(Left to
Right) Cory Young, Associate Director for
Recruiting and Assessment; Dr. R.J. Gore,
Vice President
and Dean of the Seminary; and Dr. Donald
Weatherman, Vice President and Dean of
Erskine College
Erskine
College and Seminary Celebrate New Academic Year
Erskine College and Seminary has reported that a
school record 886 students have enrolled this fall at
the 163-year-old institution.
The undergraduate college marked its 161st year
and the graduate seminary its 163rd year with a
formal opening convocation in which college officials
and student leaders welcomed college and seminary new
and returning students.
Erskine's freshman class numbers 158, and its
members join the upperclassmen, along with 18
transfer students, for a total of 519 in the college.
Erskine Seminary welcomed a record 102 new
students, that, with the returning students, total a
seminary student body of 367.
The 886 fall 1999 total enrollment of Erskine
College and Seminary surpasses the 882 combined
enrollment record set in 1994. Last year's total
enrollment at the College and Seminary was 869, the
second highest in the history of the institution at
the time.
“This significant increase in enrollment can
be attributed to three things, and the first is
prayer,” said Erskine President Dr. John L.
Carson. “In January I asked dozens of people to
pray for 150 freshmen, a number most people here at
Erskine thought was unrealistic. God gave us
158.”
Carson said the second reason for record
enrollment is clarity of mission.
“Erskine strives for the right balance
between academic excellence and Christian commitment,
and external agencies verify this,” Carson said.
The final piece, according to Carson, was hard
work by the Erskine faculty, staff, students, alumni
and friends.
“It was hard work with a collegial
spirit,” Carson said. “Every Erskine
constituency has pulled together to provide quality
experiences for current and prospective students. A
wonderful, positive synergy is evident on
campus.”
At the formal opening last week, Vice President
and Dean of the College Dr. Donald Weatherman
introduced new college faculty members and Vice
President and Dean of the Seminary R.J. Gore
introduced new seminary faculty members.
Erskine College Student Government Association
President Jeremy Crisp addressed students and faculty
members, as did Erskine Seminary student body
representative James Britt.
Crisp described Erskine College as a place where
“service is a lifestyle.” Recalling the
emptiness of the campus during the summer months,
Crisp invited his fellow students to `experience an
Erskine that you have created but have never seen
before.'
“There has sometimes been a gulf between the
College and the Seminary,” said Britt, speaking
in place of absent Seminary student body president
Tommy Tucker, noting that this year there will be
more interaction between college and seminary
students since a number of recent graduates of
Erskine College are now students at the seminary and
plan to participate in campus life. “You can
learn something from us, and I know we have a lot to
learn from you.”
Cory Young of the Erskine College Admissions
Office welcomed the new students, saying that the
freshman class and transfer students represented 11
states and two foreign countries, with an average SAT
score of 1100. The average high school grade point
average in college prep classes was 89, with 10
students having served as valedictorians or
salutatorians of their high school classes.
“This is a very athletic class,” said
Young, noting that more than 60 percent of the new
students were members of one or more athletic teams
in high school. “This is also a very giving
class, with more than 90 percent saying they had been
active in church or community volunteer activities
and several having reached the rank of Eagle
Scout.”
Carson spoke to the student body on
“Education for the Whole Person.” Carson
said that what sets Erskine apart is balance. Many
schools emphasize Christian commitment, many others
claim academic strength, but Erskine combines these.
Carson cited both Erskine's official college motto,
“Knowledge Joined with Morals,” and the
more recent expression of Erskine's mission,
“Christian Commitment and Excellence in
Learning.”
Carson noted Erskine is Īthe only college in the
South that is classified by the Carnegie Foundation
as a BA-1 college and is also a member of the Council
of Christian Colleges and Universities. Erskine is a
member of the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference
and has won the Messick Award for Sportsmanship in
the conference for three consecutive years. In
scholarship, Christian commitment, athletics, and
service, Erskine demonstrates a unique balance.
Carson recalled Jesus' admonition to his disciples
to love God with “all your heart, all your soul,
all your strength, and all your mind,” calling
Erskine students to seek a balance of intellectual,
spiritual, and athletic pursuits, loving God and
loving neighbor. At Erskine, Carson said,
“Service is part of education,” and
graduates recall that “their lives were changed
by their experience here,” especially by
“relationships built while at Erskine.”
