Academic Development
Development of the 4-Year Liberal Arts Degree at Lee University
by Louis F. Morgan / January 2020
Historical Sketch
From its modest beginning in 1918 as Bible Training School, Lee University’s mission has been to train men and women for Christian service. Initially this was preparation for practical ministry within the local church context as pastors, evangelists, and teachers, but in time the program expanded to include a more academic focus.
By 1925 additional courses were added, including literature, public speaking, and grammar. In 1930 two additional programs were introduced: Commerce/Business and Music. High school courses were added thereafter, with a high school department created in 1932. Although some elements of the Greek language were incorporated into the Bible courses, it was not until 1932 that a full-time instructor in Greek was hired, and she also was the school’s first full-time teacher with a bachelor’s degree.
R.R. Walker was hired as principal of the high school department in 1934. With a bachelor’s degree in education (and the first Church of God minister with a bachelor’s degree), he already was a successful high school superintendent with experience leading a school to earn state accreditation. In time, he positioned the high school department at BTS to earn accreditation, and he worked closely with Zeno C. Tharp, BTS Superintendent, to establish the two-year junior college program at BTS.
Longtime instructor Avis Swiger noted high school students at BTS desired additional courses more advanced than those offered in the high school program and which were not offered in the religious education program, specifically in English, history, and modern foreign languages. As early as 1938 college-level courses were offered, including history, psychology, English, and geography.
The establishment of the junior college was proposed by the sponsoring denomination’s bishops in Council and approved by its General Assembly in October 1940. The Minutes record the measure’s approval: “That the Board of Directors of the Bible Training School negotiate, consummate, and execute plans for the establishment and maintenance of a Junior College in compliance with the requirements of the Southern Association of Colleges, beginning with the 1941-1942 term, if it can be done without adversely affecting the Bible Training School.”
When the junior college division began 1941, the name of the school was changed to “Bible Training School and College” to reflect the new academic program. The junior college quickly surpassed the enrollment of the religious education division to become the predominant program at BTS, and it ultimately evolved into the academic institution known today as Lee University.
Early Attempts
When Lee College relocated to Cleveland in 1947, key administrators focused on accreditation for the two-year junior college program with the intention of developing a four-year liberal arts program. Administrative challenges and tension with the sponsoring denomination during the early 1950s hindered the progress of the four-year liberal arts program, as the sponsoring denomination was cautious of what it viewed to be Lee’s growing emphasis toward liberal arts education over practical ministerial training. As a result, the emphasis shifted and, in 1953, a four-year Bible college program was instituted, which grew to 89 students enrolled by the second semester in programs for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Education and Christian Education. Lee Bible College received accreditation from the American Association of Theological Schools in 1959.
In May 1956 the Lee College Board of Directors approved the expansion of the liberal arts program into a four-year senior college program. Two classes graduated with this degree. However, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) advised Lee to return to a two-year junior college program to receive accreditation more easily, which the school did. For the junior college, Lee offered an Associate of Arts diploma in two separate programs: (1) Senior College Preparatory Program and (2) Terminal Two-Year Commerce Program. The Senior College Preparatory Program offered emphasis in Liberal Arts, Commercial, and Teacher-Training. The Two-Year Commerce Program was offered as Secretarial Science or Accounting. The Associate of Arts required successful completion of a minimum of 64 hours credit with at least a “C” average.
In 1960 Lee Junior College was accredited by SACS, after which the school renewed its focus on beginning a senior college program. However, Lee had experienced a period of rapid decline, which compelled church leadership to reconsider its approach to higher education. The Executive Council of the Church of God appointed a committee in 1960 to better comprehend the future needs of higher education. Two years later the committee recommended, “…it is our responsibility to sponsor one four-year liberal arts college, strong in education and the arts. It is our further responsibility to sponsor a strong school of theology and Christian training. We recommend that our efforts and attention be directed toward the full realization of such an institution, which is and shall be Lee College.”
With the push for a four-year liberal arts program expedited, in 1962 Lee administration proposed to begin in 1967 and graduate a senior class in May 1969. Lee’s academic development continued with the addition of faculty with doctorates and credentials necessary to meet accreditation standards and provide quality instruction to students.
Four-Year Program Begins
In the mid-1960s Lee began the four-year program, which proved to be a lengthy and arduous process until accreditation was won in December 1969.
In 1966-67 the school was comprised of the College of Liberal Arts and Education and (2) Lee Bible College. The College of Liberal Arts and Education included the following divisions and offered 14 majors, 18 minors, and 7 terminal/preparatory programs:
Foreign Language was normally taken during the Freshman and Sophomore years for six hours each. Lee offered French, German, Spanish, and Greek. A foreign language was required of all Bachelor of Arts degrees and/or language majors and minors. However, for students majoring in the Bachelor of Science degrees in Education, the Mathematics and Education course replaced the foreign language. This replacement course was normally taken in the Freshman and/or Sophomore years.
The Bachelor of Arts was intended to provide students with breadth in the liberal arts. The Bachelor of Science was intended to help students prepare for more professional/vocational careers.
Lee Bible College offered two degree programs, the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music. Majors included: Biblical Education, Christian Education, and Church Music. Minors included Greek, Missions, Music Education, and Christian Education. These programs included general courses in science, physical education, and English.
The Biblical Education major was intended to prepare pastors and evangelists. Students with this major were required to take two years of foreign language, either Greek or modern (12-14 hours total, depending on whether the Greek or modern track).
The Christian Education major was intended for students preparing for ministry other than as a pastor or evangelist. A student was required to take a foreign language (and Greek was not required for this major), but “[t]he foreign language elected must be carried for four semester in order to be accepted as a graduation requirement.” The course credit for the language was 3 hours each semester.
The Music Department within Lee Bible College offered the following degrees: Bachelor of Music in Church Music (performance emphasis), Bachelor of Music in Church Music (applied emphasis in either Voice, Piano, or Organ), and Bachelor of Arts in Church Music with a minor in Christian Education. No language requirement is noted, even for the Bachelor of Arts in Church Music. However, three language courses of two hours each appear separately in the available course listing (but not the course plan): Italian Diction, French Diction, and German Diction.
Following the recommendation of the denomination’s Executive Council and Lee’s Board of Directors to unify Lee’s academic programs, the Academy [high school] closed in 1965. In 1968
the college was restructured to more effectively meet the requirements for SACS accreditation, which was successfully won in December 1969. The College of Liberal Arts and Education and Lee Bible College became a unified college with eight departments in three divisions offering 16 majors, 17 minors, and 6 terminal/preparatory courses:
The Lee College Catalog noted foreign language in the general core was required only of Bachelor of Arts degree candidates for a total of 12 semester hours. Majors included:
Psychology was added as a major in 1970-71.
Importance of the General Education Core
When the four-year curriculum was being developed and finalized, Lee administrators consulted with seven (7) similar Christian colleges in the Southeast to survey their academic programs. The general education core became the cornerstone of the redesigned programs of study. In addition, Lee maintained its commitment to the biblical and theological training by requiring a religion core of 18 hours.
The 1966-67 Catalog lists the general education core as follows:
by Louis F. Morgan / January 2020
Historical Sketch
From its modest beginning in 1918 as Bible Training School, Lee University’s mission has been to train men and women for Christian service. Initially this was preparation for practical ministry within the local church context as pastors, evangelists, and teachers, but in time the program expanded to include a more academic focus.
By 1925 additional courses were added, including literature, public speaking, and grammar. In 1930 two additional programs were introduced: Commerce/Business and Music. High school courses were added thereafter, with a high school department created in 1932. Although some elements of the Greek language were incorporated into the Bible courses, it was not until 1932 that a full-time instructor in Greek was hired, and she also was the school’s first full-time teacher with a bachelor’s degree.
R.R. Walker was hired as principal of the high school department in 1934. With a bachelor’s degree in education (and the first Church of God minister with a bachelor’s degree), he already was a successful high school superintendent with experience leading a school to earn state accreditation. In time, he positioned the high school department at BTS to earn accreditation, and he worked closely with Zeno C. Tharp, BTS Superintendent, to establish the two-year junior college program at BTS.
Longtime instructor Avis Swiger noted high school students at BTS desired additional courses more advanced than those offered in the high school program and which were not offered in the religious education program, specifically in English, history, and modern foreign languages. As early as 1938 college-level courses were offered, including history, psychology, English, and geography.
The establishment of the junior college was proposed by the sponsoring denomination’s bishops in Council and approved by its General Assembly in October 1940. The Minutes record the measure’s approval: “That the Board of Directors of the Bible Training School negotiate, consummate, and execute plans for the establishment and maintenance of a Junior College in compliance with the requirements of the Southern Association of Colleges, beginning with the 1941-1942 term, if it can be done without adversely affecting the Bible Training School.”
When the junior college division began 1941, the name of the school was changed to “Bible Training School and College” to reflect the new academic program. The junior college quickly surpassed the enrollment of the religious education division to become the predominant program at BTS, and it ultimately evolved into the academic institution known today as Lee University.
Early Attempts
When Lee College relocated to Cleveland in 1947, key administrators focused on accreditation for the two-year junior college program with the intention of developing a four-year liberal arts program. Administrative challenges and tension with the sponsoring denomination during the early 1950s hindered the progress of the four-year liberal arts program, as the sponsoring denomination was cautious of what it viewed to be Lee’s growing emphasis toward liberal arts education over practical ministerial training. As a result, the emphasis shifted and, in 1953, a four-year Bible college program was instituted, which grew to 89 students enrolled by the second semester in programs for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Education and Christian Education. Lee Bible College received accreditation from the American Association of Theological Schools in 1959.
In May 1956 the Lee College Board of Directors approved the expansion of the liberal arts program into a four-year senior college program. Two classes graduated with this degree. However, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) advised Lee to return to a two-year junior college program to receive accreditation more easily, which the school did. For the junior college, Lee offered an Associate of Arts diploma in two separate programs: (1) Senior College Preparatory Program and (2) Terminal Two-Year Commerce Program. The Senior College Preparatory Program offered emphasis in Liberal Arts, Commercial, and Teacher-Training. The Two-Year Commerce Program was offered as Secretarial Science or Accounting. The Associate of Arts required successful completion of a minimum of 64 hours credit with at least a “C” average.
In 1960 Lee Junior College was accredited by SACS, after which the school renewed its focus on beginning a senior college program. However, Lee had experienced a period of rapid decline, which compelled church leadership to reconsider its approach to higher education. The Executive Council of the Church of God appointed a committee in 1960 to better comprehend the future needs of higher education. Two years later the committee recommended, “…it is our responsibility to sponsor one four-year liberal arts college, strong in education and the arts. It is our further responsibility to sponsor a strong school of theology and Christian training. We recommend that our efforts and attention be directed toward the full realization of such an institution, which is and shall be Lee College.”
With the push for a four-year liberal arts program expedited, in 1962 Lee administration proposed to begin in 1967 and graduate a senior class in May 1969. Lee’s academic development continued with the addition of faculty with doctorates and credentials necessary to meet accreditation standards and provide quality instruction to students.
Four-Year Program Begins
In the mid-1960s Lee began the four-year program, which proved to be a lengthy and arduous process until accreditation was won in December 1969.
In 1966-67 the school was comprised of the College of Liberal Arts and Education and (2) Lee Bible College. The College of Liberal Arts and Education included the following divisions and offered 14 majors, 18 minors, and 7 terminal/preparatory programs:
- Business – B.A. in Liberal Arts, B.S. in Business, and B.S. in Office Administration; an Associate of Arts diploma was conferred upon successful completion of a two-year terminal commerce program in either Secretarial Science or General Commerce programs / “A candidate for the Bachelor of Science degree will fulfill the same requirements except that Business Mathematics and Business Statistics plus six (6) hours of upper division courses may be substituted for the Foreign Language requirement of twelve (12) hours.”
- Education – B.S. in Elementary Education and B.S. in Secondary Education / “The Education program offers majors in the Elementary and Secondary Education fields leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in Education. Students who plan to teach in elementary schools shall major in Elementary Education and shall complete the suggested curriculum for the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.”
- Language - “The English program offers major in English leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts or the Bachelor of Science degree in Education.” The Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts degree required foreign language; the Bachelor of Science in Education did not. Suggested curricula, however, included a B.A. in Liberal Arts for a major in a foreign language, both with and without teacher certification. The major without certification would be for students who anticipated a career of college teaching and planned to enter graduate school after graduating from Lee. The degree with teacher certification was for students who planned to teach prior to going on to graduated school to study a foreign language. Another suggestion was for a Bachelor of Science degree in Education for a major in a foreign language with teacher certification for those who did not plan to pursue graduate study but planned to teach foreign language at either the elementary or secondary school level.
- Music – B.A. in Applied Music, B.A. in Church Music, and Bachelor of Music Education (B.M.E.) / For the B.A. in Applied Music, a foreign language was required. Additionally, “[v]oice majors are requested to take one year each of French and German. Other majors may take two years of either French or German.”
- Natural Science – B.S. in Natural Science and B.S. in Biological Science; minors in Biological Science, Chemistry, and Mathematics / Foreign language was not required.
- Social Science - “The Social Science program offers a major in Social Science leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts or the Bachelor of Science degree in Education.” The emphases leading to these respective majors with or without teacher certification included Social Science, History, and Sociology. The B.A. degree required 6 hours of a foreign language; the B.S. degree had no foreign language requirement.
Foreign Language was normally taken during the Freshman and Sophomore years for six hours each. Lee offered French, German, Spanish, and Greek. A foreign language was required of all Bachelor of Arts degrees and/or language majors and minors. However, for students majoring in the Bachelor of Science degrees in Education, the Mathematics and Education course replaced the foreign language. This replacement course was normally taken in the Freshman and/or Sophomore years.
The Bachelor of Arts was intended to provide students with breadth in the liberal arts. The Bachelor of Science was intended to help students prepare for more professional/vocational careers.
Lee Bible College offered two degree programs, the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music. Majors included: Biblical Education, Christian Education, and Church Music. Minors included Greek, Missions, Music Education, and Christian Education. These programs included general courses in science, physical education, and English.
The Biblical Education major was intended to prepare pastors and evangelists. Students with this major were required to take two years of foreign language, either Greek or modern (12-14 hours total, depending on whether the Greek or modern track).
The Christian Education major was intended for students preparing for ministry other than as a pastor or evangelist. A student was required to take a foreign language (and Greek was not required for this major), but “[t]he foreign language elected must be carried for four semester in order to be accepted as a graduation requirement.” The course credit for the language was 3 hours each semester.
The Music Department within Lee Bible College offered the following degrees: Bachelor of Music in Church Music (performance emphasis), Bachelor of Music in Church Music (applied emphasis in either Voice, Piano, or Organ), and Bachelor of Arts in Church Music with a minor in Christian Education. No language requirement is noted, even for the Bachelor of Arts in Church Music. However, three language courses of two hours each appear separately in the available course listing (but not the course plan): Italian Diction, French Diction, and German Diction.
Following the recommendation of the denomination’s Executive Council and Lee’s Board of Directors to unify Lee’s academic programs, the Academy [high school] closed in 1965. In 1968
the college was restructured to more effectively meet the requirements for SACS accreditation, which was successfully won in December 1969. The College of Liberal Arts and Education and Lee Bible College became a unified college with eight departments in three divisions offering 16 majors, 17 minors, and 6 terminal/preparatory courses:
- Division of Arts and Sciences (Departments of Business, Language, Music, Natural Science, and Social Science)
- Division of Teacher Education (Department of Education and Psychology; one department)
- Division of Religion (Departments of Biblical-Historical Studies and Christian Ministries)
The Lee College Catalog noted foreign language in the general core was required only of Bachelor of Arts degree candidates for a total of 12 semester hours. Majors included:
- Biblical Education (B.A.)
- Biological Science (B.S.)
- Business (B.S.)
- Christian Education (B.A.)
- Elementary Education (B.S.)
- English (B.A.)
- French (B.A.)
- Music (B.A. with emphasis in applied music or church music)
- Music Education (B.M.E.)
- Natural Science (B.S.)
- Social Science (B.S.)
- Sociology (B.A. or B.S.)
- Spanish (B.A.)
Psychology was added as a major in 1970-71.
Importance of the General Education Core
When the four-year curriculum was being developed and finalized, Lee administrators consulted with seven (7) similar Christian colleges in the Southeast to survey their academic programs. The general education core became the cornerstone of the redesigned programs of study. In addition, Lee maintained its commitment to the biblical and theological training by requiring a religion core of 18 hours.
The 1966-67 Catalog lists the general education core as follows:
In 1971 the general education requirements were modified to include 41 credit hours, except for Bachelor of Arts candidates, which had an additional 12 hours of foreign language requirement. This did not include the Religion core, which consisted of 18 credit hours. (A proposal in Fall 1971 for a revision of the general education core was rejected by the faculty in vote. It would have reduced the number of hours required of natural science courses, religion courses, and the literature-art-music courses. The English composition requirement of 6 hours would have remained, but with an option for either speech courses or composition courses. No change was proposed to the physical education and foreign language requirements.)
A survey of faculty and students was conducted after the revision proposal failed, and 51% of faculty and 30% of students felt there were too many hours required in general education core, compared to 45% of faculty and 60% of students who felt the number of hours was “about right.”
According to the Lee College Catalog, “The primary objectives of the general education courses are, along with those stated in the purpose and objectives of the college, (1) to give the student experiences in a somewhat broad continuing liberal education in both the humanities and the sciences and (2) to equip him with skills and information prerequisite to his major and minor fields of study.”
The 1971-72 Catalog lists the general education core as follows:
Additionally, the 1971-72 Catalog lists the Religion core as follows:
Lee also offered preparatory programs in areas of Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, Pre-medicine, and Science-Medical Technology through the Natural Science department. The Science-Medical Technology preparatory program required 12 hours of foreign language. However, the Dentistry and Pharmacy programs allowed the student to choose any remaining academic hours from foreign language, economics, history, political science, psychology, and it recommended a speech course for those studying pharmacy.
The Bachelor of Science in Natural Science was offered with or without teacher certification. If a student chose the degree without teacher certification, the education requirements could be substituted with modern language and science courses.
Most majors with teacher certification were offered as a Bachelor of Science and, therefore, did not require foreign language. By 1971-72, the options for degree without teacher certification permitted science content, mathematics, or modern foreign language in lieu of the education requirements.
In 1971-72 the major in Secondary Education with Teacher Certification was offered as either Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science. The difference was the Bachelor of Arts required an additional 12 hours in a foreign language.
The B.A. in Biblical Education was a pre-seminary program and required 14 hours of either Hebrew or Greek, depending on one’s emphasis between Old or New Testament. The B.A. in Christian Education required 12 hours in any foreign language. In 1971-72 there was a Bachelor of Arts in Missions, which allowed either modern foreign language or a Biblical language (12 hours).
[To be continued]
/ L.F. Morgan
A survey of faculty and students was conducted after the revision proposal failed, and 51% of faculty and 30% of students felt there were too many hours required in general education core, compared to 45% of faculty and 60% of students who felt the number of hours was “about right.”
According to the Lee College Catalog, “The primary objectives of the general education courses are, along with those stated in the purpose and objectives of the college, (1) to give the student experiences in a somewhat broad continuing liberal education in both the humanities and the sciences and (2) to equip him with skills and information prerequisite to his major and minor fields of study.”
The 1971-72 Catalog lists the general education core as follows:
- General Orientation – Psychology 101, no credit
- Physical Education – 101-102, two semester hours
- Art and Music – Art 111, Music 111 or 311, four semester hours
- English Composition – 111-112, six semester hours
- Laboratory Sciences – Biology 111-112 or Chemistry 111-112 or Physics 211-212 or Physical Science 111-112, eight semester hours
- Mathematics – 111, 303, three semester hours
- History – Survey of Civilization 111-112, six semester hours
- Foreign Language – Only required of Bachelor of Arts degree candidates, Twelve semester hours in one language
- Literature – English 211, 212, 311, 312, 321, 322, six semester hours
- Psychology – 211, three semester hours
- Sociology – 211, three semester hours
Additionally, the 1971-72 Catalog lists the Religion core as follows:
- Old Testament Survey 101, three semester hours
- New Testament Survey 102, three semester hours
- Christian Thought 230, three semester hours
- Christian Ethics 431, three semester hours
- The remaining six hours may be elected from any courses offered by the Division of Religion or from appropriate departmental substitutes
Lee also offered preparatory programs in areas of Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, Pre-medicine, and Science-Medical Technology through the Natural Science department. The Science-Medical Technology preparatory program required 12 hours of foreign language. However, the Dentistry and Pharmacy programs allowed the student to choose any remaining academic hours from foreign language, economics, history, political science, psychology, and it recommended a speech course for those studying pharmacy.
The Bachelor of Science in Natural Science was offered with or without teacher certification. If a student chose the degree without teacher certification, the education requirements could be substituted with modern language and science courses.
Most majors with teacher certification were offered as a Bachelor of Science and, therefore, did not require foreign language. By 1971-72, the options for degree without teacher certification permitted science content, mathematics, or modern foreign language in lieu of the education requirements.
In 1971-72 the major in Secondary Education with Teacher Certification was offered as either Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science. The difference was the Bachelor of Arts required an additional 12 hours in a foreign language.
The B.A. in Biblical Education was a pre-seminary program and required 14 hours of either Hebrew or Greek, depending on one’s emphasis between Old or New Testament. The B.A. in Christian Education required 12 hours in any foreign language. In 1971-72 there was a Bachelor of Arts in Missions, which allowed either modern foreign language or a Biblical language (12 hours).
[To be continued]
/ L.F. Morgan