Dr. Laurie Gates, Associate Professor of Mathematics
When parents send their kids to college, they want them to be successful… but what does that mean? Are they praying for good grades, quality relationships with others, growth in their faith in Christ, or a secure job after college? At Bryan College, our mission is “To educate students to become servants of Christ to make a difference in today’s world.” To accomplish this, we provide academic rigor and support while also encouraging the growth of students in multiple ways. As the mother of a graduating Bryan College senior, I have witnessed this firsthand, and as a math professor at Bryan, I have been honored to be a part of it.
Academically, we have high standards. There are things that students need to know–that are good for them to learn–for their present and future success. We will not water that down, but we will provide support for struggling students. In addition to recommending the excellent services of our Academic Resource Center (ARC), faculty members have open doors and office hours where we invite students in for assistance. It is not unusual for me and my colleagues to have students in our offices several hours a day for help with homework, guidance on improving their grades or getting a summer internship, or even a chat on what is going on at home and how it is affecting them.
Our concern is not just for the students’ grades in our particular classes, but for the whole person and life situation. In my Statistics class, for example, we relate Bryan’s mission to Proverbs 14:15 which says “The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to our steps.” We talk about how we need to be discerning consumers of information so that we can make a difference for Jesus.
Sharing a Biblical worldview in the classroom shows care for the students’ spiritual life, but we also show that care in other ways. It is not uncommon for me to mention to an academic advisor that a student is struggling, and her first response is that we should pray for that student. Through an early alert system and collaboration with academic advisors, coaches, and student life, we can identify those students who need additional assistance in various aspects of their lives and foster a support system for them.
Faculty members are an important part of this support system. By sharing our lives with our students, and inviting them into ours, we forge relationships that extend beyond the classroom. I have had many students in my home (or playing on the lake), have had weekly lunch or coffee with students in a mentoring relationship, shared my own struggles (such as when I accidentally killed my in-laws’ goldfish), and prayed for my students in the classroom. I have students who just stop by my office to tell me what’s going on in their lives, or invite me to their wedding, which is such an honor on the most important day of their lives. I have met with students multiple times per week in math tutoring which led to friendships that extended beyond the students’ graduation (and to wedding and baby announcements!). And I am not unique. Every day, I see my colleagues and Bryan faculty eating lunch with students, chatting in their offices, praying for them, and consulting with their support network to promote success beyond the classroom.
In 1 Thessalonians 2:8, Paul wrote “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” That is the way the faculty at Bryan feel about our students. We will always pursue academic excellence for our students, and because we love them, we will also share our lives and Jesus with them as well.
October 06, 2026
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June 15, 2026
