| Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary | |
|---|---|
| Motto | And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses; the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. (II Timothy 2:2, KJV) |
| Established | 1969 |
| Type | Private, Seminary |
| President | Dr. Harold F. Hunter |
| Location | Newburgh, Indiana, U.S. |
| Courses | Independent Study, Online Course, Webinar/Seminar |
| Colors | Royal Blue and Silver Gray |
| Website | www.trinitysem.edu |
Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary, also known as Trinity College of the Bible; is a nondenominational Bible college and seminary located in Newburgh, Indiana. Trinity offers unaccredited distance education programs at undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree levels for self-directed adult learners. Programs include Certificate, Bachelor, Masters, Executive MBA, and Doctorate (DMin and Ed.D) studies.[1] Trinity claims more than 7,000 active students worldwide.[2]
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Trinity's nine-building campus [3] is located in Newburgh, Indiana, about ten miles east of Evansville.
Trinity College and Theological Seminary was founded by Dr. John D. Brooke in April 1969. In mid 1978, Trinity moved to Evansville, Indiana, and changed its focus from offering traditional on-campus degree programs to its current emphasis on distance education, providing undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate courses for self-directed adult learners. In 1981, the school relocated to Newburgh.
Trinity describes its mission as: "To equip men and women with a Christian worldview of leadership and service in life, work, and ministry through distance education that encourages professional and academic excellence."
Trinity has more than 70 full-time employees on campus, including 13 full-time faculty. As of January 2010, Trinity also lists 74 part-time off-campus faculty.[4]
Trinity offers various distance education learning formats and delivery systems, such as self-paced independent study courses, online courses, webinars, and face-to-face seminars on-campus and at other locations in the United States.[5] Trinity offers the following programs of study:
Trinity has pursued accreditation with U.S. and United Kingdom accrediting agencies.
In January 1992, Trinity achieved accreditation with the National Association of Private Nontraditional Schools and Colleges (NAPNSC)[6]. The NAPNSC, which accredits distance education institutions,[7] is not one of the higher education accreditation agencies recognized by the United States Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Accordingly, Trinity is not accredited by any recognized accreditation body in the United States. As such, its degrees and credits might not be acceptable to employers or other institutions, and use of degree titles may be restricted or illegal in some jurisdictions.[8] Students who attend institutions of higher education that are accredited through associations not recognized by the US Department of Education do not qualify for Title IV funding (Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, etc.).[9] As noted by John Bear, an American authority on distance education, NAPNSC is a serious attempt to create an accreditation agency focused on the concerns of nontraditional forms of education.[7] However, the NAPNSC.org web site is no longer active and it appears the NAPNSC organization is no longer in operation. Trinity also no longer lists NAPNSC accreditation on its web site.[10]
In 2004, Trinity was granted candidacy status for regional accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The institution provided a self-study report, hosted a team of North Central Association evaluators for a site visit, and expected a second campus visit in autumn 2006.[2] However, Trinity resigned from candidacy status effective October 20, 2006.[11]
In 2008, Trinity applied for accreditation with the Distance Education Training Council (DETC), which is recognized by the CHEA and the USDE. On October 7, 2011, DETC denied initial accreditation to Trinity citing Trinity's "failure to demonstrate compliance with Standard IX (Financial Responsibility)" as the reason for DETC's denial.[12] Trinity did not appeal DETC's decision; however, in comments made October 26, 2011 to DETC, Trinity noted that the institution disagreed with the DETC commissioners' decision, noting the demonstrated confidence of Trinity's banking institution. Trinity's comments also noted that Trinity had complied with all other requirements, including all academic standards, for DETC accreditation and that Trinity would continue seeking accreditation.[13]
Prior to 2002, Trinity pursued endorsement of its courses with the University of Liverpool.[14] The university, however, did not endorse theological courses. In 2002, Liverpool decided to “transfer the accreditation role to a theologically orientated institution” after consultation with the QAA.[14] In the United Kingdom, the QAA oversees the Academic Infrastructure of institutions, which includes frameworks for higher education qualifications, code of practice, subject benchmark statements, and programme specifications.[15]
From 2002 to 2007, Canterbury Christ Church University endorsed courses and programmes offered by Trinity.[14] The endorsed courses and programmes were subject to the university’s “academic and quality-assurance processes[16] but students did not receive its degrees or awards.” [14] Trinity no longer lists Canterbury Christ Church University endorsement on its web site.[10]
In August 2007, Trinity received validation for set courses and programmes by the University of Wales. Validation with the university is awarded to an institution developing and delivering a programme of study equivalent to the quality and standard followed by the university.[17] The validation made it possible for Trinity to offer degrees from the University of Wales—rather than from Trinity itself—up to the graduate level. To be awarded validation, Trinity was required to document and satisfy all quality assurance standards as outlined by the university, which includes QAA national standards related to the framework for higher education qualifications, programme specifications, subject benchmark statements, and code of practice. A validation site visit of Trinity by a panel of assessors appointed by the university was also required for Trinity to demonstrate evidence of the attainment of said standards.[18]
At the time of validation in 2007, there was no requirement for the university to work only with accredited institutions.[19] However, in July 2008 the QAA advised U.K. institutions they should not form collaborative relationships with institutions not accredited in their home country.[14] This prompted the university to begin to question their collaborative relationship with Trinity. Although Trinity successfully completed the validation process in order to achieve validation, in November 2008 the university cut ties with Trinity.[19]