On the last FFF, I was asked what rules I would institute at a Bible College. It was a fun little exercise. Mainly my goal would be to maintain order and safety, allow for a real education (including lively debate), and to respect the students as the adults they are.
http://www.fundamentalforums.com/fighting-forum/88055-if-you-had-bible-college-what-rules-would-you-have.html
copied/pasted:
Great question. This would also make for a good thread on the Fighting Forum!
My rulebook would be a great deal shorter (LOL).
I have no real problem with schools having a basic dress code, but only when class/chapel is in session. My dress code would probably be no beach wear (tank tops, shorts, flip flops) in the classroom or chapel. Appropriate gym clothes (but never a culotte! LOL!) for physical Ed classes. What students wear on their own time is frankly none of my business.
Destruction of school property will not be tolerated. You intentially break it or vandalize it and we will tack the entire expense onto your school bill and report it to the police, if deemed appropriate. And yes, I am in favor of security cameras in public places.
What church can students attend during the school year? Any Christian church that follows the basic fundamentals of the faith. It should be located close enough to allow them to attend faithfully.
Foul language? Not in class/chapel. The profs can manage their own class. I am not the language police. If something is said during a private conversation, I am loathe to become involved....unless it involves harassment of another student/administrator. That will not be tolerated.
Debating doctrine with professors? I certainly hope so! I am not scared of the truth.
Demand students return their diplomas if they ever disagree with their Alma Mater's beliefs (WCBC rule)? No way!!! That is totally cultish!!!
Hair? Not my business
Jewelry? Not my business
Make up? Not my business
Cellphones? Please silence them during class/chapel. And no...school administration may never attempt to confiscate the phone of an adult. (That is so crazy.) The prof may ask an adult who is disrupting the class while talking on his phone to leave the class.
Students participating in social networking sites? Definately not my business (only a control freak would think it is his business)
Choice of music? Not my business. We do have rules against excessive noise on campus. If you are a music student, your prof will decide what music meets the requirements of his class for performance and study. What you listen to on your own time is not our business.
Living on or off campus? Whatever the student prefers
Movie houses? Let their conscience be their guide. Christians are guided by the Holy Spirit, right?
Alcohol? None on campus....period. If they are over 21 (legal drinking age here), it is not my business if they have an alcoholic beverage off campus -unless they make it my business (being on campus drunk, etc.). I bail no one out of jail. (Feel free to grovel to your parents directly.) I would hope Christian students would follow the Bible when it says not to drink in excess, but they answer to God, not me. Underage drinking is a crime and will be reported to the police...They can interrogate you to determine who illegally got it/sold it to you.
Smoking? Not allowed on campus at any time. It is a fire hazard and CA law prohibits it in places like this. Besides it makes you, and everything around you, smell bad.
Dating? Totally not my business. We are talking about adults here, right?
How long can two people of the opposite sex talk on the sidewalk in front of the dorm (WCBC "one minute" rule)? None of my business. Just don't block the entrance.
What about "making eye babies" (PCC rule)? No such thing. It is not my business how long you stare at each other. I also don't care if you hold hands, hug, or politely kiss. None of us want to see a big sloppy kissing session, so do not do that sort of thing on campus. It is not my job to run student's lives. Let the Holy Spirit be their guide. They are adults who will live with the consequences of their decisions. We will, of course, teach that God wants us to wait to have sex until marriage in Bible class and chapel...and we believe that and hope the students will too.
Loans between students?(BJU rule) Not my business. If you keep loaning stuff out and not getting it back, you should probably not loan stuff out anymore. Learn to say no or deal with the consequences.
Curfew? What do I care if they never sleep? They are adults. If they keep falling asleep during class, the prof can expel them from his class if he finds it necessary to do so. If they fail out, it is their problem, and might indicate they are too immature for college. In consideration of others, no loud noises after 10PM (which is in line with the city noise regulations, I believe). Complaints about excessive noise and loud parties in dorms will be taken seriously. If you need to stay up all night to finish an assignment (which is banned at PCC), by all means do it. Next time I hope you will not procrastinate.
Dorms - No male/female may share dorm rooms/floors, unless it is in married housing.
Cars: Whether or not you have a car is not my problem or concern. Don't drive too fast in the parking lot. There are a bunch of little kids running around all the time. Get caught speeding and lose parking privileges. Then you can park at Walmart and hitchhike the 3 miles back to our isolated campus at night.
Jobs (PCC forbids young women from getting off campus jobs): Not my business. If you need one to pay your bills, I hope you are able to find one in this horrible job market (>15% unemployment in Lancaster). We will pray for you.
Contact Parents? Adult students will be dealt with directly. We will send your grades to the address you provide and bill you directly too. Unless you grant us permission, we can not discuss your status with anyone else. That would be a violation of your privacy. This includes calling your parents or pastor to see if they approve of your boyfriend/girlfriend. That is crazy...you are an adult. Please make such choices prayerfully though. Parents can offer good advice, so we do recommend you consider talking to them about such things.
The basic idea is to treat them like the adults they are. If they are too immature to handle such freedom perhaps they need to wait another year or two before going off to college anywhere.
I would certainly hope they could handle living on a college campus (a Christian college at that!) without abandoning everything their parents ever taught them and "living like the debel". If they can not, no college rules can make them.
What I described is not a secular college. The teaching would be solidly Christian and biblical. It would be my prayer that students grow in their understanding of Scripture and that that knowledge would change the way they choose to live their lives.
It is not for me to "teach for doctrine the commandments of men" just to gain compliance and make my school brochures look like something out of Stepford Wives.
I am sure I am forgetting some things. Y'all can remind me, okay.
http://www.fundamentalforums.com/fighting-forum/88055-if-you-had-bible-college-what-rules-would-you-have.html
copied/pasted:
Great question. This would also make for a good thread on the Fighting Forum!
My rulebook would be a great deal shorter (LOL).
I have no real problem with schools having a basic dress code, but only when class/chapel is in session. My dress code would probably be no beach wear (tank tops, shorts, flip flops) in the classroom or chapel. Appropriate gym clothes (but never a culotte! LOL!) for physical Ed classes. What students wear on their own time is frankly none of my business.
Destruction of school property will not be tolerated. You intentially break it or vandalize it and we will tack the entire expense onto your school bill and report it to the police, if deemed appropriate. And yes, I am in favor of security cameras in public places.
What church can students attend during the school year? Any Christian church that follows the basic fundamentals of the faith. It should be located close enough to allow them to attend faithfully.
Foul language? Not in class/chapel. The profs can manage their own class. I am not the language police. If something is said during a private conversation, I am loathe to become involved....unless it involves harassment of another student/administrator. That will not be tolerated.
Debating doctrine with professors? I certainly hope so! I am not scared of the truth.
Demand students return their diplomas if they ever disagree with their Alma Mater's beliefs (WCBC rule)? No way!!! That is totally cultish!!!
Hair? Not my business
Jewelry? Not my business
Make up? Not my business
Cellphones? Please silence them during class/chapel. And no...school administration may never attempt to confiscate the phone of an adult. (That is so crazy.) The prof may ask an adult who is disrupting the class while talking on his phone to leave the class.
Students participating in social networking sites? Definately not my business (only a control freak would think it is his business)
Choice of music? Not my business. We do have rules against excessive noise on campus. If you are a music student, your prof will decide what music meets the requirements of his class for performance and study. What you listen to on your own time is not our business.
Living on or off campus? Whatever the student prefers
Movie houses? Let their conscience be their guide. Christians are guided by the Holy Spirit, right?
Alcohol? None on campus....period. If they are over 21 (legal drinking age here), it is not my business if they have an alcoholic beverage off campus -unless they make it my business (being on campus drunk, etc.). I bail no one out of jail. (Feel free to grovel to your parents directly.) I would hope Christian students would follow the Bible when it says not to drink in excess, but they answer to God, not me. Underage drinking is a crime and will be reported to the police...They can interrogate you to determine who illegally got it/sold it to you.
Smoking? Not allowed on campus at any time. It is a fire hazard and CA law prohibits it in places like this. Besides it makes you, and everything around you, smell bad.
Dating? Totally not my business. We are talking about adults here, right?
How long can two people of the opposite sex talk on the sidewalk in front of the dorm (WCBC "one minute" rule)? None of my business. Just don't block the entrance.
What about "making eye babies" (PCC rule)? No such thing. It is not my business how long you stare at each other. I also don't care if you hold hands, hug, or politely kiss. None of us want to see a big sloppy kissing session, so do not do that sort of thing on campus. It is not my job to run student's lives. Let the Holy Spirit be their guide. They are adults who will live with the consequences of their decisions. We will, of course, teach that God wants us to wait to have sex until marriage in Bible class and chapel...and we believe that and hope the students will too.
Loans between students?(BJU rule) Not my business. If you keep loaning stuff out and not getting it back, you should probably not loan stuff out anymore. Learn to say no or deal with the consequences.
Curfew? What do I care if they never sleep? They are adults. If they keep falling asleep during class, the prof can expel them from his class if he finds it necessary to do so. If they fail out, it is their problem, and might indicate they are too immature for college. In consideration of others, no loud noises after 10PM (which is in line with the city noise regulations, I believe). Complaints about excessive noise and loud parties in dorms will be taken seriously. If you need to stay up all night to finish an assignment (which is banned at PCC), by all means do it. Next time I hope you will not procrastinate.
Dorms - No male/female may share dorm rooms/floors, unless it is in married housing.
Cars: Whether or not you have a car is not my problem or concern. Don't drive too fast in the parking lot. There are a bunch of little kids running around all the time. Get caught speeding and lose parking privileges. Then you can park at Walmart and hitchhike the 3 miles back to our isolated campus at night.
Jobs (PCC forbids young women from getting off campus jobs): Not my business. If you need one to pay your bills, I hope you are able to find one in this horrible job market (>15% unemployment in Lancaster). We will pray for you.
Contact Parents? Adult students will be dealt with directly. We will send your grades to the address you provide and bill you directly too. Unless you grant us permission, we can not discuss your status with anyone else. That would be a violation of your privacy. This includes calling your parents or pastor to see if they approve of your boyfriend/girlfriend. That is crazy...you are an adult. Please make such choices prayerfully though. Parents can offer good advice, so we do recommend you consider talking to them about such things.
The basic idea is to treat them like the adults they are. If they are too immature to handle such freedom perhaps they need to wait another year or two before going off to college anywhere.
I would certainly hope they could handle living on a college campus (a Christian college at that!) without abandoning everything their parents ever taught them and "living like the debel". If they can not, no college rules can make them.
What I described is not a secular college. The teaching would be solidly Christian and biblical. It would be my prayer that students grow in their understanding of Scripture and that that knowledge would change the way they choose to live their lives.
It is not for me to "teach for doctrine the commandments of men" just to gain compliance and make my school brochures look like something out of Stepford Wives.
I am sure I am forgetting some things. Y'all can remind me, okay.
