Information on Colleges & Universities

The Alliance for Assemblies of God Higher Education - 2009 Annual Report

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 - 10:05 AM CST

Dr. G. Robert Cook Jr.
Executive Vice President

Since the 2007 General Council, significant changes have been made concerning Assemblies of God Higher Education. In November of 2007 the Executive Presbytery approved the appointment (upon the recommendation of the Alliance Executive Committee) of General Superintendent George Wood to serve as the President of the Alliance for AGHE.

Shortly thereafter at the invitation of Supt. George Wood, G. Robert Cook Jr. began duties as the Executive Vice President of AAGHE on March 31, 2008. During the summer of 2008, two other vice presidents were added to the team – David Moore and Marilyn Abplanalp. After serving the Christian Higher Education office for over 16 years, Dayton Kingsriter retired effective September 30, 2008. Other members of The Alliance team include: Dana Edson, Terry Langford,
Dan Morrison, and Christy Rowden.

The Alliance office has been given 78 initiatives regarding AG higher education as recommended by the General Presbytery. The initiatives pertain to three main categories: Student Recruitment, Resourcing of AG Colleges and Fund-raising. In addition to these new initiatives AAGHE continues to monitor the spiritual life and vitality of each of our schools through regular endorsement visits. These visits provide evidence that our schools are serving our Fellowship well by offering quality educational programs with a strong Pentecostal message.

Within the last year two new schools have applied for and received “candidate” status for endorsement – AG Evangel New York College and Seminary – Flushing, NY (Korean District) and School of Urban Missions – Oakland, CA. These schools are now on track to achieve full endorsement within the next three years.

Student Recruitment

The Alliance team endeavors to enhance and complement the student
recruitment strategies of each of the 19 endorsed AG colleges, universities, institutes,
and seminary. Alliance initiatives include:

Web site development…www.colleges.ag.org…this web site is linked to all web sites of AG colleges but also includes specific information designed to assist potentials and/or parents in college selection.
Publication of AG College Guide, an annual “handbook” that contains pertinent data for all AG schools.
Co-sponsorship of On Course magazine with the National Youth Ministries department. On Course is the official publication of NYM distributed to over 100,000 students; content includes articles and advertisements regarding AG colleges.
The 2009 edition of AG College Guide includes a “flip cover” version of On Course magazine...plus the official program of the NYM Fine Arts Festival will include the AG College Guide as well as the latest issue of On Course. Thus for the first time, participants in the national Fine Arts program will receive a copy of AG College Guide.
Gathering of AG high school student databases so that EVERY high school in the AG can receive information about education opportunities at AG schools; special focus is being given to PKs and Fine Arts participants.
Beginning in the fall of 2009, the Alliance office will begin hosting AG College Fairs, designed to attract AG high school students and parents to a venue to discuss the possibilities of AG higher education. Dates and locations for these first-ever Fairs are: October 3, 2009 – Columbus, Ohio; March 13, 2010 – Santa Ana, California; April 10, 2010 – Naperville, Illinois.

Resourcing of AG Colleges

The Alliance provides various resources/conferences designed to enhance students and leaders of our endorsed AG schools. Conferences held in the past two years include:

Student Leadership Conference – November 13-16, 2008 – Travel, hotel, and food expenses were paid for 72 student leaders from 18 AG colleges who came to Springfield for a time of leadership training, interaction with AG executives and the Alliance team, tour of AG national office facilities, and relationship building with other students.
Enrollment Summit – February 7-10, 2009 – Twenty-six enrollment officers from 18 schools attended this meeting held in Branson, MO, held to provide opportunities for strategic interaction with DYDs, discussions concerning student recruitment strategies, small group interaction, plus interaction with George Wood.
Faculty Seminar – June 24-26, 2009 – almost 200 faculty members and administrators representing 17 of the 19 endorsed AG schools met on the campus of Evangel University in Springfield. The 2009 seminar was designed for educators in the fields of Behavioral Sciences, Communications, Fine Arts, Humanities, Math, Science, and Social Sciences. In addition, presidents, chief academic officers, and chief student development officers participated in the Seminar. The program included some plenary sessions plus elective workshops designed for professional development in each area.
Seminarians’ Conference – July 5-17, 2009 – with classes held at AGTS, 22 Assemblies of God students attending non-AG seminaries came to Springfield to enroll in two courses – AG History and Polity and Pentecostal Theological Perspectives. The conference was designed to “connect” these AG students with the national offices, utilizing interaction not only with AGTS professors but also various national leaders, such as the Executive Leadership Team and other national department leaders.

Fund Raising

The Alliance team works closely with the offices of AGTrust, the development arm of the office of General Superintendent George Wood. One of the three targets for this strategic fund-raising office is AG higher education, thus investing in the lives of the next generation of young leaders. Through the fund-raising efforts of AGTrust, the following scholarship programs have been implemented:

Riggs Scholarships - $100,000 has been committed to 10 AG young people who were the first recipients of scholarships named after former General Superintendent Ralph Riggs. Of the ten, two students received the General Superintendent’s Scholarship of $30,000 per person (allocated over 4 years), and the other eight students received $5,000 per person for their first year of school.
Making The Difference Scholarships – a total of 57 AG students (3 from each of the 19 endorsed schools) will be receiving $1,000 per person. The MTD scholarships are available for either new or returning students.
Next Generation Grants – 23 graduates of AG schools will be given assistance for the next 3 years in partial payment of their school loans. The recipients, all of whom are credentialed with the AG and hold either pastoral, missionary, or para-church positions within the AG, will receive from $100 to $300 per month toward their monthly loan debt. Total amount paid by AGTrust for these grants is $54,000 per year.
Total amount disbursed for the three programs listed above totals $211,00 for the 2009/2010 school year. As more AGTrust money is raised, the hope is that more and more of our AG young people can be helped in their desire to attend AG schools.

Further information concerning any part of this Alliance Annual Report can be received from the Alliance offices by calling 417.862.2781 or by emailing at: colleges@ag.org.to enroll in two courses – AG History and Polity and Pentecostal Theological Perspectives. The conference was designed to “connect” these AG students with the national offices, utilizing interaction not only with AGTS professors but also various national leaders, such as the Executive Leadership Team and other national department leaders.

Fund Raising

Riggs Scholarships - $100,000 has been committed to 10 AG young people who were the first recipients of scholarships named after former General Superintendent Ralph Riggs. Of the ten, two students received the General and the other eight students received $5,000 per person for their first year of Superintendent’s Scholarship of $30,000 per person (allocated over 4 years), school.
Making The Difference Scholarships – a total of 57 AG students (3 from each of the 19 endorsed schools) will be receiving $1,000 per person. The MTDscholarships are available for either new or returning students.
Next Generation Grants – 23 graduates of AG schools will be given assistance for the next 3 years in partial payment of their school loans. The recipients, all of whom are credentialed with the AG and hold either pastoral, missionary, or para-church positions within the AG, will receive from $100 to $300 per month toward their monthly loan debt. Total amount paid by AGTrust for these grants is $54,000 per year.
Total amount disbursed for the three programs listed above totals $211,00 for the 2009/2010 school year. As more AGTrust money is raised, the hope is that more and more of our AG young people can be helped in their desire to attend AG schools.

Further information concerning any part of this Alliance Annual Report can be received
from the Alliance offices by calling 417.862.2781 or by emailing at: colleges@ag.org.