This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: 25 And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more: 26 But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge. (Numbers 8:24-26)

The Levites were charged with serving the people of Israel by caring for the tabernacle, preparing and administering the sacrifices, packing up, moving and reassembling the tabernacle. This was extremely heavy labor and was reserved for the young and strong. The older Levites were given the task of ministering, guarding and advising the younger Levites who were doing the heavy lifting that required the strength of young bodies.

3. There is a special place in God’s economy for seniors.

Beside the Numbers passage above where the senior Levites were called to minister, guard and advise the younger Levites, there are other passages that indicate what the elders in the congregation should do.

17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. 18 Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come. 19 Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee! 20 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. 21 Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side. (Psalm 71:17-21, KJV)

12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; 15 To shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. (Psalm 92:12-15, KJV)

3 Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb: 4 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar [gray] hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. 5 To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? (Isaiah 46:3-5, KJV)

4. Obey the scriptural commandments and commissions.

It matters not how old we are, God expects us to obey all of his commandments. However, there are some that are very special and deserve our utmost attention.

35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Great Commandment – Matthew 22:35-40, KJV)

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Great Commission – Matthew 28:18-20, KJV)

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Creation Mandate – Genesis 1:27-28, KJV)

5. Watch carefully. Always be on guard.

You need to constantly take stock of your surroundings. Know your friends, coworkers, and enemies. Praise them when they do something right. Admonish them when they are wrong. Be patient with everyone in all circumstances. Pray without ceasing and give thanks without regard to your condition.

11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; 13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves. 14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. 15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. 16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19 Quench not the Spirit. 20 Despise not prophesyings. 21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Watch carefully – I Thessalonians 5:11-21, KJV)

6. Equip yourself for the coming battle.

Whether we are talking about a job, a ministry, or even just everyday living, it can and will at some point become a battle. We need the whole armour of God to fight the battle.

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; ( Whole armour of God – Ephesians 6:11-18, KJV)

7. Memorize and meditate on scriptures.

The only offensive weapon in the listing of the armour of God was the scriptures. Always have it handy. Be ready to depend on it in every circumstance.

10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. 11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. 12 Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes. 13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. 14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. 16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word. 17 Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word. 18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. 19 I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me. (Memorize and meditate on scriptures – Psalm 119:10-19, JKV)

8. Give yourself to God, since He gave himself for you.

We must present ourselves as a sacrifice, willing to do anything we are asked to do. It is our reasonable service.

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Be a living sacrifice – Romans 12:1-2, KJV)

9. Do everything as unto the Lord.

Whatever we do should be done as if we were doing it to honor and praise God.

14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Colossians 3:14-17, KJV)

This is not just meant for our “religious life.” It carries over to our everyday life. Translating it into “plain English” I believe the message is simply

    • Work hard
    • Play hard
    • Eat well
    • Sleep well
    • Watch carefully
    • Listen intently
    • Be accountable
    • Give credit where credit is due
    • Love deeply

10. Be where you are until you leave.

I wish I could take credit for this saying, but I can’t. Christ used a similar statement in instructing his disciples.

7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; 8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: 9 But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. 10 And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. 11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. (Mark 6:7-11, KJV)

Christ was trying to teach his disciples not to go from house to house seeking better accommodations, but to be satisfied with what they had. I first heard it from a wealthy Christian businessman, financier, and philanthropist, who was known as a generous but demanding boss. When he used it, he was suggesting that people in a given position should do the job they were hired to do until they left for another position.

I met this gentleman only once. The occasion was at a luncheon given in his honor by a college for which I was serving as the chief academic officer. In addition to honoring this individual for his service to the Christian community, the college was also asking him for a significant donation.

When we were introduced at the luncheon, the first thing he said to me was, “I’ve heard about you, and I like you.” I must have had a perplexed look on my face because he continued by saying, “You follow what I have tried to teach all of my employees: “Be where you are until you leave.”

As a college administrator and cabinet officer, I have always served at the pleasure of the President of the institution I was serving. I changed institutions four times during my career and was in the midst of a fifth change when I had the traumatic brain incident in March 2009. For each change, the president and I were on different sides of at least one question.

When the president and a subordinate disagree, the subordinate never “wins.” Even if the president loses, the subordinate doesn’t win. With each change, I had the privilege of continuing to serve the institution for a period of time until I could find another position. While I remained at the institution from which I was departing, I always did my job to the best of my ability. Every one of the presidents that I served commended me for that quality. The Christian businessman, in his due diligence of checking out our institution as a prospective recipient of one of his gifts, had asked two of those presidents about me.

Wherever you are, do the job that God has given you until He assigns you another task. It is the right thing to do. At some time in the future, you will be rewarded for your diligence.

11. Leave people or a place better than you found them.

There are many forms of this quotation. One form attributed to the legendary football coach Vince Lombardi is the following:

The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.

Jesus always left those with whom he encountered in a better place or position than when he first met them. Consider the woman at the well, the woman taken in adultery, the blind beggar, Zaacheus in the tree, the 10 lepers, the woman with the issue of blood, Jarius and his daughter, the demon-possessed man named Legion.

The parables of the talents and the unjust steward help us understand that we need to be faithful in the little things.

10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. 11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own? (Luke 16:10-12, KJV)

12. Help fellow pilgrims along the road.

We are called to minister to others and help them find the straight and narrow way. The apostle Paul in writing to the Christians in Rome let them know that they should follow Christ’s example. They were definitely called to be “their brothers’ keepers,” just as we are.

1We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. 3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. (Romans 15:1-3, KJV)

These are some of the lessons that I have learned or relearned in the extra 10 years that I have been given. I hope and pray that at the conclusion of my life on this earth, I will be able to echo the words of Paul to the young Timothy:

5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (II Timothy 4:5-8, KJV)

In conclusion, what would you do if you were given another 10 years of life? How would you spend that precious time? By’s Musings returns to its regular publishing schedule next Tuesday, March 26 with a  post entitled KPI – Part VI: Hierarchical Management.

 

 

By 1 Comment

By’s Musings New Foci

By’s Musings will focus on 3 areas: Education; Faith & Religion; Organizational Theory & Operations. All images in this post are courtesy of Presenter Media

As I noted in previous posts, I will be restricting my future posts to the three broad areas of education, faith and religion, and organizational theory and operations. These areas should open up many opportunities for engaging dialogue.

By’s Musings presents a focus on education.

Within the field of Education, I will begin by addressing a score of significant issues and dilemmas which have vexed contemporary society in general and the discipline of education in particular. Within these topics, there are numerous divergent and contrasting points of views. This diversity will hopefully engender much discussion. 

The list of potential topics is too long to include in this post. I will highlight some in future posts.

These topics include issues that relate to students, faculty, administration, curriculum, facilities, finances, policies, governance, and operations. Since they are too numerous to list in this post, I will include a preliminary list in a subsequent post.

I will be asking for your help in deciding what topics to include in the topics I cover in By’s Musings.

Along with the list, I will invite the audience to participate in a poll to help determine which issues I should address first. 

By’s Musings focuses on the areas of Faith & Religion.

Within the broad area of Faith and Religion, I plan to publish short posts that will be written in the form of testimonies, prayers, devotionals, and sermonettes.

A deep examination of scriptures in order to explicate Biblical principles and develop practical applications to everyday lives.

I hope to achieve two goals with these posts. The first is to explicate Biblical principles and develop practical applications to the everyday lives of modern Christians. I hope that this will help those who use Christ’s name will be able to integrate spiritual practices and disciplines into their daily lives.

Countering arguments that Christianity impedes intellectual curiosity and serious thought.

My second goal of this section is to counter the arguments of those who feel that any religious teaching, but particularly Christianity, impedes intellectual curiosity and hinders serious thinking.

One very active spokesperson for this group is David Silverman, a well-known atheist, who stated in his book, Fighting God: An Atheist Manifesto in a Theist World, “Atheists seek truth; theists ignore it.” 

I pray that God will help me to add something helpful and hopeful to the conversations.

My essays will attempt to show that there are Christians in the intellectual arena who do not ignore truth but sincerely seek it. Hopefully, and prayerfully, I will demonstrate that we can rationally say that faith and reason do not have to be at odds with one another. At the end of the day, it is possible to reconcile them.

Iron sharpens iron. Let’s hammer out the truth together.

However, this task is much too large for one person. I fervently desire and will solicit audience participation in this mission. We can come closer to the truth as a community. As the Lord, speaking through Solomon, admonished us in Proverbs 27:17, “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” (KJV)

By’s Musings focuses on Organizational Theory & Operations.

In the arena of Organizational Theory and Operations, I will be concentrating on how organizations come into being, how they maintain themselves, and how they expire. This work is based upon ongoing research into closed institutions within American higher education (IHEs). A colleague and I have been working on this project in one form or another for many years.

More than 1600 American IHEs have died since 1950. Why?

For the past ten years, we have concentrated our study on more than 1,600 colleges in the United States that closed, merged, were acquired by another institution, or otherwise disappeared. In the course of this study, we have identified eight factors that we believe were the major contributing elements in the demise of these IHEs.

The eight factors of Vitality/Morbidity.Sustainability. How do I connect the boxes?

These factors were

  • Market
  • Expertise
  • Passion
  • Leadership
  • Values
  • Resources
  • Internal Culture
  • External Environment

You may recognize the first three as the three factors that Jim Collins identified as the key components for organizations seeking to move from Good to Great.

As I looked more closely at the eight factors, I came to the conclusion that they were definitely descriptive of the cause of death of the IHEs.

Could our factors help diagnosis the health of an organization prior to its demise.

Moreover, in most circumstances, problems in these factors did not appear overnight. Thus, it seemed reasonable that they could be the basis of a model that would serve as a predictor of future difficulties.

I was very excited at this point. Questions came fast and furiously. Firstly, could we develop a sustainability scale or a vitality/morbidity index, using these eight factors to determine whether an IHE was thriving, surviving or dying? Secondly, if this process worked for IHEs, could it work for other organizations? 

We need a consistent language to research and talk about colleges and their disappearances.

One of the biggest difficulties in this research was the lack of a consistent language to talk about colleges and their demise. The first posts in this arena will start the process of developing a consistent language to describe what we mean by a college and what happened to them.

The next set of posts will more fully define my eight factors and all of their subfactors. When we have completed this foundation, we will begin a series of posts that describe our sustainability scale and our vitality/morbidity index. We will save the details of our research for the website and later publication.

Watch for my October 2 post describing the changes coming to the Higher Ed By Baylis website.

 

By Leave a Comment

Advent Wreath Resolution at Easter

As we celebrate Easter 2017 are you still keeping up with your Advent Wreath Resolutions? In this reminder post, I return to consider two candles. The first is obviously the Christ candle, while the second is the Peace candle.

Image used under creative commons license available at https://creativecommons.org/license/by-sa/3.0/

Advent and Easter bookend the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, God’s son. They celebrate two commonalities that the incarnate Christ shared with all humanity: birth and death. Without going through both birth and death, Christ could not have been fully human. One of the great paradoxes of the Christian faith is that Jesus is at the same time fully God and fully human. Without being fully God, he could not have been without sin. Without being fully human, he could not have been the perfect sacrifice in order to be the propitiation for the sins of all mankind, so that he could satisfy the penalty for sin.

As an indication of Christ’s humanity he was born of a woman; grew up in the traditions of the first-century Jewish culture; and was nurtured, nourished, and cherished by an earthly mother.

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.  7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2: 1 -7, JKV)

Image courtesy of WIkimedia Commons and Giovanni Dall’Orto. This photograph contains details from a Nativity scene, painted on paper sheets glued on wood panels, made by Francesco Londonio (1723-1783) around 1750. It is on display in the Cappella del Presepe in san Marco church at Milan. This kind of presepe was rather common in the past, but very few such specimens have survived until today. This one is remarkably well preserved, and it was carefully restored a few years ago. The photograph is by Giovanni Dall’Orto, April 14, 2007.

21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. 22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (Luke 2: 21 & 22, JKV)

Constable’s Chapel – Presentation of Christ and Purification of Mary – Cathedral of Burgos. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro / CC BY-SA 3.0. It is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him…51 And he went down with them, … , and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.  52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. (Luke 2, 40 & 51-52, JKV)

Ivory Madonna with Child. The original artist is unknown. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and the photographer “3dnatureguy.” It is licensed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;

In order to fulfill his mission on earth, it was necessary for Jesus to be born. Although it was necessary, it wasn’t sufficient. He had to be subjected to all the temptations that we face. Yet in spite of those temptations, he had to live a sinless life and then sacrifice His life as a ransom for mankind.

17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. (Hebrews 12: 17 & 18, JKV)

45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.  (Mark 10:45, KJV)

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (Philippians 2: 7 – 9, KJV))

The Disposition by Rembrandt. When the Romans were assured that Jesus was dead. They allowed Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus to take the body of Jesus down, get it prepared for burial and to take it to the tomb. This photograph by Jan Arkesteijn is a faithful reproduction of a two-dimension work of art that is in the public domain and hence is in the public domain. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and Jan Arkesteijn.

But the Easter story doesn’t end at the tomb. On that first Easter Sunday morning, as Robert Lowery’s song says,

 Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Rembrandt’s Christ and St. Mary Magdalen at the tomb, painted in 1638. The original oil painting is a two-dimension work of art that is in the public domain. This is a faithful reproduction of that work and hence is also in the public domain. The image is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and the photographer. It is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.

Thus, there is an obvious connection between the Christ candle in the Advent Wreath and the Christ of Easter. What’s the connection of the Peace candle of the Advent Wreath and Easter? In the two posts concerning the Peace candle, Advent Wreath Resolutions: Peace and Advent Wreath Resolutions; Peace – Part II I mentioned that the word “peace” is used more than 400 times in the King James Version of the Bible. In 10 of those times, the idea being conveyed is that of silence,  using something like the phrase “held his peace.”  Two of those references occur during the trial of Jesus.

57 And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58 But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. 59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; 60 But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, 61 And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. 62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 63 But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. (Matthew 26: 57 – 65, KJV)

57 And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, 58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. 59 But neither so did their witness agree together. 60 And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? 62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 63 Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? (Mark 14: 57 – 63, KJV)

Wood cut by 17th-century artist Wencelas Hollar. This two-dimensional artwork is in the public domain and thus this image as a faithful reproduction is also in the public domain. This image is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, teh University of Toronto Wenceslaus Hollar Digital Collection, and the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library.

The references in Matthew 26 and Mark 14 to Christ holding his peace (keeping silent) reminds us of the Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 53:

 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. (Isaiah 53: 6 -8, KJV)

Christ was the lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice. He “held his peace” before being led off to the slaughter. The Jewish high priest used the passage from Isaiah to build a false case against Christ so that they could be rid of him. The same passage was later used to bring an Ethiopian official to a saving knowledge of Christ.

26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. 27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, 28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.  34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. (Acts 8: 26 – 39, KJV)

16th Century painting “the Baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch by Deacon Philip” painted by Lambert Sustris. The original work is in the public domain in the United States. As a faith reproduction of this two-dimension work of art, the photograph is also in the public domain. The image is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and the Web Gallary of Art.

In this Easter season, are you prepared to let the light of the Christ candle be reflected in your life? Are you prepared to “not hold your peace” but speak boldly about the sacrificial lamb of God that stoically held his peace, and died in your place?