Talk:Anderson University (South Carolina)/Archive 1

Name of article needs to be changed to reflect change in status
Anderson College is now known as Anderson University. The name of this article needs to be changed to reflect that. Badbadb 08:48, 6 January 2006 (UTC)

Name Change
There is already an Anderson University in Indiana. I suggest that this page should be moved to Anderson University (SC), that Anderson University be moved to Anderson College (IN) and the page Anderson College (disambiguation) be created. I'll work on this, but if someone gets to it first, great.

Matt Kurz
 * Good plan, but I would spell out the state names. Outside of the United States very few people have any idea what SC means. - SimonP 02:47, 31 January 2006 (UTC)

Disambiguation
I have created the page Anderson University (disambiguation) Matt Kurz 1-30-06

School Seal
If there's a quality image of Anderson's school seal available, it might be preferable to the banner that's up right now. Good Grades 19:56, 7 September 2007 (UTC)Good Grades

Mastodon fossil
"Anderson University" is listed at as holding a mastodon fossil, per: However, it is not specified if this is Anderson University Indiana or South Carolina. Does someone have the answer? Enquire (talk) 18:06, 6 February 2013 (UTC)
 * List of museums and colleges with mastodon fossils on display

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Is this a "Baptist university" ?
This article currently says that this university is "affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention." The first line of the university's mission statement is "Anderson University is an academic community affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention." Does this mean that the university is a "Baptist university?"  Is that an accurate summary of the affiliation? I think it is but an editor who claims to be "a rep[resentative]" of the university disagrees.  What do other editors think? ElKevbo (talk) 18:24, 23 August 2019 (UTC)
 * To me, a "Baptist university" would be one owned or controlled by a Baptist convention, not just affiliated (which implies a voluntary relationship without any level of control). For example, Sewanee: The University of the South is described as an Episcopal university – and is actually owned by 28 dioceses of the Episcopal church, similarly the University of Notre Dame, described as a Catholic university, is run by the Congregation of the Holy Cross (a Catholic religious order).
 * The question then, really, is who controls the university? According to the South Carolina Encyclopedia, the trustees are entirely appointed by the SC Baptist Convention: "Through the contribution of funds, member churches of the S.C. Baptist Convention engaged in missions and shared in the work of seven institutions. In 2004 the list of institutions included three colleges: Anderson College (Anderson, 1911), Charleston Southern University (Charleston, 1964), and North Greenville College (Tigerville, 1892).…Each institution has its own board of trustees, which are appointed by the convention." This is also implied by the way Furman University split from the convention by electing to chose its own trustees rather than having them appointed by the convention.
 * If this is indeed the case, then "Baptist university" would more accurately describe the level of control exercised by the SCBC in plain English than "affiliated to", even if that is the terminology they use. Robminchin (talk) 06:54, 24 August 2019 (UTC)
 * It struck me last night that this could be a US English usage of "affiliated", in which case we should follow MOS:COMMONALITY and "use a commonly understood word or phrase in preference to one that has a different meaning because of national differences" on Wikipedia. Robminchin (talk) 15:23, 24 August 2019 (UTC)
 * No, this isn't a U.S. English issue. If anything, to my ears "affiliated with" implies a much weaker relationship than what you've documented above.  Additionally, our colleague who opposed labeling this university as "Baptist" also seemed to object because he or she interprets that label as implying that the university only enrolls students of that religion which doesn't seem to be a reasonable interpretation at all given that very few U.S. religious colleges and universities only enroll students of their specific religion.
 * please participate in this discussion. ElKevbo (talk) 02:32, 26 August 2019 (UTC)

I've edited the lede sentence to explicitly say that this is a "Baptist university." Robminchin's research and argument above are very convincing.

Editors who disagree are strongly encouraged to discuss their disagreement here in Talk. Thanks! ElKevbo (talk) 17:42, 6 October 2019 (UTC)

I have a working knowledge of Baptist higher education and Anderson University in particular. In addition, I hold a Ph.D. in higher education from an accredited university, so I have a valid and respectable level of knowledge in the field. Church-related colleges’ and universities’ relationship with their historically sponsoring denomination change over time. That is the case here. At one time, the Baptist Convention controlled Anderson’s trustee appointments. That is no longer the case. Anderson University is neither owned nor controlled by the South Carolina Baptist Convention. The Baptist Convention intentionally rejects ownership of the institution’s assets to avoid ascending liability. The 25 trustees of Anderson University are the legal owners of 100% of the university’s assets, and they approve all trustee appointments. The charter of the University was changed to reflect that fact, although you won’t find it anywhere in the media as the trustee selection process was changed without fanfare several years ago. Anderson employs faculty and staff of all Christian faiths. The university is located in the Bible Belt where many Baptists reside, yet even in this area concentrated with Baptists only a minority of the faculty are South Carolina Baptists. Anderson does maintain a healthy relationship with the South Carolina Baptist Convention, but it is genuinely not known as much as a Baptist university as it is a Christian university, welcoming faculty of all Christian faiths and students of both Christian and non-Christian faiths. One of the larger Christian organizations on the campus is actually Presbyterian, and most others are non-denominational. The university itself does not market itself as a Baptist entity. It was actually founded by Christian citizens of the Anderson County area who were members of of several denominations. That’s always been part of the unique saga of Anderson University, unlike most other Baptist universities which were founded by their state Baptist Convention. After its founding, Anderson affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention, but it has always been known specifically as a Christian university. That fact is very important to the history and people of Anderson, SC. It’s a matter of pride for them. It is more accurate to say that the institution is “affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention” than it is to say that the institution itself is Baptist. In the many years I have stayed abreast of the Wikipedia entry on this institution, it was not described as a Baptist university until this issue was raised a few months ago. It has always been noted that it is affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention and I would argue that that language is adequate and accurate, and it is more respectful of the history of the institution and the community that founded it. I respectfully ask that it’s Baptist linkage be described as an affiliation. Thank you. Islandhermit (talk) 4:00, 22 October 2019 (UTC)
 * In the discussion above, Robminchin cited a decent source that says the S.C. Baptist Convention still appoints the trustees. Do you have a source for the claim that they don't do that anymore?  Are their by-laws available? ElKevbo (talk) 11:53, 22 October 2019 (UTC)

There was nothing published on the change, to my knowledge, that one might access via the web. I am a participant in South Carolina Baptist life and was a “messenger” (a voting delegate appointed by my church) to the annual meeting of the Convention the year the change was made and voted upon by the Convention. (Rarely does the media cover the proceedings of a state Baptist convention.) In Baptist polity, there is a difference between “electing” trustees and “appointing” trustees. This is a huge distinction when it comes to institutions affiliated with a Baptist convention. It is generally understood that “appointing” trustees means that a Convention has the right to unilaterally choose trustees, elect them, and seat them on an institution’s board - without any input whatsoever by the institution’s existing board. By contrast, “electing” trustees is only one part of the trustee process. Institutions often allow their historically affiliated convention to participate in the trustee process, typically in exchange for an annual financial contribution. In the change approved in 2011, the institution agreed to a significant reduction in the Convention’s annual contribution in exchange for the right to determine the selection of trustees. (At present, the SC Baptist Convention’s annual contribution to the university is less than one percent of the institution’s budget.) Once the university has chosen its nominees for trustees, the Convention participates in the process by officially “electing” the trustees. The Convention cannot elect a nominee that the University does not approve in advance of election. This process is codified in the revised and restated articles of incorporation of Anderson University, which cannot be changed without the Anderson University Board of Trustees’ approval. Being intimately familiar with Anderson University, I have first-hand knowledge that the university describes itself as a Christian university as it has a far broader focus, inclusivity, and identity than the Baptist denomination. There are other institutions that are so controlled by their convention that they have Baptist in their name. On the front campus of Anderson University are two monumental rock and granite “signs.” In the granite etched in gold leaf is: “Anderson University”. Below the granite slab, the following lettering is attached to the rock base: “Affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention”. Finally, being a lifelong Baptist and something of a Baptist higher education expert, I would offer the following: churches are Baptist; universities are not churches, but those that are supported by Baptists are affiliates. Islandhermit (talk) 13:40, 22 October 2019 (UTC)