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Print At first it was just whispering. Someone was creating a full-fledged Apostolic University in Michigan. No one seemed to know who or where exactly, except it was named Great Lakes. Google provided no clues. Friends were of little help. Yet the basic information persisted¾it would be fully accredited; it would be staffed by Apostolics; it would be funded by churches from every major Apostolic organization and independents. It sounded perfect for an interview¾except we didn’t know how to reach them. Then Great Lakes University (GLU) contacted us. It was an odd moment when that email arrived inquiring about our ad rates. I couldn’t have been happier. At last, an interviewee came to me. Upon further contact, I interviewed Indira A. Cadasse Petoskey, Ph.D., Vice President for Institutional Research and Development in June–July, 2004. Since April 29, she has been representing GLU in the Northeast, as others are in different regions. “We are coordinating with district leaders within this region to present GLU to prospective students,” she said. “Anyone interested in having us come can call me; I’ll send my husband.” Turns out, the whispers are true-and that’s a good thing for the Apostolic movement.
VISION AND SUPPORT 90&9: A fully accredited university with an Apostolic foundation has been a dream for many people over many years. Whose vision is driving GLU? Indira C. Petoskey: I believe there are two dreams that exist as the driving force behind GLU. It began to materialize as the practical dream of Pastor Steve Warman. Orginally, the collective visionary leaders of the Apostolic Church of Auburn Hills going back 65 years to L.A. Parent, his son Bishop William Parent, Bishop Roland Baker and their team of five pastors continue to make the dream work. Dr. Frank Mink was charged with bringing together a team whose collective dreams for excellence in Apostolic higher education could operationally fulfill this vision. 90&9: When did the reality of the vision begin to gel? ICP: GLU has gone from concept to classroom in about two years and has become the vehicle for our vision. 90&9: How many different churches from how many Apostolic organizations are supporting GLU? ICP: Our Board of Governors and Board of Advisors are an accurate sampling that reflects the broad support GLU enjoys. The organizations represented include UPCI, PAW, ALJC and Independent (Apostolics). While, we are not officially recognized or endorsed by any organization other than the Apostolic Church of Auburn Hills, many constituents in these organizations are enthusiastically supporting what we are doing. 90&9: Who asked these board members to contribute their expertise? ICP: Pastor Warman, Bishop Baker, and Dr. Frank Mink. 90&9: How has GLU been able to get this support from so many different Apostolic churches? ICP: It is an idea whose time has certainly come, so finding support has been encouraging. The support we have found has come from the grass roots—traveling to present our vision and request support and participation has connected us to many leaders who see the necessity for Apostolic liberal arts higher education. 90&9: How much of the school budget is funded by these churches and how does that compare with other universities? ICP: Our financial support comes from the Apostolic Church of Auburn Hills, as well as grants, tuition, and individual planned giving/contributions. The latter of which is similar to most universities. 90&9: How large is the Apostolic Church of Auburn Hills? ICP: The church has over 2,000 members, and a new sanctuary is being built that will have a maximum capacity of 5,000. 90&9: Tell us a little bit about Pastor Warman. ICP: Pastor Warman is a wonderful pastor, a great preacher, and a person of real vision for not just his home assembly, but also the movement in general. As a successful senior pastor, at age 34, he has no reason to take the risk of starting the first accredited Apostolic Liberal Arts University except for his vision for the Apostolic movement! 90&9: Tell us about GLU President Mink. ICP: Dr. Mink has been involved in secular education and accreditation for over 20 years. He was also a corporate CEO. He is the only double-distinguished alumnus in the 150-year history of the University of Cincinnati. He is a fourth generation Apostolic and committed to higher education. He believes we should strive to do as good a job of reaching ‘the up and out’ as we have to ‘the down and out’. Both of his children will be attending GLU this fall, despite their ability to attend a prestigious secular school on full scholarships.
FACULTY AND CAMPUS AND CLASSES 90&9: What makes Michigan the ideal setting for an accredited Apostolic university? ICP: Well, I think St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, where I grew up, would be the ideal setting, but …. Michigan is centrally located and is known for its many higher educational institutions. With leaders licensed from each of the various Apostolic organizations, an ethnic diversity representative of the community and society, and a long tradition of missions, education, and the goal of reaching the world with the truth, the Apostolic Church of Auburn Hills is a unique representation of the diversity we are striving for at Great Lakes University. 90&9: Tell us about the campus. ICP: Baker College bought the present church and school (from the Apostolic Church of Auburn Hills), which we have leased for the next year. In August 2005, we will move into a new church and school facility (approx. 100,000 square feet) on 65 acres. 90&9: Will faculty positions be filled by people of Apostolic faith only? ICP: Yes, that is our core. 90&9: What percent of the current faculty has taught at the university level previously? ICP: I believe about 80 percent. Most of our faculty hold terminal degrees and have taught at the university level. We have a few with Master’s working on Ph.D’s. There are over 75 years of teaching experience in our full-time faculty. The strength of our faculty and programs has allowed us to form several affiliation agreements with excellent nationally ranked universities formally accepting all transfer credits, while GLU is seeking accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission. This even allows students who graduate in 2005/2006 to enter several graduate/professional schools so that our students have a formal assurance of acceptance. The only downside during accreditation is that federal aid is unavailable to GLU students; therefore, the church has subsidized the tuition to below after-grant cost. 90&9: How many are on faculty at present? 90&9: When do you expect to receive full accreditation? ICP: We believe 2006 is a reasonable goal, by the grace of God. 90&9: Will GLU be offering courses similar to the typical Apostolic Bible school? ICP: There will be a little overlap, but our focus is very different. We hope to strengthen the existing Bible colleges through partnerships we hope to offer. Our core curriculum is Bible-based with strong emphasis on employment and leadership skill sets relative to our 10 majors. 90&9: Please explain these partnerships. ICP: A natural partnership is the Urshan Graduate School of Theology. Our graduates in religious studies are trained in foreign missions and/or as certified teachers. They could naturally be a source of students for UGST. Also, we have had discussions with Christian Life College where their Associate degree graduates could transfer and complete our BS/BA programs in education or pre-law. Ultimately, if our Board approves and the Bible schools are interested, we could form affiliations with them that would allow them to become accredited without a Trinitarian statement of faith. (The Higher Learning Commission or North Central Associate is a secular accrediting body approved by the U.S. Dept. of Education). 90&9: What majors/minors will be offered? ICP: Our majors include Education, English, General Studies, History, Biology, Computer Science, Pre-Med, Counseling Psychology, Economics/Finance, General Business, Information Systems, Management, Communications, and Religious Studies. More information is available on our web site. 90&9: Will there be any graduate study at any point? ICP: Yes, we will be offering a Master’s degree in Leadership, starting in 2005. Bible school graduates can complete this program within 12-18 months on campus or online.
THE DETAILS 90&9: What are the admission requirements? ICP: Our requirements will be fairly standard such as application, transcripts, SAT or ACT scores, immunizations, recommendation letters, etc. 90&9: How many students can you accommodate this first year? ICP: On campus, approximately 250; On-line, unlimited (on-line classes start September 28, 2004, and are available for all degree programs except music education). 90&9: When does the school year start? ICP: Orientation begins on September 27, 2004, and classes start September 28. 90&9: Will non-Apostolics be admitted? ICP: Absolutely! Of course, they must have an understanding of our fundamental beliefs and a sound rationale for attending an Apostolic university. 90&9: How many students are enrolled at present? ICP: Approximately 100 students are enrolled. I’m not sure of the on-line numbers. 90&9: How many students are you expecting in the next five years? ICP: One thousand in Jesus name! We have the capacity for one thousand students on-site in Michigan and an unbounded capacity for distance-learning students at remote locations. At that point, we hope to have branch campuses in several geographical areas with sufficient church support. 90&9: What’s been your biggest challenge up until this point? ICP: Our biggest challenge has been dealing with misunderstanding from within Apostolic ranks. While, it is a small segment of the Apostolic population, we are committed to pursuing open communication and dialogue so that we can address any concerns that may exist. We feel that we are complementing existing institutions rather than competing directly with them to fill an unmet need. 90&9: What’s been the most exciting moment until now? ICP: The most exciting moment, personally, was at a planning meeting when we had completed our mission, vision, and purpose statements—the sense of unity and teamwork was incredible!
ninetyandnine.com © 2004, Kent Curry ---------- Executive Editor Kent d Curry loves interviewing the overlooked life-changers that God uses throughout His kingdom. |
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