Great Lakes Christian College President Dr. Frank Weller recently provided a “State of the College” update via Facebook. In the 4-minute, 36-second video, Weller shared about GLCC’s efforts to shore-up its finances in preparation for a visit by the Higher Learning Commission on March 25.
As we explained in a news article last September, the HLC placed GLCC on a two-year probation in November 2022, primarily for financial reasons. The HLC said the college in Lansing, Mich., lacked adequate financial resources and didn’t have a comprehensive strategic plan to deal with its financial issues. That put GLCC out of compliance with the accreditor’s requirements.
In last fall’s article, Weller shared how GLCC had made great financial strides in a short time. He reiterated that progress in last week’s video, but said challenges remain.
“Three months,” Weller says at the start of the video, “that’s how much time we have to convince our accreditors at the Higher Learning Commission that this new era at Great Lakes Christian College is for real.
“We made great [financial] progress in the last 18 months, but the next 3 might be the most important of all,” Weller said. “That’s because our accreditors . . . are coming to campus March 25 to evaluate our progress, and that visit will determine if HLC removes the probation designation.
“Our auditors and the Department of Education are pleased with the progress we’ve made.” Over the past year, he said, “giving increased by140 percent, 40 churches took up special offerings totaling $115,000, and 100 new Log Cabin Society members joined, each pledging $84 a month for five years. But make no mistake, the job is not done team.”
When the HLC peer review team is on campus in late March, he said, “we need to convince them probation sanctions should be lifted. In order to do that, we need to be tracking to budget. . . . And to be completely candid, we are not.
“Six months into the school year, we’re about $41,000 behind in giving the general fund. . . . To be in the best position to have probation removed, we need to balance our budget or, better than that, have a budget surplus [by March 25].”
Weller encouraged churches to take up a special offering for the college in the next few weeks. “If 40 churches will do so between now and Easter, we will be ready for HLC. We [also] need 30 new Log Cabin Society Members before March 25. That will show HLC that we achieve our goals and we have growing support among our alumni and supporters.”
One-time contributions, of course, are also welcome, he said.
“It would be a mistake to think the momentum from last year’s financial performance is enough. We need to continue the momentum, and the stakes are high.” Weller said that of the 16 Christian colleges that closed last year, two were from among Independent Christian Churches and Church of Christ.
“Right now,” he said, “GLCC is the only residential Christian college supported by Christian Churches and Churches of Christ still in existence north of the Ohio and east of the Mississippi rivers. The Great Lakes region needs GLCC.”
View the entire video at GLCC’s Facebook page.
Thank you for sharing the story of GLCC’s resurgence! Since the aforementioned video was released the College has made significant progress in making up the $41,000 general fund shortfall. We anticipate we will be in compliance when HLC makes their visit in March. God is good. People are generous. And we are working very hard!