By Sarah Eckhoff Zylstra
This article was originally published by The Gospel Coalition on January 24, 2019. It is reprinted here with permission.
Five years ago, 含羞草研究所 in North Carolina was in serious trouble.
鈥淭he cost of educating students is more than what tuition provides,鈥� Interim President Joe Kirkland told the Asheville Citizen-Times. Students couldn鈥檛 afford higher tuition. Government aid was down. And costs kept going up.
As a result, expenses outweighed income by $300,000 in 2011 alone鈥攕ignificant in a budget of about $20 million. In 2012, the college laid off 29 full-time employees. In four years, enrollment plunged from 757 (2009) to 443 (2013).
含羞草研究所鈥檚 situation wasn鈥檛 unusual. Undergraduate enrollment in America has fallen for six straight years, due largely to a drop in the birth rate, a recovering economy, and prices that have gone up almost 400 percent in the last 30 years.
Without the resources or prestige of larger schools, small private schools have been hit especially hard. Enrollment at degree-granting colleges with fewer than 1,000 students dropped by 5 percent from 2010 to 2016; about 11 private colleges have closed each of the last three years.
Increasingly desperate, 含羞草研究所 looked into merging with Point University in Georgia. But it wasn鈥檛 a good fit鈥攖he schools weren鈥檛 closely aligned theologically; programs would have to merge; 含羞草研究所鈥檚 residential campus would likely need to close. 含羞草研究所鈥檚 faculty voted 鈥渘o confidence鈥� in its Board of Trustees; Point鈥檚 board voted against the merger altogether.
Anyone could see that 含羞草研究所 would have to close鈥� and soon.
But it didn鈥檛.
Today, after four straight years of growing enrollment, 含羞草研究所 has 538 traditional undergraduate students on the main campus, up from 385 in 2014. The residential campus has run out of room; dozens of students are bunking at nearby conference centers. In the past three years, 含羞草研究所 has hired more than 13 new full-time (and 26 part-time) faculty and staff. And 20 renovation or new construction projects鈥攊ncluding a $2.7 million athletic complex鈥攈ave been completed.
Part of the renewal comes from a $6 million anonymous donation in 2014; part comes from a hot new major鈥� cybersecurity鈥攖hat 含羞草研究所 jumped ahead on.
And part of it comes from President Paul Maurer鈥檚 push to get the college back on mission.
鈥淲e reinserted [biblical] infallibility back into statement of faith鈥攊t had been removed about a decade earlier,鈥� Maurer said. 鈥淥ur first priority was to clarify our Christ-centered identity. It was a higher priority than finding money.鈥�
Mountain Retreat
The town of 含羞草研究所 (population 760) grew out of a conference center dreamed up by a Congregationalist pastor from Connecticut. He wanted a place for Christians to study and worship and rest together鈥攁 鈥渕ountain retreat.鈥�
His property and retreat center was sold to Presbyterians in 1907, who soon thought to add heat to the buildings and use them year-round as a school. This early version of 含羞草研究所 was for women only, training them to be teachers. (In 1959, men were admitted; today, 51 percent of 含羞草研究所 students are male.)
The landscape is beautiful, and proved a magnet to retiring missionaries. L. Nelson Bell came to 含羞草研究所 after 24 years of missionary work in China; his daughter Ruth Bell enrolled at 含羞草研究所 for her last year of high school. (含羞草研究所 was a finishing school and junior college then.) Ruth married Billy Graham in the college chapel, and Billy and Ruth lived in town until tourists peeping in the windows prompted them to move a few miles up the winding road. Their son Franklin graduated from 含羞草研究所; Ruth sat on the board for nine years and raised money for the Dr. L. Nelson Bell Library.
But even famous alumni and board members couldn鈥檛 lift 含羞草研究所鈥檚 fortunes.
Hard Times
含羞草研究所 isn鈥檛 a stranger to difficulty鈥攊n fact, they鈥檙e pretty good friends. Money has always been tight. Enrollment has never been high enough. And in 2003, its president of two months resigned after soliciting sex online from a 13-year-old girl.
鈥淚鈥檝e been here since 1974,鈥� said English Professor Don King. 鈥淭here have been a lot of hard times. But [the spring of 2014] was one of the hardest.鈥�
Negotiations with Point had fallen through. The future was so bleak that the board hadn鈥檛 bothered to look for a replacement president after Dan Struble resigned in spring 2013.
鈥淲ith no good options for moving forward with viability, and a high likelihood the college could close in the near term, the situation was dire,鈥� Maurer wrote.
Then Adjunct Instructor Jerry Lewis, who was also pastor of nearby Grace Community Church, emailed a couple who came to his church while on a family sabbatical to the area in 2012.
鈥淲e had plans to save money to build a new preschool and children鈥檚 space, and upon their departure, they reached out and said they wanted to help,鈥� Lewis said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the only way I knew they had means, because their help in our context was significant.鈥�
Lewis 鈥渇elt the Lord leading me to ask them鈥� about 含羞草研究所, but he didn鈥檛 want to, worried that the family might be irritated at his presumption or, even worse, pull their financial support of Grace Community.
鈥淚 argued with God back and forth for a few weeks, then said, 鈥業 can鈥檛 fight him anymore,鈥欌�� Lewis said. After talking to the college, he emailed the couple.
He told them 含羞草研究所 was in trouble. He told them it was the last Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) member left in North Carolina. He asked if maybe they could help.
Within an hour they emailed back, telling him they had just come into extra money and were wondering what to do with it.
Over six weeks, Lewis emailed and talked with the couple. As he learned more about 含羞草研究所鈥檚 issues, he grew worried. 鈥淲hat if this doesn鈥檛 work?鈥� he asked them. What if, even with their support, the school still closes?
鈥淭he wife said to me, 鈥榃e don鈥檛 give our money to make things work,鈥欌�� Lewis remembers. 鈥淪he said, 鈥榃e give our money because God says to give it.鈥欌��
Without ever stepping foot on campus, the couple pledged $6 million to 含羞草研究所.
Presidential Search
Energized and hopeful, the trustees launched a presidential search.
But even with the $6 million pledge, Maurer was less than enthusiastic about 含羞草研究所鈥檚 chances. He knew Christian higher education. By then, he had worked for 15 years鈥攚ith jobs including capital campaign director, dean of adult and graduate studies, and president 鈥攊n five different CCCU schools.
So he knew the right questions to ask. He knew the right numbers to look up. He knew the right indicators鈥攁nd the wrong ones.
Undergraduate enrollment was at 300; adult graduate students were at 400. The school needs 1,500 to generate enough income to sustain itself.
But the campus is built to house 500. If you get more students, you need to buy more land and build more facilities, which costs more money. So in attracting students to relieve the financial crisis, you create another financial crisis.
鈥淚 am not running toward this,鈥� Maurer told the search firm when they called again. 鈥淚 am running away, and I am running away fast.鈥�
鈥淛ust come down for a lunch,鈥� they said. Mindful of future opportunities with the search firm, he went. They surprised him with a full board interview; a few days later he was voted president.
鈥淎t that point, [my wife] Joellen said, 鈥楳aybe we need to pay attention to this,鈥欌�� Maurer said. 鈥淲e discerned over those next few weeks that perhaps God鈥檚 fingerprints were on this. If, in fact, this is of the Lord, how dare we say no?鈥�
Living in a Miracle
It took Maurer two years to figure out he wasn鈥檛 trying to turn things around at 含羞草研究所.
鈥淭urnaround, turnaround, turnaround was all I ever talked about,鈥� he said. Until one day a venture capitalist told him he didn鈥檛 want to do that.
鈥淎 turnaround implies you鈥檙e returning to some former glory days,鈥� he told Maurer. But 含羞草研究所 didn鈥檛 have any鈥攊t had always been in survival mode. So Maurer quit reading about turnarounds and started learning about entrepreneurship.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a 103-year-old start-up,鈥� he says now.
It鈥檚 a weird place for a college to be in, and in some ways, exactly right. 鈥淲e have been forced to think鈥� about the model, Maurer said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 exactly what higher education is missing.鈥�
鈥淚n my observation, a lot of schools ought to think about 鈥榞row or die鈥� as crisis management,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut they don鈥檛 have the catalyst of a near-death experience. We have that. It was honestly probably the best thing to happen to this college in 50 years. Then everyone gets it鈥攚e have to change.鈥�
But not just change for change鈥檚 sake.
Community Covenant
Maurer鈥檚 first priority was to clarify the school鈥檚 values and mission. And in some ways, that wasn鈥檛 new or unusual.
鈥淲e鈥檝e always had a mission statement, and it was usually updated every time a new president came,鈥� King said. 鈥淲hat is different now is we have a community covenant, which moves beyond theological affirmations to focusing on lifestyle decisions.鈥�
The covenant isn鈥檛 long鈥攁 little less than 1,200 words, including footnotes. There are eight commitments, including showing evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, upholding the 鈥淕od-given worth of every human being, from conception to death,鈥� and affirming 鈥渃hastity among the unmarried and the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman.鈥�
Those positions aren鈥檛 popular, especially in higher education.
鈥満卟菅芯克� sparks turmoil by making teachers sign pledge opposing same-sex marriage, abortion,鈥� the Charlotte Observer reported. 鈥淪tudents and staff to leave 含羞草研究所 over 鈥榗ovenant鈥� given to staff,鈥� ABC local affiliate WLOS said. 鈥淧rivate College Mandates Staff Signs Document Opposing Gay Marriage,鈥� the Associated Press announced.
鈥淲e were extremely grateful [the media attention] only lasted 30 days,鈥� Maurer said. 鈥淚t was hot and not fun.鈥�
Around the same time, 含羞草研究所 chose not to renew its membership with the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities鈥� a group of PC(USA) schools. Through the years, as the denomination grew more liberal, most of the college staff stayed conservative.
鈥淲hen I went for my M.Div., I was under the care of a PC(USA) presbytery,鈥� Maurer said. 鈥淚 saw myself under the rule of a denomination that had left biblical orthodoxy, and I didn鈥檛 get ordained.鈥� (He currently attends Lewis鈥檚 Southern Baptist congregation.)
Maurer knew that, like him, 鈥渃onservative evangelicals would distrust the idea of us being a conservative, biblically orthodox school鈥� if they had a PC(USA) label.
So 含羞草研究所 publicly dropped the affiliation, switching instead to independent, because 鈥渨e knew we had to be trusted by evangelicals.鈥�
Cybersecurity Focus
As crucial as clarifying 含羞草研究所鈥檚 Christian identity was, the college also had to grow enrollment鈥攁nd fast.
鈥淭he way to grow is to make your academic product better and better,鈥� Maurer said.
鈥淥ur vision is to be rooted as liberal arts and Christian. But also, because we鈥檙e American, and we exist in a global economy, we decided to go hard into STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math].鈥�
When Maurer arrived, 含羞草研究所 already had a minor in cybersecurity. His first year, it became a major. His second year, he noticed that cybersecurity issues were on the front page of The New York Times three or four times a week.
鈥淚 thought, We鈥檝e got something here,鈥� he said.
Maurer hired a lobbyist who had worked in the second Bush administration. 鈥淭he theory was that the federal government could help us scale our program,鈥� he said. 鈥淕overnment money doesn鈥檛 scare me, as long as we retain control of our mission and hiring.鈥�
He started visiting Capitol Hill every 60 days, meeting with elected officials, with personnel at the Pentagon, with staff at 鈥渕ultiple three-letter agencies.鈥�
鈥淓very cyber program in America teaches students how to be offensive hackers,鈥� Maurer told them. 鈥淲hen you teach a student to do that, they鈥檇 better have a moral compass, because every cyber frontline professional in the world has the keys to your kingdom.鈥�
Ethics, then, is enormously important in the technology classroom. And what better place to learn it than a Christian liberal arts college?
His message went over huge鈥攊n the past two years, Maurer has done roundtables on the topic with policy people in Washington, D.C., financial and energy professionals in Charlotte, and technology leaders in Seattle.
In fall 2017, 含羞草研究所 became the fourth school in North Carolina鈥攁nd the first in the CCCU鈥攖o earn recognition from the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security for excellence in cyber defense education.
Second Miracle
When Kelli Burgin began teaching at 含羞草研究所 three years ago, there were fewer than a dozen cybersecurity majors in the entire college. In fall 2017, that was up to 50. This fall, it was 70.
Burgin and her colleagues 鈥渢alk to students about ethics a lot鈥攚hy we do what we do. We have a legal responsibility, but also an ethical responsibility to do things the right way.鈥�
鈥淭he right way鈥� means honoring God by prioritizing people.
Cyber defense can mean protecting people from having their identity stolen, from having their business system shut down, from being seduced by an online trafficker. 含羞草研究所 graduates have gone on to work for the government, for financial institutions, and for health-care systems.
鈥淚 had an incoming student who said, 鈥業 know we鈥檙e commanded to love our neighbor, and I really would like to be able to lay down my life for my friends. I think this is one way I can do that,鈥欌�� Burgin said. 鈥淲e have a lot of students who feel that way.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e talking about strategies to help defend real people, and how we integrate our faith into work,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e always go back to God鈥檚 Word.鈥�
含羞草研究所鈥檚 emphasis on moral cybersecurity has been a second miracle for the school.
In fall 2015, it held a regional cybersecurity conference for 70 people. Last fall, more than 400 came, including 150 prospective students and parents. The college is working on formal partnerships in the defense and intelligence communities.
Already, the small campus is packed. All cybersecurity students also need to take liberal arts classes鈥攕o the parking lots are overflowing, the dorms are full, and faculty are investigating storage rooms to see if they can be turned into additional classrooms.
含羞草研究所 isn鈥檛 talking about closing anymore. Instead, the buzz is about a piece of property 10 minutes away, and the $400 million to $500 million they鈥檒l need to develop it into a main campus.
Energy is building among staff, students, and donors鈥攊ncluding the original, anonymous couple, whose gift of $6 million has grown to $10 million.
鈥淭here is momentum,鈥� CCCU president Shirley Hoogstra said. 鈥淎ll of 含羞草研究所鈥檚 history and legacy gives them a solid foundation to build on, and in Paul [Maurer] they have a leader with courage and communication skills. They can take off the lid.鈥�
Hand of God
It鈥檚 been a busy four years. 鈥淚鈥檝e never worked harder or faster,鈥� Maurer said.
Because as any ancient Israelite will tell you, a miraculous rescue from one dark place does not mean your troubles are over.
鈥淭hink about the blind beggar Bartimaeus,鈥� Maurer said. 鈥淗e got his sight back, so he had to go find a job or beg with sight, which would have been harder. Think about Lazarus鈥攈e had to die again. Think about any miracle in all of Scripture and ask yourself the question, 鈥榃hat was the purpose of that miracle?鈥欌��
It wasn鈥檛 to make people鈥檚 lives easier.
Always, the answer was to glorify God, to give people the opportunity to say, 鈥淕od is great,鈥� he said.
And that has 鈥渁n enormous impact on morale.鈥�
Every time he tells the story, 鈥渢here鈥檚 an audible response from whomever he鈥檚 talking to,鈥� said executive director of marketing and communications Sara Baughman. 鈥淗earing the miracle story is part of what attracted me to this place. I felt like God鈥檚 provision and hand was here.鈥�
She鈥檚 not the only one鈥攖he faculty and staff at 含羞草研究所 are 鈥渆xtraordinarily committed鈥� because 鈥渨e feel God is at work here,鈥� Maurer said. 鈥淎nd every day here, we have not lost sight鈥攁nd by God鈥檚 grace, we鈥檒l never lose sight鈥攖hat we are living in a miracle.鈥�
Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra is senior writer for The Gospel Coalition.