As a new academic year dawns at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, the new administration reported a slight increase in enrollment during the previous academic year just ended.
That indicates a hopeful correction to two decades of decline in what once was the world’s largest theological seminary.
Exactly how much enrollment increased in the 2022-2023 academic year depends on how the counting is done. Enrollment figures for the six Southern Baptist Convention seminaries are calculated at least three ways, each showing different nuances.
The measure most often cited is called the “SBC FTE,” meaning the full-time equivalent enrollment as allowed by the SBC’s funding formula. A seminary spokesman said that number will not be available until later this year.
In the meantime, new President David Dockery told faculty Aug. 9 that headcount enrollment — the most generous measure that includes the total number of students enrolled for any amount of study — grew by 171 students last year, from 3,403 in 2021-2022 to 3,574 in the year just ended.
The general FTE rose from 2,223 to 2,317, a gain of 94 student FTEs.
In response to a query from BNG, a seminary spokesman said the general FTE — meaning a full-time equivalent that includes both SBC and non-SBC students — rose from 2,223 to 2,317, a gain of 94 student FTEs.
Dockery told faculty he was “thankful” for this enrollment increase.
The Fort Worth, Texas, school also has faced mounting financial challenges — including running a $140 million cumulative deficit over 21 years. The past academic year — in which the former president was ousted and trustees instituted tighter controls — brought a small increase in unrestricted giving, Dockery said, from $2.8 million to $3.2 million.
That increase was accomplished while spending $700,000 less on the office of institutional advancement, he noted. Trustees earlier initiated significant budget reductions to address the budget shortfall.
The monthly payroll for last year “changed drastically,” he said, dropping from $2.07 million in August last year to $1.54 million in July of this year. Southwestern is entering the new academic year with 35 fewer full-time employees than the same time last year.
“Much work was done this past year in trying to restructure and give some new direction to the budget,” Dockery said. “We still have some work to do” in this area in the upcoming academic year as it is “an ongoing process.”
In another bit of good news, he announced the sale of a five-acre portion of the Carroll Park student housing complex, a portion not included in the previous sale of 15 acres to the City of Fort Worth. That 15-acre sale should close in the coming months, he said.
“We all know that the financial challenges at Southwestern are very real,” the president told faculty. He called those problems “long-standing” and “systemic.”
Being given a warning by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is a very serious matter, he acknowledged.
“A warning is not probation,” he noted, but said it is a warning to the school to “Get your act together.”
The seminary has 24 months to address the warnings, which are largely related to finances and governance.
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Behind the numbers: How Southwestern Seminary’s enrollment came to be the lowest it has been since World War II | Analysis by Mark Wingfield