Do the Events at Oral Roberts University Foreshadow the Consequences at Southwest Baptist University?

Does the Scandal at Oral Roberts University hold any lessons for the Trustees and Administration at Southwest Baptist University?

Excerpted from the Associated Press (CBS11) story, "Scandal A Turnoff for Oral Roberts Students" :

As Oral Roberts University prepares to hand out diplomas to its Class of 2008, Anna Siebring, a junior, will be mailing out applications to transfer to another school. Siebring, a government major, is among many students having second thoughts about staying at Oral Roberts after six months of scandal at the evangelical Christian university.

Siebring, a government major, is among many students having second thoughts about staying at Oral Roberts after six months of scandal at the evangelical Christian university.

She and others fear the furor will reduce the value of any degree they earn there. Some graduates worry that they will have to try twice as hard to market themselves to potential employers after Saturday's commencement.

"The reputation of the school means a lot," Siebring said. "I want to be proud of the school that I went to, but I could definitely not say that about the school right now.' ...

School leaders have urged professors to lean on students and encourage them to return in the fall. Billionaire Oklahoma City businessman Mart Green, who stepped in last year to save the school with a $70 million donation and became chairman of the board of trustees in January, said budget cuts and layoffs are possible.

... Green said it will take years to make necessary overhauls and begin rebuilding trust. He has already dissolved the old board of regents and established a new set of bylaws. ... See entire article here.

Will the Missouri Baptist Convention -- which claims to own and operate Southwest Baptist University -- and Missouri Baptists look back months and years from now and wish that they had gained some wisdom (see here) from the consequences of the mistakes at Oral Roberts University?

The current Southwest Baptist University Board of Trustees (listed here in earlier May 5 post) are meeting today (May 5) and tomorrow (May 6).

NEWS ANNOUNCEMENTS in the coming weeks ...

They're Here!: Southwest Baptist University Trustees' Meeting Today (May 5) and Tomorrow (May 6)

NOTE: This is an image (from here) of the Southwest Baptist University logo, which reads "Edukatio Per Christum, 1878"

CURRENT TRUSTEES, ADMINISTRATION and DEANS
OF SOUTHWEST BAPTIST UNIVERSITY


MR. CLARENCE BARBER
Businessman, West Plains, MO


MR. BILL BOLERJACK
Retired Pharmacist, Mountain View, MO


MR. GARY BROWN
Businessman, Richland, MO


MRS. MARCY CARTER
Homemaker, St. Louis, MO
Businesswoman Mt. Vernon, MO


MRS. SYNDEE CHASE
Businesswoman, Lebanon, MO


DR. CLYDE ELDER
Director of Missions, St. Joseph, MO


DR. DON FAHRNI - Chairman
'68, Businessman, Russellville, MO


MR. PHILLIP FRANZ
Businessman, West Plains, MO


REV. GARY GILMORE
'79, Army National Guard Chaplain,
Pastor, First Baptist Church,
Ft. Leonard Wood, Mount Vernon, MO


DR. WAYNE GOTT
Businessman, Salem, MO


MIKE GREEN
Pastor, First Baptist Church
Republic, MO


MRS. BERNICE HAMILTON
'51, Businesswoman, Lebanon, MO


REV. RICK HEDGER
previously Educator, Chatham, IL
Pastor, Neosho, MO


DR. MARK HOUSTON - Secretary
'84, previously Columbia and Bolivar, MO
Educator, Ft. Worth, TX


MR. WAYNE HUTCHINS
'51, Businessman, Springfield, MO


MR. BOB KILLIAN
Businessman, Springfield, MO

DR. RAY LEININGER - term recently expired
Pastor, Bolivar, MO


REV. GARY LONGNECKER
'71, (Retired) Pastor, Nixa, MO


DAVID MASON
'83, Pastor, Green V alley Baptist Church,
St. Joseph, MO


DAVID McALTIN,
Pastor, St. Peters, MO


MR. LARRY PAYTON
'70, Businessman, Tulsa, OK


MR. MARK RAINS - Vice Chairman
'70, Attorney, Blue Springs, MO


MRS. REBECCA RANDLES
'85, Attorney, Shawnee (KC), KS


MR. CARY SUMMERS
Businessman, Rogersville, MO


DR. DAVID TOLLIVER -
Currently Interim Executive Director of the Missouri Baptist Convention
Pastor, Pisgah Baptist Church,
Excelsior Springs, MO


DR. GARY URICH
Pastor, Southern Hills Baptist Church,
Bolivar, MO


JERRY WILLIAMS,
'72, Director of Missions, Exeter, MO



ADMINISTRATION


C. PAT TAYLOR, President, ED. D


Gordon Dutile, PhD, Provost


Brent Good, MS, Director of Athletics


Ron Maupin, '70, MA, MS, CPA, Vice President for Admissions


Bob McGlasson, ED. D, Vice President for Information and Technology Services


Stephanie Miller, '80, ED. D, Vice President for Enrollment Management


Stan Norman, PhD, Vice President for University Relations


DEANS

William Brown, D.M.
Dean
Geneva Casebolt College of Music, Arts and Letters


Rodney Reeves, Ph.D.
Dean
'79, The Courts Redford College of Theology and Ministry


Edward W. Walton
Acting Dean
University Libraries


David Whitlock, Ph.D.
Dean
College of Business and Computer Science


Jennifer Wilson, Ed.D.
Dean
St. John's College of Nursing and Health Sciences


Linda Wooderson, Ed.D.
Dean
Lewis E. Schollian College of Education and
Social Science