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As you know, higher education in the western world has undergone some
enormous upheavals in recent years. Some of the time-honored insti-
tutions in this country are examining their real purpose.. Educators
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want very much to make higher education relevant to today's world.
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As the scientific achievements of the post-war world have become more
commonplace, the larger.questions of life continue .to loom on the
horizon -- Why are we here? How should we live our lives? Is there
a supernatural power? What about morality and ethics? -- all are very
cogent questions of the 1980's.
Those of us on the administration of Ambassador College appreciate
the challenges placed before us when Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong wrote
the policy and purpose statement creating the new school. As .the weeks
have gone by since Mr. Armstrong's announcement, we have increasingly
realized the opportunities before us. What in reality has occurred
is that we are now privileged to develop an entirely innovative type
of program. Centering on those distinctive qualities which truly
made Ambassador College unique over the years, we will now have a
program which will give young men and women of the Church a founda
tional education in the more penetrating and significant dimensions
of life.
Higher education has many varied forms and directions. Each individual
needs to assess his or her own goals, but all students should have a
firm understanding of why they were born, where they are going in life,
and how to get there. Our new diploma program will retain those
courses which have been so successful over the years in dealing with
such subjects. Principles of Living, Life and Teachings of Jesus
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Christ, Old Testament Survey, Marriage and the Family, and a number
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of other courses like these will form the core of the curriculum for
the program.
For this entire 30-unit program (whether taken during the regular
school year or in sununer sessions}, the student will concentrate on
these areas without being compelled to pursue other areas of study
such as a foreign language, American history, or English. In fact,
the whole purpose for this type of program is to help the student
better understand life and "find himself" as they say in the vernacular.
Another important element of the program will be a thorough career
guidance system. After this diploma program, a student may well feel
that further college is not for him. Maybe entering a trade will be
in order. On the other hand, this student may realize that additional
college is very necessary -- but not just any college program. Using
the resources of our career services office, the student will be
better able to select the college or university which will best serve
his or her needs. Regardless of whether or not this person will
ultimately earn a college degree, he will have received a solid founda
tion in the most important knowledge of life.
Another direct benefit of this type of program will obviously be in
the social and recreational opportunities for young men and women in
the Church. As you know, so many of our scattered congregations do
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not offer very many chances for social interaction among young people
of like faith, simply because of geography.
Ptrsonally, I see this diploma program as a rich opportunity for my
own son (or daughters, for that matter} who is still some years away