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Boyce preview weekend introduces prospective students to campus life
October 13, 2008
By David Roach

Boyce College Dean Denny Burk (left) and Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. answer questions from prospective students during a Q&A session Sept. 26 in the Legacy Cen-ter. The Q&A time was one aspect of the fall Boyce preview weekend. Photo by John Gill

More than 80 prospective students and guests got a taste of the academic and social climate at Boyce College Sept. 26-27 during the Boyce preview weekend.

"The greatest recruiting tool that Boyce College has is its campus," Dean Denny Burk said. "There is no substitute for getting prospective students on our campus to meet our fac-ulty, students and staff and to see for themselves the resources of Boyce College. We have a lot to offer undergraduates who aspire to the ministry, and they see that when they visit our campus."

Forty-six prospective students and 38 guests attended in spite of power outages across Kentucky and gasoline shortages across the southeastern United States.

The weekend activities included visiting Boyce classes, presentations by faculty and staff and touring the campus. The event ended on Saturday with seminars on the call to ministry led by Chip Collins, associate dean of student life, and a picnic on the lawn in front of Carver Hall.

Dan DeWitt, associate dean for institutional relations at Boyce, said he was impressed with the attendance as well as the caliber of the students.

"We were thrilled with the large turnout and the high quality of the students who God is calling to prepare for ministry at Boyce College," he said.

On Friday night, Sept. 26, Burk and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. fielded questions from prospective students in a question-and-answer session.

"In the Q&A with Dr. Mohler, prospective students were most interested in discussing theology," Burk said. "Dr. Mohler and I both answered questions that ranged from speaking in tongues to the place of Calvinism in Southern Baptist life. The Q&A allowed us to communicate to our guests that Boyce College and Southern Seminary are driven by a theological vision that is grounded in the Scriptures."

Following the Q&A, students were invited to Mohler's home for a dessert reception then attended a late night fellowship where they spent time with current Boyce students.

"Our goal at preview weekend is to give students a taste of Boyce, not just a glimpse," Paul Butterworth, Boyce's resident director, said. "The goal isn't so much to roll out the red carpet as it is to open the front door and welcome them in. We give them all the facts and figures, to be sure, but we also present chances for interaction with the faculty both inside and outside the classroom."

Butterworth added that Boyce's student body was a large part of the weekend's success.

"A popular part of preview weekend, for prospective students and current students alike, is our late night open gym/game night we host at the Health and Recreation Center," he said. "Our student body is always so eager to go beyond a simple handshake and hang out with our guests. I think that hospitality goes a long way."

In response to the weekend, a number of students plan to attend Boyce, according to Burke.

"In one sense, our aim at Boyce College is to gather and train workers for the harvest," Burk said. "Out of the 46 prospects who attended our preview weekend, we had 17 who submitted applications for admission. In addition, there were a number of students who already applied prior to coming.

"Some of the applicants will matriculate as early as this spring. Preview weekend is a great time of gathering for Boyce College."

 

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