On the 13th of May 2008, the Seminary Advisory Council gathered at the Seminary for its Spring meeting.  The meeting was conducted by Advisory Council chair, Father Edward Cimbala.  Metropolitan Basil participated in the meeting along with those Seminary faculty and staff members who serve as consultants to the Council.

The 16-member Council meets biannually, and this gathering marked the 10th year and 20th meeting of the Council.   The members were delighted to acknowledge the initial 5-year accreditation for the Seminary for the granting of M.Div. and MAT degrees by the Association of Theological Schools.

The structure of this particular meeting encouraged a free-flowing discussion on the most important topics of Seminary recruitment and finances.  Time was also spent discussing distance learning and the “smart classroom,” as well as the acceptance of Seminarians from other Byzantine Catholic jurisdictions.

It was acknowledged that the Seminary Advisory Council is in a transitory time.  With the enhancement of the Seminary’s Board of Directors, the achievement of initial accreditation, and the imminent turnover of a significant percentage of Council membership, careful considerations of Council members and their work of visioning for the Seminary were made.

The meeting concluded with an evaluation of the meeting itself.  The next meeting is scheduled for September 23, 2008.