Texas Tidbits

Posted: 9/15/06

Texas Tidbits

Accreditation extended for UMHB program. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs has extended until 2012 accreditation of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor’s community counseling program. The program is part of the graduate psychology and counseling department at UMHB, which offers master’s degrees in professional counseling.

BUA provides mentoring program. Baptist University of the Americas has launched a higher-education mentoring program for Hispanic youth and their families living in San Antonio’s South Side. The Sigueme program uses Hispanic university students and BUA staff as mentors and role models for public school students. Key partners in the mentoring initiative include Buckner Baptist Benevolences and Communities in Schools, a national nonprofit group. The program also involves working with South Side churches to promote education through ongoing training for youth pastors, as well as providing seminars for families with prospective college students.

ETBU sponsors preview event. East Texas Baptist University will sponsor Tiger Day Oct. 7—a preview event for prospective high school and transfer students and their families. Sessions for the prospective students include an academic showcase, campus ministry opportunities, admissions information, financial aid options, and separate question-and-answer times for parents and students. The event also includes tours of the campus, lunch and free tickets to the Tiger football game against McMurry University. For more information, or to register, visit the website at www.etbu.edu and click on “Future Students-Visit Us” or call (800) 804-ETBU (3828).

Hearon Scholarship established at DBU. Dallas Baptist University recently established an endowed scholarship in honor of Gary and Paula Hearon. The scholarship will benefit students enrolled in the doctoral program in leadership studies and the master’s program in Christian education, both housed in the Gary Cook Graduate School of Leadership. Hearon served more than two decades as executive director of Dallas Baptist Association and was a DBU trustee nine years. Mrs. Cook has served on the DBU Women’s Auxiliary board. They are members of First Baptist Church in Garland.

Piper endowment established at HPU. Howard Payne University students from Brown and Mills counties will benefit from a new scholarship established in memory of Luther and Cassie Piper, longtime members of Coggin Avenue Baptist Church in Brownwood. Scholarships awarded from Luther and Cassie Piper Endowed Presidential Scholarship are merit-based and will be awarded to outstanding students based on academic achievement, leadership in school or community activities and Christian service.

School Bible studies get failing grade. Roger Paynter, pastor of First Baptist Church in Austin, participated in a Texas Freedom Network news conference, raising concern that Bible classes in many public schools “are being used to promote an agenda rather than to enrich the education of our schoolchildren.” The Texas Freedom Network’s education fund released a report analyzing Bible classes in Texas public schools. The report concluded most Bible courses taught in Texas public schools fail to meet minimal standards for teacher qualifications and academic rigor, are taught as religious and devotional classes that promote one faith perspective over all others and advocate an ideological agenda hostile to religious freedom, science and public education. The report is available here.