In mid-September, the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) shared a live webinar entitled 2015 State of the Industry. Daniel Aleshire (executive director of ATS) and Stephen Graham (senior director of programs and services) led a 45-minute presentation on enrollment and students, faculty, and finances at ATS member schools.

ATS has posted the recording on their website, as well as the slides and text of the webinar and links to further resources.

If you weren’t able to participate, it is well worth watching the archived version, which can be viewed in its entirety or section by section. The webinar was structured so that at the end of each section, there were questions for discussion about the content. It might be helpful to watch the archived version with colleagues — board, administration, staff, or faculty. Some schools might even want to show a section or two in a board meeting setting. Important conversations could follow.

The webinar's Resource List includes links to lots of data and resources from ATS, including ATS Annual Data Tables, the Strategic Information Report, Institutional Peer Profile Report, and articles from ATS’s Colloquy Online.

Over the last couple of years, In Trust has also published articles and blog posts that suggest how to use and interpret ATS data and reports. Here are a few:

• The Strategic Information Report: What you need to know. A look at the newly updated Strategic Information Report (SIR).
• Do seminaries train pastors for the church? How to use ATS data from the Entering Student Questionnaire (ESQ) and Graduating Student Questionnaire (GSQ) in your work.
• From data to decision: Interpreting the Entering Student Questionnaire. A look at the ESQ, as well as suggestions for how to use the data.
• More schools, fewer students. An examination of aggregate data from ATS schools, with a focus on finances and student information.
• Knowledge is power. A comprehensive summary of ATS information reports, including the Annual Data Tables, Institutional Peer Profile Report (IPPR), SIR, ESQ, and GSQ.

Have questions about how to use data in your work? We're happy to help. Contact our Resource Consultants (a free service for member schools): resources@intrust.org or 302-654-7770.