Page 28 - Cedarville Magazine Spring 2013 Volume 1 Issue 1

by Patrick Oliver During my first year as Director of Cedarville’s Criminal
Justice program, I reviewed results from an alumni survey.
While graduates hadmany positive things to say about their
Cedarville experience, they provided helpful critical feedback as well.
We asked, “What is something Cedarville University did not do for
you that you wish it had?” Two answers tied for the top response
to this question. First, graduates indicated they would have desired
more help with selecting a major (based on graduates working in
fields unrelated to their majors). Second, they indicated they would
have benefited from training on how to manage money effectively,
saying their academic education never addressed this issue at any
level. In response to this 2005 survey, the Criminal Justice program
now requires courses in both career planning and personal financial
management for every student in the major.
Managing your personal finances is an essential life skill,
especially important for Christians who believe that “The earth is
the Lord’s and everything in it” (Ps. 24:1). Effectively stewarding
God’s money and possessions enhances our ministry opportunities,
self-confidence, marriage relationships, family well-being, and
professional stability.
In some professions, including many in the criminal justice field,
individuals must be free from the potential or influence of corruption
based on the need or desire to earnmoney unethically. Job candidates
undergo required background investigations, including a credit
check, to determine their job suitability. While a compromised credit
history should not be the sole reason for being disqualified for a job,
it does speak to a candidate’s financial responsibility.
Our American educational system does a poor job of teaching
students about personal financial management. A student can
progress through primary and secondary
school, receive an undergraduate degree,
and even achieve an advanced degree in
higher education without learning this
basic life skill. A commission of the National
Association of State Boards of Education
now recommends that all students in
the United States receive comprehensive
financial and investor education.
The primar y purpos e of an
undergraduate degree is to become an
educated person. An educated person must
be able to demonstrate effective stewardship
over God-given resources, and this life
skill should be part of his or her academic
education. It is not ideal to seek financial
management training from those selling
a financial product or investment advice
because they have a personal stake in the
advice they are giving you.
Are you experiencing financial
problems? If so, how does this affect
your work performance, involvement in
Christian ministries, and family life? Are
you as a professional any more prepared to
manage money than other graduates of the
American educational system?
28 | Cedarville Magazine