Economic downturn leads to academic uncertainty

Mennonite institutions unsure of impact at this point,
but hope traditional donors will continue their support

By Aaron Epp

National Correspondent

While the economic downturn has meant bad news for many universities, post-secondary institutions supported by Canadian Mennonites say they have yet to experience the radical economic shifts others have faced.

“The biggest thing it means is uncertainty,” Gordon Epp-Fransen, vice-president administration and finance at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) in Winnipeg, said of the economic downturn during a recent interview. “This uncertainty is hard to plan for.”

While investments for student aid and programs aren’t producing income as they otherwise would, Epp-Fransen said the downturn wouldn’t have any specific impact on tuition at the university. “Finances in a post-secondary setting like ours are always tight,” he said, adding that the university believes its government funding will come through as usual.

Paul Loewen works at Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, B.C., as part of the school’s church and donor relations team. There are “some notable signs” that Columbia is in a recession, he wrote in an e-mail. According to him, the college is “slimming down” its operations “by putting on hold some new incentives it would otherwise have enacted.”

Although Columbia’s overall student numbers remain nearly the same as last year, the college has experienced a decline in enrolment in traditional programs. More are taking casual courses or auditing a class. More students also need part-time employment to support their educational costs.

The college has also been notified that some church support may be lost this year as a result of churches or conferences not being able to fully meet their budgets. Some individual and corporate donors have also indicated their support will be lower this year, he indicated. “A good percentage of our support comes from building- and land development-related businesses, and these are affected industries in B.C.,” he wrote.

Fred Martin, director of development at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ont., also acknowledged the ripple effect the economic downturn will have, affecting members of the community who support the school. Still, when asked what the best way is for Canadian Mennonites to support Mennonite colleges and universities during these difficult times, Martin said it is important to keep those institutions as a priority in terms of giving.

“It’s a significant chunk of revenue—10 per cent—that we receive from donated dollars,” Martin said by phone. “Institutions are [also] vulnerable, depending on the fluctuation of government funding,” so it helps when “alumni and supporters maintain the college on their list of charitable giving.”

Ron Ringenberg, vice-president for advancement and administration at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind., agrees. “I feel very strongly that Mennonites need to support Mennonite institutions,” he said in a phone interview. While there is no shortage of excellent, non-Mennonite charitable giving opportunities, “if Mennonites don’t support Mennonite institutions, no one else will, or very few will,” he said, adding, “It needs to be a priority if it’s important to us as a people, as a denomination, as a church.”

Prayer is also important, he added. “I’ve been here five-and-a-half years, and clearly this is the work of the Lord. [AMBS] is really one of God’s missions in the world. We have always relied on God, and that’s what it really boils down to.”