Dear Parents and Guardians,

In this week’s edition of The Bridge, you’ll find a run down of First and Second Year academics, an update on how we’re dealing with Covid cases on campus, details about Thanksgiving/Christmas break transportation options, and information on upcoming Campus Preview events!

Bridge: 

From now on we will be switching to a bi-weekly Bridge. Please let us know if there is anything you would like for us to write about in  future Bridge posts-  we would love your feedback! You can suggest a topic, update on campus, or if there is information you feel we have not touched on that you would like to know, let us know! You can do this by emailing jmskau@wol.org. We may not use every suggestion if we feel it doesn’t pertain to every parent, but we’d love to hear from you and possibly connect through email if needed. 

Academics:

First Year:

 This week the freshmen will be studying chapters 1-8 in the book of Romans with Dr. Christopher Cone. Dr. Cone currently serves as the president and CEO of AgathonEDU Educational Group. Dr. Cone holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Texas, a Ph.D. from Trinity School of Theology, and a Th.D. from Scofield Graduate School. An author and general editor of 15 books, Dr. Cone is a well-known speaker and respected Christian Leader. 

Second Year:

 The sophomore class will study the religion of Islam with Dr. Emir Caner. A former Muslim, Dr. Caner holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Arlington along with a Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Caner currently leads Truett-McConnell University as President. Unveiling Islam, featured on outlets including ABC, CBS, and NBC is a national best-seller written by Dr. Caner and his brother Ergun Caner. 

Covid on the campus: 

As you have parented and loved your children through the realities of COVID, there no doubt have been challenges at various moments in the workplace, at home, at your place of worship, in the community, and at school. As much as we have all wished COVID would disappear, it continues to be a current dynamic that we must deal with while keeping our minds focused on the mission. We trust the sovereign Hand of Jesus knowing that He is lovingly leading, guiding, and equipping us for every good work as we depend on Him in every circumstance.  

Since the start of the Fall Semester (6 weeks in), we have had 49 students and staff test positive for COVID. Given the total number of students, faculty, and staff on campus we have a very low positivity rate. None of our positive cases have resulted in anything more than slight to moderate symptoms. We are grateful to the Lord for His protection and provision all the time! We are so proud of the Health and Security Department, Student Life Department, Academic Department, and Culinary Department who have served the students in quarantine with excellence as unto the Lord.  

Our goal has been to take measures that are reasonable and responsible to limit COVID exposure while keeping the full program of the Bible Institute running effectively. We have spaced out in the classroom, encouraged students to eat with roommates in the dining room, and kept with best practice housekeeping measures. Some students choose to wear a mask and others have chosen to take a vaccine. We believe that is a personal decision that each person must make. Last year, we had very restrictive New York State mandated COVID protocols in place and we still saw a similar number of quarantines and positive cases. Though we do not plan to reinstate those restrictive measures, we want to be wise as we steward the safety of each student, staff, and faculty member for God’s glory.  

Thanksgiving and Christmas Breaks: 

Your students have received this information through our announcements in Canvas, but we wanted to share this with you as well so you are aware of the information we are giving your students.  

• Transportation to the Albany airport, train station, and bus stop can be requested for Thanksgiving and Christmas Breaks by this link: http://wol.to/binytrans 

Please note: 

• The dates and times on the form are the only dates and times we offer transportation. Please plan accordingly.  
• The deadline to request transportation for Thanksgiving is Tuesday, November 16th. 
• The deadline to request transportation for Christmas break is Friday, December 10th.  
• There is a $25 transportation fee per person, per trip. If your request is turned in after the deadline the fee is doubled.  
• Your student can pay for transportation at the student services desk.  
• If you have any questions, please email transportation@wol.org.  

Departures: 

Tuesday, November 23rd – 1:00pm (Right after class)
Tuesday, November 23rd – 4:00pm 
Tuesday, November 23rd – 8:00pm 
Wednesday, November 24th – 5:00am 
Friday, December 17th – 10:00am 
Friday, December 17th – 1:00pm 
Friday, December 17th – 4:00pm 
Friday, December 17th – 8:00pm 
Saturday, December 18th – 5:00am 

Arrivals: 

Monday, November 29th – 10:00am 
Monday, November 29th – 1:00pm 
Monday, November 29th – 4:00pm 
Monday, November 29th – 8:00pm 
Sunday, January 9th – 4:00pm 
Sunday, January 9th – 8:00pm 
Monday, January 10th – 10:00am 
Monday, January 10th – 1:00pm 
Monday, January 10th – 4:00pm 
Monday, January 10th – 8:00pm 

Campus Preview days and signing up for a personal tour: 

Does your current student have a sibling, cousin, or friend they’d like to see attend the Bible Institute?! Well, you can tell them about these two opportunities to show them around our campus. At the link below, you can sign up for a Campus Preview Day weekend or for a personal tour.  

Campus Preview is a 3 day, 2 night campus wide event that is absolutely free. Students stay in one of our beautiful dorms and get to join other students for a weekend full of planned activities to give them an exciting glimpse of life at the Word of Life Bible Institute. Our first Campus Preview event is this weekend! 

Even if you can’t make it to a Campus Preview Weekend, we’d still love to have you visit! If you give us 48 hours notice, we’ll set you up with a more personalized tour schedule, one-on-one time with an admissions counselor, and meetings with requested staff (dependent on availability).