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June 2019 News Perspective Online

Update from the Office of Enrollment Management

SMU Perkins Office of Enrollment Management team members (left to right) Margot Perez-Greene, Stephen Bagby, Sandy Oswalt, John Lowery, Jean Nixon, Caleb Palmer and Yazmin Strauss. Not pictured, Jon Herrin. Photo by J. Crenshaw, SMU Photography.

Dear Perkins Friends,

The “call to ministry” does not always happen on our time schedule. It often comes quite unexpectedly and suddenly.

Rev. Dr. Margot Perez-Greene
Associate Dean of Enrollment Management

A case in point: a young lady who attended Inside Perkins twice and planned to enter Perkins in the fall of 2020. In the last four days, her life has been turned around, upside-down and every which way but loose. The tug we know as the “call to ministry” will not take leave of her. She would like to attend in the fall of 2019.

A second example is a young woman, currently enrolled in a master’s degree program at SMU, who has been praying and reflecting on her life’s journey. She doesn’t see herself working in the field she is now pursuing. Another application for fall 2019 is coming our way.

These cases occur every year, and, in our experience, life’s changes and “calls” often come outside of our planned window of deadlines. For that reason, we keep Perkins’ application and enrollment process as flexible as possible, to allow for changes that happen in people’s lives time and again.

Applications have increased by 17 percent to date, and admitted students are up by 35 percent. Requests to apply surface daily. Our team encourages inquirers to submit applications posthaste so that plans can be made to begin theological study. At this juncture, there is no time to waste. In these uncertain times for seminaries across the country as well as for  denominations, we can confidently say that we remain encouraged.

We ask for your help and your prayers. Ministry Discernment Associates are attending annual conferences (schedule below) and are ready to discuss and orient individuals toward a seminary education. We welcome you to email them, in advance, so that they can plan to meet individuals that you wish to nominate. We’re at the ready! Or, you can email me personally at margot@smu.edu, and we’ll get right to it. I’m sensing a good fall class for Perkins with one caveat: life does happen!

Sincerely,

By Rev. Margot Perez-Greene
Associate Dean of Enrollment Management

 

Application Deadlines Are Extended for Fall 2019
June 30 — Houston Galveston Extension Program
July 26 — Dallas Campus Program

 

Office of Enrollment Management staff will attend the following Annual Conferences:

  • The North Texas Annual Conference, Sunday through Tuesday, June 2-4, at Christ UMC in Plano, Texas: Stephen Bagby
  • The Rio Texas Annual Conference, Wednesday through Saturday, June 5-8, at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas: Margot Perez-Greene and Jon Herrin
  • The Oklahoma Indian Missionary Annual Conference, Thursday through Sunday, June 6-9, in Preston, Okla.: Jazmin Cabrera
  • The Central Texas Annual Conference, Sunday through Wednesday, June 9-12, at Arlington Convention Center in Arlington, Texas:  John Lowery
  • The New Mexico Annual Conference, Wednesday through Friday, June 12-14, at Crowne Plaza in Albuquerque, N.M.: Margot Perez-Greene