Sattler College Turmoil

[brothereicher]

brothereicher,

Does Sattler still encourage students to believe that full immersion baptism is required for salvation, or have they stopped doing that?

I'm not aware that Sattler has an official position on full immersion baptism.
I'm certainly unaware of any belief by anyone that full immersion is required for salvation by anyone, and I wouldn't be comfortable informing anyone that that's the only way to be saved.

I personally was baptized by pouring and have never had anyone in Boston suggest that my baptism was somehow lacking, since I was baptized as an adult at the age of 19.

[brothereicher]

So that's a no then?

Invitation is still open.

Sattler College does not own laboratory facilities, nor does it pretend to.

Our students are able to use lab facilities at several colleges in Boston.
The fact that we don't own the facilities doesn't keep our students from getting an education that prepares them for amazing careers that have included grad school, med school, PA school, and jobs at laboratories within Boston. We've had students who participated in research studies and even been named in peer-reviewed journal articles.

The fact remains that Sattler is making it possible for students to receive a world-class education for a fraction of the cost of many other colleges.

Once again, I invite you to come to Sattler and see for yourself.

So then it is really other colleges in the Boston area that are preparing your students for grad school, med school, and careers in laboratories and research?

That's an excellent point, and it's one of the reasons why Sattler chose Boston as its location. We're surrounded by a lot of colleges that have amazing programs that are difficult to match. Our computer science students are able to take CS50 at HES, which is the best introductory CS course available anywhere, or students are able to get into lab internships in which they are the only undergrad students working there.

The ability to network and leverage the resources here in Boston gives our students opportunities that would be very difficult for them to have anywhere else, at a fraction of the cost, and I think our academic results speak for themselves.

[Josh]

brothereicher,

Does Sattler still encourage students to believe that full immersion baptism is required for salvation, or have they stopped doing that?

I'm not aware that Sattler has an official position on full immersion baptism.
I'm certainly unaware of any belief by anyone that full immersion is required for salvation by anyone, and I wouldn't be comfortable informing anyone that that's the only way to be saved.

I personally was baptized by pouring and have never had anyone in Boston suggest that my baptism was somehow lacking, since I was baptized as an adult at the age of 19.

Multiple people report otherwise, and the fact that attendees of Sattler have returned with basically non-Mennonite and non-Anabaptist views (other than the OGBB view, I guess) on this has caused significant turmoil.

I see there has been no press release or otherwise an announcement about the president (Dean Taylor) resigning. Clear communication about things like that is important.

[Josh]

That's an excellent point, and it's one of the reasons why Sattler chose Boston as its location. We're surrounded by a lot of colleges that have amazing programs that are difficult to match. Our computer science students are able to take CS50 at HES, which is the best introductory CS course available anywhere, or students are able to get into lab internships in which they are the only undergrad students working there.

The ability to network and leverage the resources here in Boston gives our students opportunities that would be very difficult for them to have anywhere else, at a fraction of the cost, and I think our academic results speak for themselves.

Or another metro area could have been chosen, all of which are chock full of universities. For example, Cleveland, which would be a lot lower cost. Boston is notoriously high cost. I suspect the real reason it is in Boston is because the founder is from there, and it would be more productive to simply be honest about that.

[Josh]

Going back to the new list of board members... I noticed that wealth and high-powered careers seems to a defining characteristics of board members. It also appears that people who are in leadership positions (such as an elder) in non-Anabaptist (as in, not nonresistant at all, and not embodying the values Sattler claims to have) are serving on the board as well.

That's all well and good, but this is a rather distant departure from the vision of Sattler explained to me by its founders at KFW a few years ago, or its former executive leadership in a kitchen-table conversation after the last AIC in Indiana. I question if the world really needs yet another Christian college. We already have lots of them.

[Ken]

Invitation is still open.

Sattler College does not own laboratory facilities, nor does it pretend to.

Our students are able to use lab facilities at several colleges in Boston.
The fact that we don't own the facilities doesn't keep our students from getting an education that prepares them for amazing careers that have included grad school, med school, PA school, and jobs at laboratories within Boston. We've had students who participated in research studies and even been named in peer-reviewed journal articles.

The fact remains that Sattler is making it possible for students to receive a world-class education for a fraction of the cost of many other colleges.

Once again, I invite you to come to Sattler and see for yourself.

So then it is really other colleges in the Boston area that are preparing your students for grad school, med school, and careers in laboratories and research?

That's an excellent point, and it's one of the reasons why Sattler chose Boston as its location. We're surrounded by a lot of colleges that have amazing programs that are difficult to match. Our computer science students are able to take CS50 at HES, which is the best introductory CS course available anywhere, or students are able to get into lab internships in which they are the only undergrad students working there.

The ability to network and leverage the resources here in Boston gives our students opportunities that would be very difficult for them to have anywhere else, at a fraction of the cost, and I think our academic results speak for themselves.

I was a science nerd in college. Way back in the 1980s. I started at a Mennonite college across the country that did have reasonable science offerings and facilities on paper but I ended up transferring to a somewhat fancier school back closer to home that had more to offer in environmental sciences. Back then the curriculum at my original Menno college was heavily focused on pre-med and nursing which was not what I wanted. But at both schools I spent many late nights and weekends in the lab doing all kinds of studies and research projects. Especially the second school which had lots of professors doing research that interested me and that took on students as junior researchers. Rinse and repeat years later in grad school. I spend lots of time in the oceanography and fisheries labs and around students and professors who were doing the same.

My middle daughter is now starting her junior year of college and is more or less doing the same thing. She has already been on two different research teams and now works part time at a high-end genomics lab on campus that does lots of NIH research. She often works late hours and weekends which is fine because it is only a couple minutes walk from her apartment.

If she were to attend a place like Sattler I expect she would spend most of her time off campus commuting across the city all all hours and then one would wonder what is actually the point. She has found her own faith community on campus at her big university and I'm happy with where she is at in life. She wouldn't be Sattler material anyway as she is far too liberal to be interested in FOTW theology. So this is just hypothetical. But I'm not sure I would want to send her to a place where most of her time and energy and focus is elsewhere. Seems to me that it would sort of defeat the purpose of going away to college.

[ohio jones]

I guess if you spend your nights and weekends in the lab, the college doesn't need to be in a fun city.

[Nomad]

So then it is really other colleges in the Boston area that are preparing your students for grad school, med school, and careers in laboratories and research?

That's an excellent point, and it's one of the reasons why Sattler chose Boston as its location. We're surrounded by a lot of colleges that have amazing programs that are difficult to match. Our computer science students are able to take CS50 at HES, which is the best introductory CS course available anywhere, or students are able to get into lab internships in which they are the only undergrad students working there.

The ability to network and leverage the resources here in Boston gives our students opportunities that would be very difficult for them to have anywhere else, at a fraction of the cost, and I think our academic results speak for themselves.

I was a science nerd in college. Way back in the 1980s. I started at a Mennonite college across the country that did have reasonable science offerings and facilities on paper but I ended up transferring to a somewhat fancier school back closer to home that had more to offer in environmental sciences. Back then the curriculum at my original Menno college was heavily focused on pre-med and nursing which was not what I wanted. But at both schools I spent many late nights and weekends in the lab doing all kinds of studies and research projects. Especially the second school which had lots of professors doing research that interested me and that took on students as junior researchers. Rinse and repeat years later in grad school. I spend lots of time in the oceanography and fisheries labs and around students and professors who were doing the same.

My middle daughter is now starting her junior year of college and is more or less doing the same thing. She has already been on two different research teams and now works part time at a high-end genomics lab on campus that does lots of NIH research. She often works late hours and weekends which is fine because it is only a couple minutes walk from her apartment.

If she were to attend a place like Sattler I expect she would spend most of her time off campus commuting across the city all all hours and then one would wonder what is actually the point. She has found her own faith community on campus at her big university and I'm happy with where she is at in life. She wouldn't be Sattler material anyway as she is far too liberal to be interested in FOTW theology. So this is just hypothetical. But I'm not sure I would want to send her to a place where most of her time and energy and focus is elsewhere. Seems to me that it would sort of defeat the purpose of going away to college.

For me the irony of it all is the criticism toward secular college education that was voiced by Finny. Then to turn around and send students to those very colleges kind of seems a shade hypocritical.

Also, why is it others on the board can hold degrees from Harvard and such. Yet, then imply that people should beware of college? To me its obvious we should be on our guard when away to college...but why is it okay for them to get the degrees and yet criticize the very colleges they owe their education and their careers. Are they implying that they could handle the temptations while we/ others can't?

That said, I dont have an issue with Sattler...they just probably wouldn't be my 1st choice.

[Ken]

I guess if you spend your nights and weekends in the lab, the college doesn't need to be in a fun city.

Yeah, it depends on what you think is the purpose of college I guess. Although it has been my observation that college students can generate fun and find trouble even in the most remote rural areas.

I tend to think that the biggest reason Menno colleges popped up around the country a century or more ago was to find the right kind of spouse with the right last name. Which I suppose is a legitimate reason as far as it goes. That was certainly my mother's biggest objective in making sure I went to one.

These days though, I look to other faith groups like Muslims who draw a big distinction between faith and education. They don't try to combine the two. Muslim colleges and universities are not a thing here in the US despite the fact that there are probably 10-times more Muslims here in the US than there are Mennonites. Instead Muslim young people go to public universities to get the education and technical training that they need while their faith supports them with local mosques and student faith groups and such. And I wonder if they are the ones who are getting it right.

[brothereicher]

So then it is really other colleges in the Boston area that are preparing your students for grad school, med school, and careers in laboratories and research?

That's an excellent point, and it's one of the reasons why Sattler chose Boston as its location. We're surrounded by a lot of colleges that have amazing programs that are difficult to match. Our computer science students are able to take CS50 at HES, which is the best introductory CS course available anywhere, or students are able to get into lab internships in which they are the only undergrad students working there.

The ability to network and leverage the resources here in Boston gives our students opportunities that would be very difficult for them to have anywhere else, at a fraction of the cost, and I think our academic results speak for themselves.

I was a science nerd in college. Way back in the 1980s. I started at a Mennonite college across the country that did have reasonable science offerings and facilities on paper but I ended up transferring to a somewhat fancier school back closer to home that had more to offer in environmental sciences. Back then the curriculum at my original Menno college was heavily focused on pre-med and nursing which was not what I wanted. But at both schools I spent many late nights and weekends in the lab doing all kinds of studies and research projects. Especially the second school which had lots of professors doing research that interested me and that took on students as junior researchers. Rinse and repeat years later in grad school. I spend lots of time in the oceanography and fisheries labs and around students and professors who were doing the same.

My middle daughter is now starting her junior year of college and is more or less doing the same thing. She has already been on two different research teams and now works part time at a high-end genomics lab on campus that does lots of NIH research. She often works late hours and weekends which is fine because it is only a couple minutes walk from her apartment.

If she were to attend a place like Sattler I expect she would spend most of her time off campus commuting across the city all all hours and then one would wonder what is actually the point. She has found her own faith community on campus at her big university and I'm happy with where she is at in life. She wouldn't be Sattler material anyway as she is far too liberal to be interested in FOTW theology. So this is just hypothetical. But I'm not sure I would want to send her to a place where most of her time and energy and focus is elsewhere. Seems to me that it would sort of defeat the purpose of going away to college.

I wrote a long response and MennoNet ate it.

There's no question Sattler is pretty niche.
Max attendance goal is high 200s in the long term.

I appreciate your time to write that response. It helps me see where you're coming from. I'm glad your daughter has found something that works for her!

Sattler students generally take under 6 lab or transfer credits per semester. (I know this because I'm the registrar.) But it might be just as stressful as you've described.

I realize you're not looking for colleges, and I'm not here to recruit. (No one asked me to be here.) But I was serious about the invitation to come to Boston, even if you're just curious to see what's up.

Also, we recently released interviews with our two alumni who are attending med school, and if you're interested in their experiences, you can check that out.