November 10, 1999
Enrollment high at
Texas Baptist universities this fall
___By Orville Scott
___Texas Baptist Communications
___DALLAS--Enrollment at Texas Baptist universities and one academy increased by about 1,200 this fall to a total of 32,311, almost one-third of the students enrolled in Southern Baptist-related colleges nationwide.
___"Total enrollment in the eight universities affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas has increased year after year because of such factors as a positive environment, caring faculty and staff, small class sizes, standards for values and morality, academic excellence and, of course, the integration of faith and learning within the context of Christian commitment," said Keith Bruce, director of the BGCT Christian Education Coordinating Board.
AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY, Brenda Sanders, BGCT consultant for student missions, talks with Anne Burton, a Truett Seminary student, about mission opportunities. (Photo by Beau Carpenter/ Baylor Lariat)
___"More and more students and their parents are eager for a quality education in a Christian setting that is available at Texas Baptist universities and is surprisingly affordable," he added.
___Pioneer Baptists led the way in Christian education while Texas was still a republic, chartering Baylor University and Baylor Female College at old Independence, near Brenham, in 1845. Baylor eventually moved to Waco, where a century and a half later it has more than 13,500 students. The women's college moved to Belton where, as a coed institution now called the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, it set another enrollment record this fall with 2,566 students.
___Also setting new fall enrollment records are Dallas Baptist University with 3,921 students and Wayland Baptist University, which enrolled 4,586 students at its main campus in Plainview and eight satellites.
___Other Texas Baptist schools and their 1999 fall enrollments are East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, 1,301; Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, 2,286; Houston Baptist University, 2,369; Howard Payne University in Brownwood, 1,453; and San Marcos Baptist Academy, 311.
___"An exciting trend, in light of the Texas 2000 goal to reach every person with the gospel in our culturally diverse state, is a significant increase in the number of students in our Baptist universities from minority and multi-ethnic backgrounds," Bruce said. "They now represent more than one-fourth of all students in our schools."
___Additionally, more than 3,300 students at Texas Baptist universities are studying for Christian ministry careers, Bruce said. Another 300 graduate students are enrolled at Baylor's Truett Seminary and Hardin-Simmons' Logsdon School of Theology.
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