Church Executive SEPT / OCT 2019 DIGITAL ISSUE | Page 21

ministry tend to cluster into the M.Div., as well as D.Min., programs. Our
accrediting body has granted permission to offer our M.Div. 100% online,
and a majority of the D.Min. may be completed online as well.
Evan Posey, Ph.D.: For ministry leaders, the driving interest
is that they no longer have to send their staff “off to seminary” —
especially appealing in ministries not conveniently located near a
Bible college or seminary.
Over the past several years, we’re seeing a shift towards shorter,
specialized graduate degrees and away from the generalized M.Div.
The graduate degrees that prove most attractive focus on a particular
discipline, such as counseling, leadership, biblical studies, or theology
and apologetics.
How does the number of full-time ministry leaders using distance learning
in pursuit of advanced degrees compare to, say, 10 years ago?
Heille: Moving from residential to hybrid learning in 2000 tripled
our school’s D.Min. in Preaching’s enrollment, which remains our most-
enrolled program. Students take courses sequentially as members of a
cohort. On average, we field a new cohort of 15 students every other year.
Manion: When I completed my online Master of Science in Church
Management (MSCM) degree from Villanova in 2011, I graduated with
11 classmates. This past May, we had 42 students earn an MSCM. That’s a
350-percent increase in just one program.
Manor: According to enrollment data from our accrediting body (ATS),
total online students have more than doubled in the past decade. More
and more ATS schools are providing distance courses, and educational
assessment results actually show that performance among distance
students is as strong — or stronger — than their peers in residential
courses. These data points are consistent with what we’re seeing at Knox,
where we have an excellent, dedicated and motived group of students.
Posey: Our seminary’s enrollment mix 10 years ago looks quite
different from the mix today. Although a significant percentage of
our enrollment has always been through distance education, in 2009,
on-campus enrollment was approximately 25%. Today, on-campus
enrollment accounts for only 2%.
Within the last 10 to 15 years, distance learning’s reputation has
completely changed. Once thought a less-than-ideal learning experience,
disruptive technologies have allowed institutions to provide meaningful,
interactive and academically rigorous experiences that rival the
traditional experience.
Ennist: Ten years ago, United was just beginning to offer
comprehensive distance learning programs. Through distance education,
we were able to show students how they could stay in their community
and complete the program without a move by making the time on campus
minimal and the program affordable.
Now, most of our master’s students take online courses, and all D.Min.
students are engaged in a mentor-based program that enables them to
study in their ministry context.
As you look at your current students — particularly in the D.Min.
program — about how much of their pursuit of those advanced degrees is
conducted via distance learning?
Manion: Ninety-eight percent of our program is conducted through
distance learning. Our students come to campus for a one-week residency
for their first course in the program. They return two years later to receive
their diplomas, together. The rest of the coursework is completed via
distance learning.
Manor: Our D.Min. students only have to take three of the eight
courses via our intensive residential schedule; the remainder may be
done entirely online. This residency requirement is in alignment with
accreditation requirements. And while our D.Min. students enjoy coming
here for the occasional week-long intensive course (South Florida is a great
place in January!), most take the majority of their courses online.
Posey: The more advanced one’s academic pursuit becomes, the more
important peer review and interaction becomes. Consequently, doctoral
degrees have been slower to move to a completely online format.
However, the student who experienced the convenience of completing
a graduate degree through distance learning naturally seeks the same
convenience at the doctoral level. For example, our D.Min. program
consists of 30 credit hours (10 courses), six of which can be completed
entirely through distance learning. The four courses that must be
completed on-campus entail group discussion, lectures by leading
professionals, and critical peer-to-peer review.
Ennist: United has been intentional to structure the D.Min. program
to be accessible to students who want to remain in their ministry location,
while devoting time in person with faculty, peers and mentors. The
program encourages students to work in their local community to address
a specific need through action-based research. D.Min. students attend two
intensive weeks and two cohort meetings annually.
Heille: Advanced ministerial students are eager to make sense of their
ministerial experience. For this reason, their learning begins and ends in
their places of ministry. Each cohort includes a globally and ecumenically
diverse community of ordained and lay men and women of different
generations and points of view. The cohort becomes a safe place for
students to take stock of themselves, expand horizons, and find renewed
purpose and deeper meaning.
As you offer online coursework, how is your institution making the distance
learning experience as student-friendly as possible — especially for
students who are in full-time ministry?
Manor: At Knox, we are invested in providing a great student
experience. First, our online program is designed to bring students the
exact same content as our residential program. Online courses are semi-
synchronous, meaning there’s a certain amount of reading, videos and
assignments that must be completed each week. Students begin and end
each week together, but they’re able to complete these assignments within
that time whenever it suits them.
Second, there are many opportunities for students to engage one
another and the professor throughout the course — discussion forums,
emails, or live video conferences. No student will feel like they’re learning
in isolation.
Finally, our class sizes are small (typically no more than 15 students),
allowing the professor and students to get to know one another well.
We also offer live video conferences. Our students also appreciate that
each written assignment is returned within one week with thoughtful
feedback from the professor, allowing them to understand both areas of
strength and room for growth in their work. Student feedback on their
experience in online classes has been very positive.
Posey: The use of video conferencing tools, such as Blackboard
Collaborate, is vital in developing relationships between the professor
and the student because it introduces two-way, face-to-face interaction. At
Luther Rice, professors use this technology each semester to keep regular
online office hours and host classroom discussion sessions.
Also, policies must be written with the distance learning student in
mind — policies that govern attendance, late submissions, academic
integrity and course offerings — and the administration must also
consider distance learning students’ needs when determining faculty
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