May 31, 2005
By Gary D. Myers
NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary extension center students were the guests of honor during the first Red Carpet Workshop on the school’s main campus May 23 – 27.
Extension students from across the southeast traveled to New Orleans for a special week of academic courses and special events designed especially for them.
“Extension center students are a very important part of New Orleans Seminary,” NOBTS President Chuck Kelley told the students during a special chapel service May 23. “About 45 percent of our students do most their work at extension centers.”
“We want to devote this whole week especially to extension center students,” he said. “We want to let you know how important you are to us.”
494 students representing extension sites and the main campus enrolled for the special workshop. Kelley said the response was overwhelming – twice what administrators expected when planning began – making Red Carpet Week the largest academic workshop in NOBTS history.
During the week, graduate and undergraduate students were offered a wide range of courses in a one-week, intensive format. Administrators were intentional about course offering – most of the classes are the core required courses common to most NOBTS and LeavellCollege degrees. The week also provided extension students the opportunity to earn important on-campus credits. Each student must earn at least 30 hours of credit on the main campus to qualify for graduation.
The students were able to access a number of student services in one central location – HardinStudentCenter. Information tables for services such as financial aid and the resume referral service designed to help students find ministry positions were available in the HSC lobby during class break times.
Many extension students attend other workshops during the summer and at spring break, but without chapel services and without as many fellowship opportunities with main campus faculty and students. Jimmy Dukes, dean of NOBTS’ extension center system, said the Red Carpet idea came out of the administration’s desire to give the extension students a more complete on-campus experience.
Just over half of the students attending the workshop were extension students, the rest were main campus students. Kelley and Dukes were happy to see the large number of main campus students who participated. They believe the interaction and fellowship between these two groups can have a positive effect on the entire student body and help the extension students build stronger ties to the seminary community.
In spite of the long hours of class required each day, the seminary planned many recreational and fellowship opportunities for extension students. Two free meals – red beans and rice on Monday night and a seafood buffet Thursday night – introducing the guests to New Orleans-style cuisine. The seminary also provided street car rides for the first 100 students to check-in on Monday.
“I think it is fantastic, everything the school has done for us,” said Tom Davis, an undergraduate student who attends the extension center in Birmingham, Ala. “The administrators and all the faculty members have made us feel like such a part of the school.”
Davis was impressed to see NOBTS administrators clearing tables after the group dinners. He said seeing their acts of service further endeared him to the seminary.
“I think the Red Carpet Workshop is a great idea,” said David Wooten, a graduate student from the OrlandoCenter. Wooten, who serves on a church staff in Florida, enjoyed the inclusion of the chapel service in the workshop schedule.
“I think having chapel is good, I’d like to see that every time we come to a workshop,” he said. “It gives us exposure to Dr. Kelley and some of the other faculty members.”
The women’s ministry academic course included a special witnessing experience in the French Quarter Tuesday afternoon. Special events were also held for single women students and student wives.
The intensive week-long courses require pre-workshop reading and assignments to be turned in the first day of class. After the workshop students must complete additional assignments by a specified date.
New Orleans Seminary operates 15 extension center sites in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The sites enable students to begin seminary without leaving ministry positions and relocating to New Orleans. Courses are taught in Creole French, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean and Vietnamese at selected sites in addition to English.
Kelley and Dukes said that the extension center work represents the administration’s effort to make theological education accessible to as many God-called men and women as possible.
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