I have, on occasion, been asked how WSCLL approaches the development of our program and of our individual courses.A variety of factors are considered as we continue to serve the seminary and our students through distance education. First, we strive to ensure that every effort advances the mission of the seminary. There is clearly no end of opportunity today, and many of the opportunities that cross our path are enticing. Nevertheless, it is critical that our distance education program remains focused only on those elements that help Western Seminary to accomplish its educational mission. We are a fully-integrated, strategically-deployed academic program of the seminary and we make our greatest contribution to the school and our students when we are steadfastly intentional and directional.
Second, we seek always to remain true to our core educational values. How will we teach? What are our educational priorities? How will we choose between two good options that will have significantly different outcomes? Our values help to constrain and to guide our program design for they ensure our adherence to a value-driven, rather than a opportunity-driven, learning system.
So, for your review and comment, here are those factors that help us to provide you with a coherent, well-considered, and ultimately-satisfying distance education experience:
Western Seminary Mission Statement
Western Seminary serves as a catalyst and resource for spiritual transformation by providing, with and for the church, advanced training for strategic ministry roles.
WSCLL Core Educational Values
The following qualities represent the values that govern the design, development and direction of our distance education program. These values demand that we create and support a program that is:
1. Accessible WSCLL is committed to extending the teaching ministry of Western Seminary to men and women for whom accredited, premier-quality ministry preparation may otherwise be unattainable. Our program strives to overcome obstacles of time, distance and personal circumstance that limit access to seminary training, and which, by consequence, negatively impact effective field ministry.
2. Flexible WSCLL itself represents, in part, Western Seminary’s system-wide commitment to flexible scheduling and program design. We value, and are committed to, our role as the seminary’s most individually-adaptable training option.
3. Relational While WSCLL serves the individual educational needs of our students, we seek always to bring each individual into meaningful relationship with other students both to enrich learning and to reflect our mutual inter-dependency within the Body of Christ.
4. Adult-Oriented As a graduate distance education program, WSCLL seeks to serve the educational interests of adult learners. Moreover, while we support all students fully, we encourage students to develop those qualities of self-motivation, self-direction and self-discipline that will greatly enhance their learning experience and ultimate success.
5. Transformational WSCLL is committed to transformational ministry. We believe that through the power of the Holy Spirit the gospel of Jesus Christ is able to change lives utterly, beginning with redemption and continuing throughout our lives until our future-coming glorification with Christ in Heaven. WSCLL seeks to create a Christ-centered, gospel-centered learning environment that promotes spiritual transformation, and we wait in expectant anticipation of the Spirit’s working through the Word and through His people to touch the lives of our students.
6. Excellent In support of the compelling educational interests of the seminary, WSCLL works with faculty to create learning resources and an instructional environment that promote an academically-rigorous, intellectually- and spiritually-challenging, and consistently-satisfying learning experience for all our students.
7. Contextualized WSCLL believes that students learn best when learning is anchored in, and in some respects validated by, the student’s professional, ministry, social or family context. We strive to relate instruction to each student’s real-world experience, integrating learning with life and ministry. Our goal is to ensure that each student’s time with WSCLL results in an authentic, meaningful, and real-time season of learning and personal growth.
8. Synthetic WSCLL resources and personnel encourage students to go beyond a content focus to consider the implications and application of lessons learned in our classrooms to their individual lives. We seek always to help students craft from the many pieces and parts a personal philosophy of ministry that will help to engage the lessons of seminary for a lifetime of effective service.
9. Mentored The WSCLL program seeks to bring students into relationship with a seasoned, thoroughly-equipped mentor to guide, encourage, and challenge them in their learning. Mentors help to evaluate each student’s progress toward clearly-stated learning outcomes, and provide useful feedback to promote course-level success and long-term learning.
10. Lifelong-Learning The lifelong sanctifying work of Christ recommends a lifelong commitment to study and to personal growth. WSCLL seeks to create learning resources that support our students in that pursuit and which extend beyond a singular season of seminary study.
