Update on Linking the College of Adult & Professional Studies, Seminary, and Graduate School

Colleagues:

I’d like to provide another update on our ongoing work to link the College of Adult & Professional Studies (CAPS), Seminary, and Graduate School (GS). Throughout this academic year a small group that includes Randy Bergen, David Clark, Bob Nielsen, Cara Wald, and me has worked on the restructuring process. Most recently we have focused on how to most effectively provide operational expertise and support across CAPS, Bethel Seminary St. Paul (BSSP), and GS. 

We have decided to create a new Office of Academic and Business Operations for CAPS, BSSP, and GS. We have not made changes to how these areas are organized at Bethel Seminary San Diego (BSSD). The Office of Academic and Business Operations will be responsible for a wide range of processes including revenue forecasts, budgeting, course scheduling, full-time faculty and adjunct contracts, catalogs, course evaluations, support for promotion and tenure processes, hiring processes, and leadership for the new program development and program revision cycle. Faculty will continue to have primary responsibility for curriculum development.

Ross Jahnke has agreed to serve as the Dean of Academic and Business Operations. His team will include the CAPS and GS Academic Quality team that will continue to be led by Kandy Bierle and Josh Manfred from Seminary Operations. 

This team brings significant expertise and experience to supporting our CAPS, Seminary, and GS faculty and programs These changes are effective as of April 1, 2017.  

We will bring additional information to you as we continue with this work. We anticipate that the majority of the linking process will be complete by the end of the summer. We are likely to have work left to complete in the fall related to shared governance matters for the faculty and administration.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Grateful to serve with you,

Deb

Debra K. Harless, Ph.D.

Executive Vice President and Provost