When Dan Crabtree, admission specialist at Anderson University, retired from a nearly 30-year career in Christian higher education and moved back to his Kentucky home, he said he never intended to spend his retirement years just sitting in a rocking chair or playing golf. Instead, he desired to continue raising the banner for Christian higher education.
That’s why he partnered with Anderson University. These days, he works from home in Kentucky and travels to high schools and events across the southeast representing AU and speaking to students and families on the value, importance and benefits of Christian higher education.
“I think the importance of the Christian university is greater than maybe it ever has been because of the cultural challenges and changes that are taking place,” Crabtree said.
On March 1, 2020, from 1 p.m.-3 p.m., Anderson University is hosting “Dan Crabtree: Thriving in Christian Higher Education” at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Florence, South Carolina. High school students and their parents in the Florence area are invited to glean insight from Crabtree at the informative lunch session.
Crabtree knows first-hand what Christian colleges and universities bring to the table. He was director of admission at Wheaton College in Illinois for 11 years before “moving to the other side of the desk,” or moving from college admissions to the high school side of college counseling. He was a college admissions counselor at Wheaton Academy, a Christian high school also in Illinois, from 2000 until his retirement in 2016.
As he spent years meeting students on the brink of one of the momentous decisions of their lives, he saw that Christian higher education gave students, especially Christian students, an environment where they could thrive.
“At the Christian college, there’s going to be the tie-in that we are not just teaching these things in a vacuum,” Crabtree said. “These are not just facts to be memorized. This is a way of exploring and discovering how remarkable the world, the universe, is. So as we talk about mathematics, as we talk about science or as we talk about literature, there is a bigger purpose; there is an overall framework.”
But Crabtree also learned that many students and their families do not fully understand what Christian education is all about. Many high school students pursue schools with the greatest name recognition or hold preconceptions about Christian colleges and universities. He encourages students and families to make an informed decision and consider how their college choice influences a student’s faith.
“I want people to think seriously, deeply and intentionally about the type of university that a student may be attending,” Crabtree said. “If the student is serious about his or her faith, what impact is that college choice going to have on who that person becomes? That really is my primary message.”
Crabtree said his presentation is straightforward. Guests will hear a well-rounded, broad perspective on choosing a college and how to make the choice that is best for them.
“I would say it would be of value to virtually any family, particularly Christian family, to come and think through these things,” Crabtree said.
William Monts, director of admission at Anderson University, said Crabtree has a history in and passion for Christian higher education, and he is a well-respected colleague in the world of higher education and admissions. Monts said that the upcoming Florence event will show students the unique qualities that a Christian education will provide.
Attendees will not only gain balanced advice from Crabtree but will also hear from Anderson University senior leadership and alumni.
“When students come to campus, they get an amazing experience at Anderson University, and this is our opportunity to take the experience and hospitality to them,” Monts said. “It allows us to provide a glimpse into who we are.”
All students and their parents who are interested in attending the Florence event should register here. Lunch is provided to all attendees for free.
Anderson is also considering offering the same event later this year in Raleigh, North Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina and North Georgia. And Crabtree plans to keep shedding light on Christian higher education.