December 2006 Presidential Update

This update is a little shorter than usual, due to pressing deadlines on a number of other activities.

Update on MA in Counseling Program
After a thorough evaluation that involved all current faculty members in the counseling program and several faculty/staff from outside the department, the President's Cabinet approved a recommendation from the provost/graduate dean that the school counseling track in the program be discontinued. The community counseling focus will continue.

We are committed to providing faculty for the 2007-08 academic year so that students currently enrolled in the school counseling track expecting to complete their degrees in spring 2008 can do so. We will work with other individual students on a case-by-case basis.

Update on WEMC
We are working on the details of a lease agreement with WMRA that would initially be for a period of five years. The plan, if finally approved by EMU and WMRA, would be implemented near the end of January 2007. The plan will include provisions for a small advisory group to meet regularly with WMRA station managers to review programming options and decisions.

Southern Association of Colleges and Universities
Beryl Brubaker, Marie Morris, and I will represent EMU at the annual meeting of SACS in Florida early next week. In previous years I have been unable to attend the SACS sessions and it is important for me to join other presidents to become more familiar with accreditation issues in our region and nationally.

Seminary Ezine
The seminary has developed an "ezine" that has been sent monthly to selected constituents. The concept is being expanded and will soon be sent to faculty and staff throughout the university as a way of keeping all of us informed of particular events and news at EMS.

Personal note
For years it has been my practice to take vacation time for the two weeks over Christmas and New Year. I expect to be spending some time during these days writing an article for The Mennonite, completing an annual report for the Mennonite Education Agency, and completing a few other projects, but I hope to spend quality time with family and friends. Pat and I will spend three days in Iowa January 1-4 with our four parents and several siblings.

Blessings, Loren

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