How to Build a Relationship with Faculty as an Online Student

At Southern Seminary and Boyce College, we believe that our campus extends beyond the boundary of our location in Louisville. Currently, we have students in over 35 countries and all 50 states. As a student, you have the privilege to learn from the best faculty in the world and be a part of a community that has been recognized as trusted with the truth of the gospel. Simply enlisting as an online student makes you part of this expanding community. We work hard to ensure that our online students can participate in as many community-forming activities as possible. For this reason, you may view chapel online, attend virtual conferences and events, and access a multitude of online resources that will help you in your ministry. However, one of the greatest privileges you have available to you is developing a relationship with your professors. Although the way you connect with professors requires intentionality, a wealth of opportunities exist to help you grow in your preparation for ministry. We will explore a few of these opportunities in the next four tips. 

1. Prepare to engage with faculty during LiveSyncs. 

By far, the most effective and unique way Southern Seminary Online and Boyce College Online (SSO/BCO) students can interact with faculty is through LiveSyncs. These are Zoom meetings where students interact and learn from their professors in real-time. Each professor will hold six LiveSyncs during the term, which provides students significant time to learn from their professor personally throughout the course. To get the most of these meetings, you should plan to attend as many LiveSyncs as you can. Yet, attendance means more than just showing up. To truly get the most of these experiences, you should come having given significant thought and reflection to the course topic. Since most LiveSyncs encourage student questions, this is a perfect time to address any challenges you have encountered when understanding and applying the course content in your own ministry. 

2.  Reach out to faculty personally. 

After taking classes with a professor, you may find that you have interests that are not addressed during the course. These might include personal questions about something the faculty member has studied or questions about your own ministry or future studies. This could also be a simple email after the class has finished about how your ministry has been strengthened by taking a course with a specific professor. In any case, professors appreciate hearing from their students. After all, they began their ministry training with the hope of blessing others in their walk with the Lord. So, whether you have a specific question for a faculty member about something you are interested in or if you would merely like to express gratitude for something you learned, do not hesitate to reach out to SSO/BCO faculty. In the same way that you came to study from expert faculty, our professors are passionate about training students who are eager to learn.  

3. Take electives with faculty who are specialists in a topic that interests you. 

Our online offerings are as unique as the professors on our faculty. For this reason, we have special elective offerings such as:

• Calvin and the Reformed Tradition with Dr. Shawn Wright

• Hebrew Exegesis of Ezekiel with Dr. Duane Garrett

• American Patriotism and Theology with Dr. John Wilsey

• Interpreting the Psalms with Dr. Adam Howell

• Greek Exegesis of James with Dr. Rob Plummer

• Sermon on the Mount with Dr. Jonathan Pennington

• Early Christian Doctrines with Dr. Stephen Presley

Taking an elective is a great way to develop a relationship with an expert scholar. Since many of these courses have smaller class sizes and unique assignments, you can expect to interact with your professors in a personal and academic way. This is also helpful if you may be interested in pursuing further education and need a faculty letter of recommendation.  

4. Get to know your professors through supplemental media. 

As an eager student reading this guide, you probably desire a greater connection with those professors that have impacted you personally in your ministry and walk with the Lord. While many of these opportunities can be found at Southern Equip, I will briefly highlight a few of them that may be helpful to you: 

As an online student, you can attend author events at the Bookstore at Southern. At these events, you can be the first to hear about new publications written by SSO/BCO faculty. These times are often personal moments where professors share their inspiration for writing a work that they are passionate about. Listening to a professor speak in this way will give you a personal connection with your teachers as you read continue to learn from them. 

Next, you may have a question you are dying to bring before one of your professors. Thankfully, you have access to a remarkable archive of questions that Southern and Boyce professors have already recorded that will answer practical questions in a thorough and personal way. Whether your question deals with something as practical as whether women can be deacons in a local church or as personal as whether true Christians can struggle with depression—our faculty have recorded dozens of these answers online. 

Finally, you can worship the Lord with the Southern Seminary and Boyce College community. During this time, you can sing theologically-rich songs and witness expert preachers simplify complex issues in the Scripture in a way that leads to joyful proclamation. You can watch these services via live stream or view archived sermon messages by clicking here.