1987-1988 Cedarville College Annual Report

Four major challenges confront higher education. Cedarville College -- Advancing in the Face of Adversity by Dr. Paul Dixon, President F or ten years experts have predicted dark days ahead for colleges and universities. Their prophecy may finally begin to come true in 1990. If it does, those colleges which are prepared will survive. Some which are strategically positioned in the marketplace will flourish. Cedarville College is positioned to meet the challenges to come and, with our God's enablement, will continue to serve an expanding constituency of outstanding Christian students. I perceive four major challenges confronting higher education: tr Major decline in available college age students - 18-24-year-olds tr Failure of higher education to impart a moral foundation for the leaders of tomorrow tr Academics which exclude an attitude of service tr Spiraling costs that diminish the opportunity for many young people to acquire a college education. College enrollments peaked in 1979. Since then experts who watch demographics have predicted a 23 percent decline in 18-year-olds by 1995. That is one million fewer students to recruit! However, many schools have kept their enrollment stable through new adult education programs, and it seems that a higher proportion of 18-year-olds are applying to colleges. But I believe darker days are just around the comer. In fact, in Ohio, there will be 31 percent fewer traditional age college students available in the next six years. Colleges and universities that are unprepared for this decline will be seriously affected. Cedarville is responding with aggressive marketing of our program breadth and quality, and of our Christian distinctives. We now offer nine out of ten of the major programs most desired by high school seniors. The tenth, engineering, will begin in 1990. The College has earned a reputation for excellence. Our three largest majors illustrate this. Cedarville is becoming recognized as one of the leading Christian colleges for Business Administration - our largest major. Each year 1000 job opportunities are posted for our 100 teacher education graduates to consider. Our nursing program was granted National League for Nursing Accreditation on its first application in 1986 - an uncommon feat. Our nursing majors are virtually assured of a job, many even before they graduate. Every year increasing numbers of students who qualify as President's Scholars come to Cedarville and apply for our acclaimed Honors Program. We now enroll 120 of these students who are in the top three percent academically nationwide.