In Sept. 2018, Southern Adventist University’s Student Development announced
that 25 percent of enrichment/worship credit now needs to come from cultural convocation credit.
As students near the end of the semester, many scramble to gain the required amount of cultural credit, initiating confusion and criticism from some students.
Until two weeks ago, students were unable to track their cultural credit progress on Southern’s Residence Life.
Dennis Negrón, vice president of Student Development, said that the purpose of cultural credit is to encourage students to attend convocation. Some Southern students understand this requirement, and some disagree.
“Even though I was annoyed at first to have to get cultural credits,” said Morgan Nash, sophomore clinical psychology major, “I actually respect and appreciate the measures that Southern has taken to educate us by bringing in speakers from all different backgrounds who have unique stories. At the end of the day, we’re required to get credit so we should make the best out of it.”
Alex Nelson, senior international studies major, said, “A lot of people work on Thursday during convocation and aren’t able to attend those convocations that are cultural credit. The only other options for cultural credits if you can’t go to convocation are concerts and other events in the evening, and that’s when most students participate in intramurals or do their studying. I think requiring cultural credits is actually hindering student life and not enhancing it.”
“I think that they’re a little unnecessary. We already have to get a ton of worship credits and it just complicates things way more to add in cultural credits on top of that,” Amariah White, freshman health science major, said.
According to Student Development, departmental convocations, performing art events
and convocations that discuss secular ideas qualify for cultural credit.
Junior mass communication major Analyse Trochez said she finds the definition of cultural credit confusing because she attends cultural convocations that mention spiritual topics.
In response to students’ complaints about cultural credit a few years ago, Negrón said that the recent update about two years to the enrichment credit program was better than in previous years. These changes include lowering attendance requirements by 20 percent, students’ ability to earn credit in any way, exempting certain groups from credit requirement, and transitioning to a graduated scale, expecting freshmen to earn more credit than seniors.
“These changes were applauded by the majority of the student body just four years ago,” Negrón said.
According to Negrón, Student Development plans to improve communication and will continue to require cultural credit next year.
“My office will be sure to make this aspect of the Enrichment program clearer in the future,” he said.
Image credit: Madison Gang