A NEW SEASON IN BCF'S ONLINE PROGRAM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 16, 2008

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For many college students back-to-school time is associated with thick textbooks, new friends, moving into dorm rooms, and freshly-printed syllabi. But for some students at The Baptist College of Florida (BCF), back-to-school time means online discussion forums, downloading an MP3 file to listen to a lecture, or logging in to their class to take that big test. In fact, this particular image of a college student has never been more accurate, at BCF or nationwide, as more and more students are pursuing their degree through online education.

The Baptist College of Florida in Graceville, FL, has been offering classes online since 2000. The program has grown steadily from that time and is currently led by David Coggins, Assistant Professor of Leadership and Christian Education and Director of Distance Learning. Ecclesiastes 3 teaches that "for everything there is a season" and this fall is certainly a new season for BCF's Online Program. BCF was approved by The Southern Association of Schools and Colleges to offer several new degrees as well as deliver 100 percent of its degrees through Distance Education. Coggins says that the college's ability to offer all of the credits in the degrees "allows students to build a relationship with the school right away instead of delaying their entry to our program while pursuing certain courses." Coggins also pointed out that this means students can take their general education courses from a Christian worldview.

Starting with the fall term, degrees available to online students now include a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies, which replace the previous online bachelor degree. Both degrees will prepare students for various church-related or ministerial roles as well as graduate studies or seminary. An Associate of Divinity degree is also available online, providing an introduction to both general disciplines of education and theological training.

Along with the new degrees being offered, BCF is also pleased to announce the highest enrollment of online students in the program's eight-year history. This fall, BCF students are filling 261 virtual "seats" in the nineteen courses that BCF is offering online. BCF's online students include those serving in the military, those working overseas, students in various U.S. locations who desire a Christ-centric education, and those who require flexible scheduling.

The flexibility of the online environment extends beyond the scope of just the students. Courses are taught by faculty from a variety of locations and include not only professors who teach at the Graceville campus, but adjunct faculty from around the country. Online learning allows BCF to connect students with professors who have a lot to offer but who don't live near an actual college campus. Many adjunct instructors are called to minister in capacities other than full-time teaching. "The ability to tap into their expertise and insights from varying jobs, experiences, and ministry roles is a real asset," says Coggins.

In addition to the convenience and global access that is the hallmark of online learning, BCF students experience several unique benefits from the online environment. Gary Fangmann and Ed Scott, who have both instructed numerous BCF courses online, say that students who take their classes online instead of in the classroom are given the opportunity to shape and formulate their answers differently. "With a traditional classroom the response given comes, shall we say 'on the fly', but with online education, discussion is more thoughtful and can be more in-depth," stated Fangmann. Scott says of the online discussion boards, "In our forums, students learn to reach a level of specific expression that is not often found in conversational exchanges."

BCF Associate Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew, James Newell, points out the benefits of a feature that is being used more and more in BCF's online courses, "The availability of the class lecture in a digital format (MP3 file) gives the students the opportunity to take notes from the lecture at a pace suitable to their needs. In a classroom setting, the professor often accommodates the students who work slowly, to the frustration of those who work quickly. This phenomenon is eliminated in the online experience."

The Baptist College of Florida administration and faculty are excited to see how the changes they are making will allow them to better serve students. "Our purpose is to equip individuals for God's calling on their life," said one employee. "Technology is opening new doors for us to do just that." When asked what excites him most about the future of online learning at BCF, Coggins said, "reaching a different kind of student - in both experience and culture."

For more information about BCF's growing online courses, contact 800-328-2660 x460.