I don’t need no stinkin’ URL

So I have an Android phone and have increasingly used the QR codes to quickly look up webaddresses. Basically, you have a bar code scanner application that uses the camera on your phone. With the camera focused on this specially created bar code, the software in the phone figures out the details and points your browser to the appropriate website.

Being a tech kinda guy, I had to see if I could do it myself. The code at the top will take you directly to www.tyndale.ca

I realize I may be the only one, but I think that’s pretty cool.

Memberships

Last week I had a great opportunity to meet with 3 Admissions Directors representing Eastern Canada Christian Post-Secondary institutions. It was an informal meeting to get to know each other and to share information and work together. The spirit of cooperation was fantastic and I had a really great time. We talked a lot about the various organizations that we are members of and I thought it might be a good idea to talk about those organizations from a Tyndale Admissions perspective.

We operate in a field that has a variety of professional and institutional organizations that provide training, resources and a framework around those engaged in recruiting and admitting students to post-secondary education.  As you’ll see by the list that follows there is a variety of organizations in which we participate for a variety of reasons.

We are members of Christian Higher Education Canada (CHEC). This organization has the goal to “advance the efficiency and effectiveness of Christian higher education at member schools, including fostering institutional cooperation, and to raise public awareness of the value of Christian higher education in Canada.” This Canadian organization helps us understand and cooperate as Christian Post-Secondary institutions operating in Canada and dealing with the uniqueness of the Canadian academic environment.

We are also members of the North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professionals (NACCAP). This professional society “exists to provide professional development, support and encouragement for Christian College, Graduate School and Seminary admissions personnel and High School guidance counselors across North America.” This organization has been in existence for 40 years and the level of professionalism that has been created for Christian institutions has been a tremendous help to us.

The National Association for College Admission Counselling (NACAC) “will support and advance the work of counseling and enrollment professionals as they help all students realize their full educational potential, with particular emphasis on the transition to postsecondary education. NACAC is committed to promoting high professional standards that foster ethical and social responsibility.” We appreciate the vastness of the greater knowledge of admissions counselling that this organization opens us up to.

Tyndale is a member of the Association of Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) and the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).  These organizations are based in the US and serve as accrediting bodies. We are responsible to them and glad to associate with them.

If you have questions about any of these organizations or why Tyndale’s Admissions Office participates in them, feel free to drop me a line.

Increase in new students at Tyndale Seminary

This Winter we have experienced a big increase in our new students at Tyndale Seminary. We’ve been working really hard over the last few years to communicate with people interested in beginning their studies in January. This year we’re glad to see that more people have done this than in any of the last 5 years. In fact, we’ve seen an increase of over 70% compared to last year.

Tina Marie, Ryan and Nyssa the Tyndale Seminary Admissions Counselors have done a terrific job of keeping in touch with prospective students as they negotiate the myriad of complexities that go into make a decision to attend Seminary. It’s hard trying to figure out how to balance family and ministry responsibilities without even considering adding studies. If you take some time to talk to the Counselors they can give some great insight into how much time it really takes and how best to approach this significant decision. They’ll even take some time to introduce you to current students to get their advice, and to faculty members to see what exactly is taught in the classrooms.

With our expanding online offerings at the Seminary including the opportunity to complete a full diploma online in one year,  its getting even easier to balance all of the aspects of life as a follower of Christ. The courses taken in this diploma also leads quite well into the 2 year Master of Theological Studies (MTS) and the 3 year Master of Divinity (MDiv) degrees.

We’re pleased that more students are joining Tyndale Seminary. If you ask Ryan Klassen why he thinks this is the case, he’ll tell you that it takes time to discuss and decide when the timing’s right. He’s glad we’ve added more counselors so that we can assist more people with appropriate, timely information. So feel free to contact our fantastic Seminary Admissions Counselors for advice.

Ryan Klassen and Nyssa Clements

Simplification

For the last 3 years or so several issues have worked their way across my desk. Often they are pretty easy to deal with. Sometimes, however it seems its a pretty difficult thing to take care of. Just recently, I have begun to understand how important it is to simplify life.

I’ve seen policies and practices that make a lot of sense when set up, but when we describe it to someone else they find it hard to understand. I’ve also seen the same policies and practices make it very difficult to automate the accompanying processes. When you get a chance to step back and really look at the situation the easiest solution is the one to make it more simple. If its too hard to describe in a few sentences maybe you should look at why its complicated first instead of just trying to find new ways to communicate those complicated concepts.

I think this concept of simplification plays out in a lot of different ways. Whether its at work or starting up an exercise schedule or figuring out what you’re going to have for dinner – don’t make things more complicated then they need to be. It will save a lot of stress and time. So – simplify.

A Professional Tribute to Deano

Yesterday, I heard of the passing of a very dear friend. This news was shocking in its unexpected nature. Dean is just a couple of years older than I and his passing was not anticipated.  As I have had some time to reflect since hearing the news, several things have come clear to me.

Sometimes, its hard to understand the influence we have on other people’s lives. My friend, Dean had a profound influence on me. He’s one of the reasons why I have stayed in Christian Higher Education.

Dean didn’t come to the school where I was Registrar on a straight path. He made some wrong choices. He also had to live through the consequences of those choices. But then he started making right choices. He realized that God had a calling on his life and that if he were to accomplish it, education was important.

Dean arrived on campus with tons of energy. That’s the best way to describe Dean – energetic. He also came with determination and dedication. He knew that in order for him to graduate he would have to work hard. And he did work hard. I know of many nights he spent working on papers. He also approached his schooling with creativity. That brought a log of enjoyment to his peers and professors.

Dean had lots of opportunities to give up. He was offered jobs, he could even had begun his profession before graduation. But he looked at his education as essential to fulfilling his vocation with the best resources possible. He knew that preparation to follow God’s call couldn’t be circumvented. He was also determined to show others that he could complete his degree with a high gpa. He accomplished both those goals despite others’ forecasts of his success.

When I look back on Dean’s story, I’m inspired by his dedication. Its students like Dean that remind me that education is a privilege and a necessity and needs to be treated as such. It’s Dean I think of when I sit in meetings talking about retention rates and recruitment practices.

I will miss this friend, but I will never forget him as he inspires me to do my best at an institution dedicated to the ideals that Dean was committed to as a student. Please remember his family and two daughters that he leaves behind following this abrupt ending to his life.

University Counselor Position Open

I should have posted this earlier, but better late than never.

We are excited to be adding a position in University Admissions Counselling. Due to our expanding vision and growth, we are looking for a dynamic individual to join our team.

For the full position announcement, check out the Tyndale HR Website.

“Niche” Universities in Canada?

As is my custom, I started the day catching up on my RSS feed reading. One of my favourites to watch is “The Academica Top 10.” One article today really caught my eye. In it, we discover an article featured in the Globe and Mail that talks about Canadian Universities breaking into niches. To roughly paraphrase, Canadians would be well-served if some universities focused on being big and others focused on being small.

There are tremendous advantages to being a large university. Bigger and better research facilities. Lots more people in your classes. There are also advantages to small universities – better access to professors and multidisciplinary learning.

At Tyndale, we’ve recognized this. We have a niche. We’re a small university with a rigorous academic program and a fantastic community. We have aspirations of being a larger institution. We’ve even already got the property to do it. But we don’t want to grow so large that we lose what we’re good at. We excel at faculty/student interaction. Our students love being students here. They’ve told us so when they were surveyed and we found out that we have the most satisfied university students in Canada.

Lots of activity

The start of something new always brings a flurry of activity. The start of the 2009/2010 academic year seems very busy. Just recently, we started keeping track of all the new initiatives.

As I mentioned earlier, we are delving deeper into social media. The number of events we are attending is also way up. We’ve had more campus visits and we’ve been busy hiring new staff.

All of this activity brings excitement. Its great to see all of the new places we now have access to promote Tyndale. Its great to see that more and more students are interested in what we have to offer.

Tyndale has a long history of and I really enjoy being a part of the work at this time. We are looking into campus expansions, program reviews, new staff and other exciting opportunities. It is great to see God at work at Tyndale. It is great to see how God is leading us on to exciting and new things.

Its also scary and tiring. We have a lot more work to do. We have to forge ahead into territories in which God is leading but is new to us.

Tyndale and Social Media

Okay, so we’re late on the scene, but better late than never, right?

Will Kinchlea has joined the Tyndale Staff as a Web Content Specialist. He has a keen desire to get our YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and all social media outlets are up-to-date and relevant. Its a big job and I’m glad he’s interested in keeping it all up to date. Watch for all the ways you can interact with us via social media.

Corporate Worship

Inspired by a recent blog post, I had a revelation during Chapel today.

I wonder when corporate worship changed from being something every participated in at a relatively equal level to the point where we are today. Now this seems to be where I dig out the rocking chair and talk about things “in my day.” I’m really not that old, but maybe I am old enough to recognize change happening.

Well, in my day, there was a music leader, but the focus was on the congregation singing. We all sang parts, at least as well as can be expected. The group voice was the focus.

Perhaps its the increasing use of sound systems or a general downgrade in music reading, but now it seems like we focus on hearing the worship the team and can barely hear the congregation. Perhaps thats why I sometimes feel a little more out of touch during the singing times now. I don’t feel like I am contributing as much as I used to.

Perhaps, I should sign off letting you know that probably most of the people around me view that hearing less of me sing is not necessarily a bad thing.