Important Update about PLTS and the GTU from Rector Dr. Raymond Pickett

Dear PLTS Partners and Friends,

      PLTS has for the past several years been adapting to the changing landscape of theological education and the church by developing a robust Distributed Learning version of our degree programs and creating programs for a broader audience. The Graduate Theological Union has also been changing. As the seminary continues to implement its strategic vision for the future, we have made the difficult decision to leave the Graduate Theological Union in two years. This has been a hard and heartbreaking decision. The PLTS Advisory Board has supported the decision and the faculty have accepted it, but not without a deep sense of loss and feelings of grief. PLTS was one of the five original schools who founded the Graduate Theological Union in 1962. Just imagine how much theological education and the church have changed in 62 years.

      We realize that the decision to leave the GTU comes as disappointing news, especially for alumni who have cherished memories of their involvement in the GTU. As we move forward, PLTS has strong enrollment with more than 350 students in both degree and non-degree programs, and this decision allows the seminary to implement an expansive vision of theological education and spiritual formation for everyone. PLTS has a creative and committed faculty focused on quality learning experiences for students. The new Distributed Learning program they are developing will focus on cultivating theological depth, spirituality and community for anyone who wants to deepen their faith and use their gifts to make a difference in the world.

      What PLTS needs most from the GTU is cross-registration that affords students the opportunity to take classes from the other schools and centers in the consortium. This has been an enriching experience for students. However, the focus of the GTU as a school is the Ph.D. program, and the mission of PLTS is to form leaders for the church. The $226,711 consortial fee PLTS will pay this academic year goes primarily to supporting a Ph.D. level library. As more libraries and resources are becoming digitized, including the GTU library, the Cal Lutheran library is able to provide what students need. Since the GTU Common Agreement requires member schools to pay the consortial fee for two years after notification that they are leaving, current residential students will continue to be full participants in the consortium during that time.

      One of the most distinctive aspects of the GTU consortium is its inter-religious character. PLTS stands firm in continuing our commitment to provide interfaith learning for our students. Transitioning to a fully Distributed Learning modality over the next two years opens up the possibility for the seminary to explore partnerships with other schools from which our students can take online interfaith courses. It also makes the degrees and programs we offer more accessible to people not able to move to attend seminary.

      PLTS has been proactive in engaging the significant challenges facing all theological schools the past several years by expanding its vision of what a seminary is and who it is for. In addition to continuing the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and Master of Arts in Spirituality and Social Change degrees, the decision to leave the GTU also allows the seminary to allocate more time, energy, and resources to an expansive vision of theological education and spiritual formation for everyone.

In appreciation for your partnership in the mission of PLTS,