Preliminary enrollment data for fall 2025 shows another year of promising trends

As of October 17, 2025, 250 ATS member schools have reported enrollment data, representing nearly 90 percent of the membership. Of these schools, 55 percent have shown year-over-year enrollment increases, and 45 percent have shown declines. For the second year in a row, more ATS schools have grown than declined. Listen Here.

Theologies for pastoral ministry: listening and writing in community

The first phase of the Theologies for Pastoral Ministry to the Contemporary Church initiative has included a year of collaborative theological reflection among pastors and scholars across North America. Supported by Lilly Endowment Inc., this multi-year project of ATS aims to renew pastoral imagination and develop practical theological resources for the contemporary church. Listen Here.

New academic leaders gather for this year's ATS School for New Deans

Twenty-nine newly appointed academic deans attended the 2025 ATS School for New Deans at the ATS offices in September. The gathering proved to be a robust and generative learning opportunity with space to learn, network, and join in community. Listen Here.

The ATS/COA Biennial Meeting: traditions and values

Beyond the obvious—a meeting that occurs every two years—what exactly is the ATS/COA Biennial Meeting? With nearly 20 years spent working at ATS, Stephen R. Graham discusses the who, what, and why of the Biennial Meeting, including personal anecdotes during his time as a staff member. Listen Here.

Garrett Seminary's global partnership reimagines theological education

A pioneering partnership between Garrett Evangelical-Theological Seminary and Africa University is reshaping how theological education is delivered globally, thanks to a grant from the Ministerial Education Fund. The program, which brings Africa University graduates to Garrett for advanced theological training, is designed to foster public ministry rooted in justice, contextual theology and community leadership. Through hybrid learning and cross-cultural collaboration, the initiative is challenging traditional models of theological education.

Does that mean what you think it means?

Clock hour. Credit hour. Distance education. Regular and substantive interaction. You have heard these terms, but do you truly know what they mean? The Commission accrediting group has broken down some key terms with detailed definitions to help member schools in their understanding of the Standards of Accreditation. For example:

Clock Hour and Credit Hour

• A clock hour is about an hour of instruction or supervised learning.
• A credit hour includes instruction and out-of-class time considering modality and workloads.

It sounds simple, but the full definition matters to align with the Standards.

Visit our Accreditation Key Terms and Definitions webpage to explore this and other essential terminology. The Commission accrediting group has started with a few foundational terms and will add more throughout the year.