Pensacola Christian College

I mostly had problems with the administration. They place the value of their "rules" above the student. I understand rules are necessary, but they have gone to the extreme. That being said, I made some life-long friends there, but I think that's the case at any college. I do think they have one of the best education programs this country has to offer; very challenging and useful.

4th Year Female -- Class 2002

Education Quality: A+, Individual Value: F

I am glad for where I am at now, but I have had to work through several years of post-PCC healing. While I was at school, I did gain an adequate education, and I was prepared for graduate school. My difficulty came with the extreme legalism I encountered at PCC. I found that it was not safe to ask questions about policies and procedures. I also found that I could not disclose struggles or doubts in confidence. I saw several students quickly expelled without an opportunity for grace. I agree that the school wants the best for its students, but I was not prepared to face the world when I left college. Having to wait until after graduation to give my best male friend a hug was difficult... but adjusting to a life surrounded by those who have an understanding of grace and mercy, who have failed and gotten back up again, who are honestly seeking to walk with God, has been difficult. I have wrestled with learning to trust others, and with learning to trust those in authority. The "accept-it-or-leave" policy that I encountered does not mirror the love of Christ, who allowed Nicodemus to question him, and who willingly answered those questions. If you want to mindlessly follow the rules and if your heart is not passionate to really understand, then this school will be good for you. If you would rather live in a Christian environment that is more realistic (where you are allowed some grace and some opportunity for real social interaction), then try somewhere else.

4th Year Female -- Class 2000

Campus Aesthetics: A+, Individual Value: D-

After two good semesters at PCC, after having mastered the thousands of rules and hundreds of scary "not-written" rules, my daughter received a phone call this week from a dean there. The Dean grilled my daughter about "what you did the night that Christmas break began." The deans had been snooping on a former student's blog where they saw a photo of a group of students having fun. The Dean said she would "call tomorrow with the decision of the board." Amazingly, the next day the Dean never called! I had to call PCC. Some nasty "dean's assistant" told me "your daughter's reservation for spring is cancelled." The crime? Not given. I was told "Your daughter's testimony cannot be defended." When asked for facts or reasons for being kicked out, the sentence was spouted: "Her testimony cannot be defended." This sentence was repeated about ten times, robot-like. The dean's assistant was totally unprofessional, cold as ice, shouted maniacal sentences, and was totally uncaring. (The ads are a lie about "a caring Christian environment" at PCC.)

Lest you suspect the happy, college-age Christmas break art students of a terrible secret crime, I will let you know what these students did: drove over 1 hour to be "away from Pensacola area" which is an "unwritten rule" for any gathering of mixed sexes. Remember: permission was granted by all floor leaders for this excursion as long as it was "out of the Pensacola area." My daughter needed a ride the next morning to the airport, and also needed to chill out from four months of hard work and final exams. The great art students at PCC's college first went to a coffee shop, a restaurant, saw Narnia, sang to a fake deer at Wal-Mart, and spent a freezing cold five minutes at a beach where one boy took a dip in the ocean. No one looked at him and they left. They prayed at dinner, handed out tracts everywhere, and had lots of fun. These were good kids and top-notch artists at PCC. All 15 kids were kicked out this week.

My advice? Don't go to PCC. My daughter was home schooled for all twelve years using A Beka's (PCC) curriculum; we knew many teachers there! My daughter is sweet, caring, innocent, follows rules, loves people, and loves God. She had asked our permission and her floor leader's permission to do all of the fun things above (after a grueling four months at PCC with practically no fun or social life!) She had just met these kids and was looking forward to getting better at art in a Christian environment. Now she is disillusioned, enrolled at a secular art school, and wants to switch to a different denomination. Great job, PCC. "Redeem the arts for Christ!" If anything, the kids needed just a talk from a caring dean. Many of the kids won't be going back to PCC to become "Christian artists."Equally chilling, another boy who was at the gathering of 15 students NEVER received his dismissal phone call: he had to call PCC and they said, "Oh, yeah, you cannot come back." Most of these students are juniors and seniors; now they will all be too late to sign up at other colleges for the spring semester. The uncaring attitude of all of the deans, the lack of grace in dealing with "mistakes," the cold, brutal, inquisition-style questioning with both students and parents, the unprofessional way they never call you back, the "guilty" verdict without any witness interviews, and the heartless "verdicts" given are all without parallel in my 45 years as a human being on this planet. I had defended this institution for years against criticism, believing that only "rebellious kids" got kicked out. Not true, folks. If our daughter can get kicked out, anyone can. It is REALLY TRUE. It makes me cry, as twelve or thirteen and a half years of my life have been spent believing in and defending the A Beka and PCC educational system. But it's time to wake up. This is a strong warning to anyone out there considering PCC: it has swift, merciless, judgmental Sanhedrin committees that kick great students out without any warning, without grace, without mercy, without second chances, without anything that Christ wishes us to show to each other. Thank you for listening to me. I pray you will take my words and heed them. I wish everyone good luck finding a greatcollege that respects students as people. It won't be found at PCC.

Male -- Class 2000