By Arden Berry | Staff Writer
George W. Truett Theological Seminary students notice a few more faces in Powell Chapel than average this year, shattering its enrollment numbers from the previous year.
According to the Baylor Institutional Research website, with four years of enrollment steadily increasing, Truett Seminary has achieved a new record for enrollment with 483 students. According to the website, the previous record was 407 students last fall.
Toby Osburn, assistant dean of student services for Truett Seminary, said there were three standout factors that helped increase enrollment: scholarships, an increase in students enrolled in Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry programs and the growth of Truett’s Houston campus.
“A lot of folks in Waco, in the general Baylor community, may not be that familiar with the fact that we have campuses in both San Antonio and Houston,” Osburn said. “And the Houston campus this year has really taken some significant strides in growth. We have over 60 students who study on that campus.”
According to the Baylor Office of Institutional Research, almost 23% of Truett students do not take classes on the Waco-Baylor campus.
Osburn said other seminaries have seen a decline in Master of Divinity enrollment over a ten-year period, but Baylor experienced a rebound this year.
“Our [Master of Divinity] numbers picked back up in a healthy way, and we’re back to about where we were maybe four years ago, which is good movement, movement in the right direction,” Osburn said.
For retaining students, Osburn said offering scholarships on the front end is helpful, but that it’s really about helping students gain a sense of belonging with Truett events like weekly chapels and luncheons. Osburn also said there are five main Truett student organizations, one of which is called Global Bridges.
“The nexus around Global Bridges is primarily our international students, but we have a number of domestic students that engage and participate in that as well, because it’s really all about creating bridges of understanding and helping students from all cultures and backgrounds better understand and appreciate other students from other cultures and backgrounds,” Osburn said.
Osburn said international students make up almost 10% of enrollment and come from 23 different countries outside of the U.S.
“The largest enrollments outside the U.S. come from India, which would also include Nagaland, and then Kenya, Uganda, Bhutan, Ecuador, Korea, Mexico and the United Kingdom,” Osburn said. “So we have a very diverse student body. They come from a variety of nationalities and ethnicities and cultural perspectives.”
Kingston, Jamaica, second-year seminary student Stephanie Barrett is in the Master of Divinity program. Barrett said Truett has been helpful to her in providing resources and organizations.
“There is an acknowledgement of how difficult it is,” Barrett said. “I think having people who are able to say, ‘Yeah, we know it’s really hard, and here are some of the things that we’re trying to do, but what can we do better?’ also helps you to feel wanted.”
Barrett said the connections she made even before starting at Truett Seminary helped give her a sense of belonging.
“Before I even came, Toby helped me to find an apartment and then was actually the person who helped me pick up my bed to go to my apartment,” Barrett said. “I felt like I was already a part of Truett.”
To continue expanding, Osburn said Truett Seminary will recruit, identify and build relationships with students.
“We do most of that through networks like the Baptist General Convention of Texas, the Global Methodist Church, Anglican and Episcopal Church communities —primarily in Texas — for that particular element of our student population, so we’ll be leaning hard into those relationships,” Osburn said.
According to the Baylor Institutional Research website, a little over half of Truett Seminary students are Baptist, with the Methodists being the second-largest denomination at about 17%.
“We have 18 different Christian denominations represented at Truett, and it creates a really engaging and synergistic kind of environment for theological education for those students,” Osburn said.
With a mix of students from around the world, across denominations and even across campuses, Truett’s record enrollment represents a diverse community of students.
“We work hard to build that sense of community, give students opportunities to engage and grow and also contribute back to Truett, Baylor and the Waco community,” Osburn said.
