BOLIVAR (SBU) – The Executive Committee of the Southwest Baptist University Board of Trustees and a Delegation from Faculty Senate met Wednesday, April 7, to continue discussions that began on February 26.
The Executive Committee has committed to working with the faculty better to define the hiring, tenure, and promotion processes. A workgroup consisting of faculty, trustees, and administration will begin working together on this process.
From this meeting, the faculty leadership and Executive Committee are releasing the following joint statement:
“The SBU Trustees’ Executive Committee and Faculty Senate Delegation appreciate and value each other. We resolve to assume the best in each other, pray for each other, and forebear one another as we work together toward making Southwest Baptist University the exemplar Christian University.
“We have more that we agree on than we disagree. We are not the first Christian University to experience internal disagreements. We resolve to handle ours intentionally with open communication, prayer, patience, and love leading toward genuine unity and harmony in the mission of providing world-class education according to a Biblical worldview.
“We appreciate the prayers of all interested parties in SBU as we prayerfully and lovingly work through our disagreements for the glory of Christ and Christ-like care toward all who are involved. We believe that God will bring us through this time to understand each other and clarify our processes with even greater strength as a University.”
Dr. Eddie Bumpers
Chair, Southwest Baptist University Board of Trustees
Dr. Tom Sneed
President, Southwest Baptist University Faculty Senate