Christian Church(Disciples of Christ)
Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ)
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org
96b-40
May 22, 1996
ENID, Okla. -- Phillips University officials announced May 16 a major change in admission requirements for students applying for the fall 1997 semester that will improve the overall quality of the student body, according to new President G. Curtis Jones Jr. "A new criteria is being developed for determining acceptance into our programs," Jones said. "In keeping with our mission and philosophy, we will focus on the new student as a whole person, not just a test score." Jones refers to a decision to eliminate the use of standardized test scores, like the ACT and SAT, as basic requirements for admission into the university. "We want to recruit students that are academically-minded," Jones added, "but we also want to use the personal touch to find students who have shown potential for leadership, growth and maturity." To that end, prospective students will be required to provide recommendations that indicate their potential from church leaders, counselors, teachers and others. "These test scores are antiquated and overused nationally," Jones added. "Colleges and universities should be in the business of examining the whole person." There is significant research supporting this decision. According to an editorial in the May 14, edition of USA Today, Phillips joins about 240 schools nationwide that have moved away from the use of standardized testing. In 1992, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers "found test scores to be a poorer indicator of achievement on campus than either grades or class rank." Schools that have moved away from the use of test scores have not seen a decrease in the quality of their student body, according to USA Today, and no school that has dropped test score requirements has sought to reinstate it. "We are moving Phillips to the forefront of education," Jones added. "Those schools that cannot adapt to fit the changing market will not be around in the 21st century. We will be." Jones also shared the results of a discussion about the university's future from the May meeting of the Phillips board of trustees. During the business session, Jones proposed the genesis of the new vision for the university, and initial steps to move the institution out of its current financial situation. Currently, Phillips needs $8.5 million to "clean the slate," according to university officials. That money will be used to cover current fiscal year operating expenses of $1.8 million, an anticipated $3.2 million enrollment shortfall, external debts of $2 million and future operating expenses and other costs. Focusing on enrollment, development and operational restructuring, Jones believes that Phillips can move out of its cycle of financial difficulty and into a new era. Under his plan, Phillips will grow at a rate of 200-250 new students per year, reaching an optimum level of 1000 full-time, traditional undergraduate students in four to five years. "We are going to do this by focusing heavily on recruiting in a 150-mile radius around Enid, working with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and looking at our prospective students as whole persons, not just numbers," Jones said. The institution also will reestablish its role within the denomination and serve as a resource for alumni, the church and community. The university withstood a recent attempt by a local education coalition to buy the campus and turn it into a four-year public institution.
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