I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Removing pain
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Lord, let my words
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Heal a heart that hurts
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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Hello, and
welcome to 3ABN Today.
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My name is CA Murray,
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and allow me once again
to thank you for sharing
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just a little of
your day with us,
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to thank you for your
love, your prayers, your support
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of Three Angels
Broadcasting Network,
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as we seek to take the good news
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of the soon
coming of Jesus Christ
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to the whole world.
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Hope you've got
some time to listen today
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because we got a
very good program
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and one that you may
want to take advantage of air,
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the day is done.
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We're gonna be talking about
Herbert Fletcher University,
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which is a very
unique school of learning
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that we're gonna
talk about today.
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My guests are
David Siguelnitzky.
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Did I get that
right, David? Yes.
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I love that name Siguelnitzky,
it just kind of flows.
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Perfect. Yes.
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And, Carlos Robles.
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Good to have you
here, man. Thank you.
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And, Carlos,
good to have you here,
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also they are respectively,
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David is President
of Herbert Fletcher
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and Carlos is Director
of the Academic Office,
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so that'd be academic affairs,
Herbert Fletcher University.
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Good to have you guys here.
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I want to get right in
before we go to our music
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because you are
headquartered in...?
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Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico.
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And in the city of? Mayaguez.
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But you are an
online university.
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And we want to talk
about what all that means
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and what all that entails
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and we can say, praise the Lord,
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fully recognized and accredited
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by the
Government of Puerto Rico.
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Hallelujah, amen.
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Amen. Amen.
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And we have before
that, want to get history
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on you both as individuals
before we talk about the school
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because it's been little
while since you've been here,
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a few years as a matter of fact
and I think I had the pleasure
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of doing an interview then,
that interview at that time.
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You are originally
from? I was born in Argentina.
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Yeah, but you kind of
lived all over the place.
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Yeah. Yeah.
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After leaving
Argentina, you went where?
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After Argentina,
I went to Israel.
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Israel. For how many
years? For almost 14 years.
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Wow, good little while. Yeah.
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And involved in
education there also?
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No. I was... I
went there to study.
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And then I worked in the area
of research and development.
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So your history really
is kind of in academia.
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I studied
engineering biotechnology,
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so I am an engineer.
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So I worked in
Israel in that area
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when I was there
for several years,
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the church called me to come
to the Inter-American Division
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to work in the
academic area to teach.
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Ah.
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So that was my first
exposure to teaching.
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I was not an academic
person, I was a researcher.
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Yes, yes, yes.
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Was the change
easy for you or...?
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And I say that because I
have great respect for teachers.
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First of all, it's ministry
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because you're imparting
knowledge to young minds
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which are also
hopefully shaping them
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to be good citizens here
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and to prepare for
the world that is to come,
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so I have great respect.
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Was it an easy
change to go from research
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to the classroom setting?
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I wouldn't want to be a
student of myself at that time.
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I'm sorry, if some of my
students are watching me,
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please I'm sorry for that.
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No. It's not easy.
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You don't know how to do things.
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You're just trying to improvise.
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Yes. That's not a good thing.
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No, you're kind of
learning on the fly.
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Yeah. Yeah.
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So this is why I had to
learn to study something
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about education later
on to be a better educator,
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and I did that.
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Let me ask this,
David, did you grow up
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in an Adventist home?
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I was born
Seventh-day Adventist, yes.
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We are seven brothers
and sisters, all of us.
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Oh, good sized family. Yeah.
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You are where in that continuum
of brothers and sisters?
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I'm the third. The third?
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Okay, sort of in the
middle. About the middle.
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Yeah, they say the
middle child can always be
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a little different, you know,
because you got some above,
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you got some below, you
know, so the middle child
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can go in any direction,
you know, kind of thing.
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Yeah.
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I was spoiled in that
area, in that sense, yes.
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When did the idea of
a personal relationship
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with God come to your life?
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As a young person or
when you were a little older?
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No.
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As a young person, I was fairly
regular Seventh-day Adventist
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going every Sabbath to
church and participating
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in Sabbath school
and preaching also.
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I mean, I was a regular person
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without a personal
relationship with God.
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I think that I was...
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I discovered Jesus as a
personal savior later on.
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I think I was about 20
something so all the way naive.
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I became really
aware of who am I and why
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I'm Seventh-day Adventist
because I don't need to.
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This is not
something that you have to
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if you don't want to.
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Then I really
wanted to at that time
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and then from then I
feel that I'm Adventist...
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Praise the
Lord. Since that time.
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Excellent, excellent.
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Carlos, say now
you're from Puerto Rico?
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Yes, I am. Praise the Lord.
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Adventist home growing up?
Third generation Adventist.
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Oh, wow. Okay,
deep root. That's right.
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Brothers and
sisters? One sister.
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Just one sister? Yes.
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Older or younger? Older.
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Same with me, one sister older.
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Not that much old,
about year and half older.
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So you grew up
in Adventist home.
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Always involved
in education? Yes.
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Always involved with
youth and since I was little,
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I was preaching, I
was into Pathfinders,
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I was a Master Guide, I was
in a lot of things in church.
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Okay, okay.
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You came up the
root, yeah. Yeah.
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And then I started
studying to be a teacher,
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an English teacher.
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And I graduated and began
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in our Adventist
educational system.
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Okay. Did you go to Antillean?
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Yes, I did. Good school.
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I got my
bachelor's degree there.
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Ah, praise the
Lord. Praise the Lord.
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Whose idea was
Fletcher University?
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In whose mind
did that first start?
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The thing is this.
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Pastor Israel Leito,
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the President of the
Inter-American Division...
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I know him well.
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Went to Columbia
for a Revival Week.
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And somebody asked him and said,
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"What are you
doing for people like me?
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People that are already adults
with family need to study,
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but we are not
close to university,
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an Adventist university
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where we can pursue our studies.
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What are you doing for
people like me, like us?"
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That was the question,
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and that is the
beginning of the idea.
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Then Pastor Leito
started to think about this.
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He took that to the board
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and the division
continued developing that idea
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and they took the
vote in 2000, long ago,
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2007 something like that,
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to think seriously
about building a university,
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an online, fully
online university
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in the Inter-American Division.
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So the energy to
start, it was a real situation
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where people want
to go back to school,
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but who can't
leave their families,
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leave their jobs
and go to a school,
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but needed school to
sort of come to them.
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Exactly, that's the idea.
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So the brethren
laid hands on you.
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It was, they
contacted me at the end
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of 2009 or '10,
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2009 I think,
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and they asked me
to develop the plan
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which equipment we need,
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which programs
we can do, which...
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I mean skills
for people we need,
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to develop the whole skeleton.
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See, I'm the first
employee of that university.
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I see.
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Two thousand and something,
yeah, I'm the first employee.
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Well, to develop I
think the infrastructure,
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you need an
engineer kind of mind,
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so I guess you'd
be the perfect fit.
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Did you know Pastor
Leito? Yeah, I knew him.
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Okay, okay.
Yeah, since long ago.
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Okay, very good.
The thing is this.
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My academic experience is this.
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I am systems analyst.
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Later on I did
engineering in biotechnology,
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later on software engineering
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a master's degree
in systems analysis,
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then master degree
in educational systems
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and then the PhD.
00:09:39.67\00:09:42.78
So all that
brought me to a point
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where I think I knew what to do.
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The emphasis on, "I
thought I knew what to do."
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Indeed.
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You can't be sure
because always there is a person
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that can do
things better than you.
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I believe that in the
world there are people
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much smarter than
me and wiser than me
00:10:03.63\00:10:06.33
and faster than me to do things,
00:10:06.37\00:10:09.04
and they can do better than me.
00:10:09.07\00:10:10.41
I truly believe that.
00:10:10.44\00:10:12.44
But I also believe that
00:10:12.47\00:10:14.04
my background in the
area of computer science
00:10:14.08\00:10:18.15
and my background in
the area of education
00:10:18.18\00:10:20.38
because by then I had already
a master's degree in education.
00:10:20.42\00:10:25.62
So these two things
gave me an advantage
00:10:25.65\00:10:30.26
that few people have.
00:10:30.29\00:10:31.79
You don't have people
coming from two different areas
00:10:31.83\00:10:34.73
with that expertise.
00:10:34.76\00:10:36.10
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
00:10:36.13\00:10:37.47
So that was an advantage I had.
00:10:37.50\00:10:39.47
It's amazing, and I
hear this over and over again
00:10:39.50\00:10:41.57
how God fills out your
resume before you even know it.
00:10:41.60\00:10:45.14
You know, He gives
you these experiences
00:10:45.17\00:10:47.41
and at the right
time and the right place,
00:10:47.44\00:10:49.14
someone calls
upon those experiences
00:10:49.18\00:10:51.18
and you have there, I did that
00:10:51.21\00:10:52.55
and I did that and that.
00:10:52.58\00:10:53.92
Oh, that's what
we need, you know.
00:10:53.95\00:10:55.28
And now the
Lord will prepare you
00:10:55.32\00:10:57.29
even though you
may not be aware of it,
00:10:57.32\00:10:59.29
but at the right time...
00:10:59.32\00:11:00.72
You're married
and have a family?
00:11:00.76\00:11:02.29
I have a family, yes.
00:11:02.32\00:11:03.66
It's amazing that you
had time to have a family
00:11:03.69\00:11:05.23
with all those degrees, man.
00:11:05.26\00:11:06.59
You spent a lot
of time in school.
00:11:06.63\00:11:07.96
So we praise the Lord.
00:11:08.00\00:11:10.67
This is a blessing.
Let me tell you this.
00:11:10.70\00:11:12.33
This is not because...
00:11:12.37\00:11:14.40
Sometimes people think
that you're a smart person
00:11:14.44\00:11:17.24
because you did
this and that and that
00:11:17.27\00:11:18.61
and you have a long resume.
00:11:18.64\00:11:19.97
This is not because of that.
00:11:20.01\00:11:21.34
This is because you
have a supporting family.
00:11:21.38\00:11:23.91
If you don't have
a supporting wife,
00:11:23.95\00:11:25.55
forget about this.
00:11:25.58\00:11:26.92
You'll never ever be able
to get something like this.
00:11:26.95\00:11:30.45
So the wife is
something important for me.
00:11:30.49\00:11:35.09
She did absolutely
everything to make sure
00:11:35.12\00:11:37.23
that I will reach the
goals and also my kids.
00:11:37.26\00:11:41.43
I have two children.
00:11:41.46\00:11:43.67
They are grown children already,
00:11:43.70\00:11:45.57
but they were
very much supportive.
00:11:45.60\00:11:49.80
So I believe that that made
00:11:49.84\00:11:54.18
the favorable conditions
00:11:54.21\00:11:57.65
to be able to start it
because I remember that
00:11:57.68\00:11:59.38
I always worked full
time, all the time, all my life
00:11:59.41\00:12:04.12
and I went to
study in the nights
00:12:04.15\00:12:06.55
so I used to leave home
at about 6:30 in the morning
00:12:06.59\00:12:11.79
and be back home at
about 10:30 or 11 pm
00:12:11.83\00:12:16.20
because working
and then university
00:12:16.23\00:12:19.13
and then home.
00:12:19.17\00:12:20.50
So that is not
easy unless you have
00:12:20.54\00:12:23.91
a supporting wife, first of all,
00:12:23.94\00:12:27.61
and supporting
family after that.
00:12:27.64\00:12:29.41
And praise the
Lord, He gave you.
00:12:29.44\00:12:30.78
And the blessing of
God because you can dream
00:12:30.81\00:12:33.95
as much as you wish,
if God doesn't bless,
00:12:33.98\00:12:36.42
you'll forget about
that, you'll never have that.
00:12:36.45\00:12:38.35
Well said.
00:12:38.39\00:12:39.85
You know, and I'll
say this having studied,
00:12:39.89\00:12:43.93
you don't
necessarily have to be a genius
00:12:43.96\00:12:46.80
to get advance
degrees, even a PhD,
00:12:46.83\00:12:49.23
but you do have
to maintain focus.
00:12:49.26\00:12:52.33
It's a testament to being
able to stick to something.
00:12:52.37\00:12:56.67
If you stay at it,
you can get the degree.
00:12:56.71\00:12:59.17
There are some who sail through
because they're just brilliant,
00:12:59.21\00:13:02.21
but getting a doctorate
degree is not necessarily
00:13:02.24\00:13:05.51
a testament to brilliance,
00:13:05.55\00:13:06.98
it is a testament
to staying with it.
00:13:07.02\00:13:09.48
Staying with it,
maintaining your focus,
00:13:09.52\00:13:11.95
and if you maintain
your focus and stay humble
00:13:11.99\00:13:14.92
and stay
prayerful, you can do it.
00:13:14.96\00:13:17.09
And as you said, having a family
00:13:17.13\00:13:18.83
that supports you in
that is a good thing.
00:13:18.86\00:13:21.66
Why did they choose to put
00:13:21.70\00:13:24.90
Herbert Fletcher in Puerto Rico?
00:13:24.93\00:13:27.10
The
Inter-American Division, well,
00:13:27.14\00:13:29.20
the headquarters
is in the States here
00:13:29.24\00:13:31.04
and, of course, it
covers all of the Caribbean,
00:13:31.07\00:13:32.91
why Puerto Rico in particular?
00:13:32.94\00:13:36.64
The division wanted us to be
00:13:36.68\00:13:39.31
in American territory.
00:13:39.35\00:13:44.15
It is easier for many
people to study with us
00:13:44.19\00:13:47.19
and get
recognition in other countries.
00:13:47.22\00:13:49.32
If you're in other places
of the Inter-American Division,
00:13:49.36\00:13:52.33
some countries will not,
I mean you'll need to fight
00:13:52.36\00:13:56.26
to make sure
that your government
00:13:56.30\00:13:57.63
will recognize that degree.
00:13:57.67\00:13:59.30
But if you're
coming from the US,
00:13:59.33\00:14:01.20
from North America,
00:14:01.24\00:14:03.04
Puerto Rico is part of
North America in that sense,
00:14:03.07\00:14:05.87
that is easier.
00:14:05.91\00:14:07.94
So that is the
main reason. Yeah.
00:14:07.98\00:14:10.81
And knowing how
sometimes the countries
00:14:10.85\00:14:13.28
particularly in Central
America can pick at each other.
00:14:13.31\00:14:15.58
If you got a
degree in Guatemala,
00:14:15.62\00:14:16.95
then Nicaragua will
say, "No, we don't want that"
00:14:16.99\00:14:18.85
or El Salvador, "No,
we don't want that kind."
00:14:18.89\00:14:20.66
Right, so we just saw
that, put it in United States
00:14:20.69\00:14:23.29
and everything is fine
00:14:23.32\00:14:25.53
and we praise the Lord for that.
00:14:25.56\00:14:27.00
I want to go our
music, then we'll come back
00:14:27.03\00:14:28.73
and sort of
really dive into this
00:14:28.76\00:14:30.93
and talk a little bit
more with Carlos also.
00:14:30.97\00:14:33.77
Our music today is coming from
a good friend of the ministry
00:14:33.80\00:14:37.87
and a good personal
friend and that's Neville Peter
00:14:37.91\00:14:40.38
and he sings, he
plays, he is a godly young man
00:14:40.41\00:14:43.75
and he's going to be
doing, "Let It Rain".
00:14:43.78\00:14:46.61
Let it rain
00:15:02.40\00:15:06.40
Let it pour
00:15:06.43\00:15:08.17
I'm longing for Your presence
00:15:11.21\00:15:15.04
To deliver and restore
00:15:15.08\00:15:18.58
Let Your love
00:15:18.61\00:15:22.18
Wash over me
00:15:22.22\00:15:27.36
For where Your Spirit is
00:15:27.39\00:15:30.69
I am free to
bless Your holy name
00:15:30.73\00:15:38.50
So let it rain
00:15:38.53\00:15:42.80
Let it rain
00:15:42.84\00:15:47.38
Oh, Jesus, sing for me
00:15:47.41\00:15:50.75
Let it rain
00:15:50.78\00:15:54.88
Let it pour
00:15:54.92\00:15:59.55
I'm longing for Your presence
00:15:59.59\00:16:03.36
To deliver and restore
00:16:03.39\00:16:06.63
Let Your love
00:16:06.66\00:16:10.43
Wash over me
00:16:10.47\00:16:15.47
For where Your Spirit is
00:16:15.50\00:16:18.84
I am free to
bless Your holy name
00:16:18.87\00:16:26.15
Lord let it rain
00:16:26.18\00:16:30.82
Let it rain
00:16:30.85\00:16:35.62
Renew my heart again
00:16:35.66\00:16:39.69
I'm longing for Your hand
00:16:39.73\00:16:44.27
Quench my thirsty soul
00:16:44.30\00:16:47.47
In this dry and barren land
00:16:47.50\00:16:51.71
The latter rain, it must fall
00:16:51.74\00:16:55.41
In these last and evil days
00:16:55.44\00:17:00.62
And I know it will cause me pain
00:17:00.65\00:17:04.82
When I bless Your name
00:17:04.85\00:17:09.06
But let it rain
00:17:09.09\00:17:13.33
Lord, let it pour
00:17:13.36\00:17:18.50
I'm longing for Your presence
00:17:18.53\00:17:22.24
To deliver and restore
00:17:22.27\00:17:25.41
Lord, let Your love
00:17:25.44\00:17:29.44
Wash over me
00:17:29.48\00:17:34.45
For where Your Spirit is
00:17:34.48\00:17:38.02
I am free to
bless Your holy name
00:17:38.05\00:17:45.29
Lord, let it rain
00:17:45.33\00:17:50.03
Let it rain
00:17:50.07\00:17:54.67
The latter rain, it must fall
00:17:54.70\00:17:58.87
In these last and evil days
00:17:58.91\00:18:05.85
And I know it will cause me pain
00:18:05.88\00:18:11.59
When I bless Your name Jesus
00:18:11.62\00:18:16.59
But let it rain
00:18:16.62\00:18:21.36
Lord, let it rain
00:18:21.40\00:18:25.60
Lord, let it rain
00:18:25.63\00:18:29.57
Lord, let it rain
00:18:29.60\00:18:34.14
Even if it causes pain
00:18:34.18\00:18:38.55
Even if it causes pain
00:18:38.58\00:18:42.55
Lord, if it causes pain
00:18:42.58\00:18:45.59
Let it rain
00:18:45.62\00:18:50.56
The latter rain, it must fall
00:18:50.59\00:18:54.73
In these last and evil days
00:18:54.76\00:19:01.70
And I know it will cause me pain
00:19:01.74\00:19:06.78
When I bless Your name
00:19:06.81\00:19:10.55
But Lord let it rain
00:19:10.58\00:19:15.48
Lord, let it rain
00:19:15.52\00:19:21.19
Let it rain down in my life
00:19:21.22\00:19:25.39
Let it rain down in my soul
00:19:25.43\00:19:28.70
Let it rain
00:19:28.73\00:19:34.47
And thank you Neville Peter.
00:19:44.15\00:19:46.21
Let it rain,
very, very, well done.
00:19:46.25\00:19:48.18
We're talking
with David Siguelnitzky
00:19:48.22\00:19:49.88
and Carlos Robles.
00:19:49.92\00:19:51.25
David is the president of
Herbert Fletcher University,
00:19:51.29\00:19:53.86
and I need to say, Dr.
Siguelnitzky to be fair,
00:19:53.89\00:19:58.29
and Carlos,
00:19:58.33\00:20:01.83
family also you told me, Carlos.
00:20:01.86\00:20:05.00
Husband of one wife?
00:20:05.03\00:20:06.43
That's right. Praise the Lord.
00:20:06.47\00:20:07.80
How many children?
00:20:07.84\00:20:09.17
None yet. None yet.
00:20:09.20\00:20:10.54
Okay, well, stay at it.
00:20:10.57\00:20:11.94
Lord will bless.
00:20:11.97\00:20:13.58
It will come, it will come.
00:20:13.61\00:20:15.38
It will come.
00:20:15.41\00:20:18.28
You went to school in Antillean,
00:20:18.31\00:20:20.28
and then where did
you do your graduate?
00:20:20.32\00:20:24.29
My masters, I did
it at Walden University
00:20:24.32\00:20:27.39
in higher education
00:20:27.42\00:20:30.36
with a degree in
online education.
00:20:30.39\00:20:33.46
Ah, okay, so
that's your specialty.
00:20:33.50\00:20:35.46
And now I'm in my PhD.
00:20:35.50\00:20:37.83
Oh, praise the Lord.
00:20:37.87\00:20:39.20
In online leadership and
online distance education.
00:20:39.23\00:20:43.64
Now where are you studying?
00:20:43.67\00:20:45.61
My PhD is in the University
of Inter-America in Puerto Rico.
00:20:45.64\00:20:49.54
Okay, okay. So you
work out in the island.
00:20:49.58\00:20:51.61
Very good, excellent.
00:20:51.65\00:20:53.05
So we found out how Dr.
David got roped into this.
00:20:53.08\00:20:57.12
How did you come
to get hooked up dare
00:20:57.15\00:21:00.56
we say with Fletcher University?
00:21:00.59\00:21:02.69
Well, God has
strange ways of directing us
00:21:02.72\00:21:06.29
where He wants us.
00:21:06.33\00:21:07.66
Indeed.
00:21:07.70\00:21:09.03
I was preaching in a church
00:21:09.06\00:21:11.67
and a colleague saw me preaching
00:21:11.70\00:21:15.87
and she told me, "Do you
know I work for this university?
00:21:15.90\00:21:18.67
You might want to
give me your resume."
00:21:18.71\00:21:21.44
I said, "Why would
I want to do that?"
00:21:21.48\00:21:23.91
I'm teaching, I've been 15
years teaching comfortably.
00:21:23.95\00:21:29.35
And then she told me,
"You better pray about this."
00:21:29.38\00:21:33.86
I said, "That's interesting."
00:21:33.89\00:21:35.49
Nobody told me
told me that ever,
00:21:35.52\00:21:37.06
so I sent my resume
and I started praying
00:21:37.09\00:21:39.89
and immediately
I received a call,
00:21:39.93\00:21:42.53
"We need you and your
wife to come to the University
00:21:42.56\00:21:45.23
because we want to talk to you."
00:21:45.27\00:21:47.90
And I said, "Okay,
that's good, I think."
00:21:47.94\00:21:53.38
So we went both
and back and forth.
00:21:53.41\00:21:58.61
I mentioned this
before to Dr. Siguelnitzky,
00:21:58.65\00:22:02.28
but I did not want
to work for university.
00:22:02.32\00:22:04.99
I was comfortable.
00:22:05.02\00:22:06.35
I was in a place
that I was comfortable.
00:22:06.39\00:22:07.96
I've been teaching for 15 years.
00:22:07.99\00:22:09.32
You were in Puerto Rico already?
00:22:09.36\00:22:10.69
Yes, teaching English
for the educational system.
00:22:10.73\00:22:13.29
Ah, okay.
00:22:13.33\00:22:14.86
In the public
system? In the public system.
00:22:14.90\00:22:16.23
Oh, okay.
00:22:16.26\00:22:17.60
And I said so...
00:22:17.63\00:22:19.80
I said to God, "God, if
you really want me to go,
00:22:19.83\00:22:24.14
you need to tell
me, give me a sign."
00:22:24.17\00:22:27.68
And He gave me the sign.
00:22:27.71\00:22:29.04
I said, "No, wait,
wait, wait, wait, wait."
00:22:29.08\00:22:32.45
Maybe, maybe not that fast.
00:22:32.48\00:22:34.25
Maybe you need to take it
easy, give me another sign
00:22:34.28\00:22:38.09
so I could be very, very sure
that this is what You want me.
00:22:38.12\00:22:41.92
Double fleece, indeed.
00:22:41.96\00:22:43.53
And that same day,
00:22:43.56\00:22:46.06
the same day the
sign came through.
00:22:46.09\00:22:47.93
The other thing about God is
when you ask for little signs,
00:22:47.96\00:22:49.96
you know, if He
wants you to come,
00:22:50.00\00:22:51.33
He will give you the sign
00:22:51.37\00:22:52.70
and He will make it
really, really clear
00:22:52.73\00:22:54.07
that that's the sign.
00:22:54.10\00:22:55.44
And when He says, "I
want you to do this."
00:22:55.47\00:22:58.74
We need to do it
00:22:58.77\00:23:00.11
and I did not feel
comfortable saying no.
00:23:00.14\00:23:02.71
So I immediately
called back and I said, "Okay.
00:23:02.74\00:23:07.65
What do you need me to do?"
00:23:07.68\00:23:09.58
And here I am.
00:23:09.62\00:23:10.95
Did you know David already? No.
00:23:10.99\00:23:13.39
Oh, you did not. Okay.
00:23:13.42\00:23:14.76
That was the
most frightening thing
00:23:14.79\00:23:16.12
I've ever done.
00:23:16.16\00:23:17.49
How so?
00:23:17.53\00:23:18.86
Because he was...
00:23:18.89\00:23:20.23
He was the one
that interviewed me.
00:23:20.26\00:23:21.60
And I said, okay, he
comes from the division,
00:23:21.63\00:23:23.60
he is a doctor, he is...
00:23:23.63\00:23:26.63
This is his place, and I'm here,
00:23:26.67\00:23:29.07
I don't know what to do and,
00:23:29.10\00:23:31.04
but I thank the
Lord that it happened.
00:23:31.07\00:23:35.34
You were teaching English,
00:23:35.38\00:23:36.71
but were you
working in this online area
00:23:36.75\00:23:38.98
or are you studying in
this online area already
00:23:39.01\00:23:41.18
or that came post to
your call to the university?
00:23:41.22\00:23:43.89
That came after. Ah-huh.
00:23:43.92\00:23:45.25
I've always been
a fan of technology.
00:23:45.29\00:23:47.52
Those who know me,
00:23:47.56\00:23:48.89
my students and
those that have seen me,
00:23:48.92\00:23:52.09
they know that every
time that I went to class,
00:23:52.13\00:23:54.60
there was something related
to technology, something new.
00:23:54.63\00:23:58.33
And when I received the
call, I said, that's interesting
00:23:58.37\00:24:01.47
because God has always
leaded me to technology
00:24:01.50\00:24:04.57
and it was in the right lane.
00:24:04.61\00:24:08.18
This is a nice
combination though,
00:24:08.21\00:24:10.48
you know, your
specialty and David's specialty
00:24:10.51\00:24:14.92
kind of make for a
nice leadership core
00:24:14.95\00:24:17.59
when you're trying to
start out something like this.
00:24:17.62\00:24:20.26
How does one...
00:24:20.29\00:24:21.79
Okay, we got this idea.
00:24:21.82\00:24:23.59
We want to do an
online school here.
00:24:23.63\00:24:26.33
How do you...
00:24:26.36\00:24:27.86
What's the first
thing that you do?
00:24:27.90\00:24:30.13
Obviously you have
a physical building
00:24:30.17\00:24:32.73
where you...
00:24:32.77\00:24:34.10
That houses what you do.
00:24:34.14\00:24:35.47
So how do we
begin? How do we start?
00:24:35.50\00:24:39.37
What, building a university?
00:24:39.41\00:24:40.74
Yeah, and in online.
00:24:40.78\00:24:42.24
I mean, we start a
regular university,
00:24:42.28\00:24:44.31
we put one brick
in front of another,
00:24:44.35\00:24:45.68
we used to mortar on
it, put another brick
00:24:45.71\00:24:47.05
and then we get a
school, but this is different.
00:24:47.08\00:24:49.42
How do you
begin? How do you start?
00:24:49.45\00:24:53.82
Go ahead, go ahead, you explain.
00:24:53.86\00:24:56.69
First, we did it together so...
00:24:56.73\00:24:58.06
Indeed.
00:24:58.09\00:24:59.43
First you need to be
ready to do a lot of work,
00:24:59.46\00:25:02.10
a lot of hard work.
00:25:02.13\00:25:04.13
The
documentation for a university
00:25:04.17\00:25:06.43
that's completely online,
00:25:06.47\00:25:07.80
that doesn't have
any physical campus.
00:25:07.84\00:25:12.21
The government is
going to start to get worried
00:25:12.24\00:25:16.81
because in regular
education you have a campus,
00:25:16.85\00:25:19.31
you have a
library, you have a place
00:25:19.35\00:25:21.28
where you can see the
teachers and everything,
00:25:21.32\00:25:22.88
but in distance education,
00:25:22.92\00:25:24.99
the government
is always trembling
00:25:25.02\00:25:26.82
because there's a lot
of issues on the matter of,
00:25:26.86\00:25:32.39
"how do I know
that you're doing this?"
00:25:32.43\00:25:35.73
And specifically when we
were delivering the documents
00:25:35.76\00:25:39.47
to the government of
Puerto Rico, they, they...
00:25:39.50\00:25:42.30
At one point they set
us aside and they said,
00:25:42.34\00:25:44.67
"Listen, we have an issue here."
00:25:44.71\00:25:47.18
The issue is, this
is the first university
00:25:47.21\00:25:49.84
that's completely online
00:25:49.88\00:25:51.78
and we have a lot
of requirements for you
00:25:51.81\00:25:53.65
that we don't
know how to deal with.
00:25:53.68\00:25:55.58
So in Puerto Rico,
this never existed before?
00:25:55.62\00:25:58.59
There has been...
00:25:58.62\00:25:59.95
There is online education
00:25:59.99\00:26:01.32
but there is
always with the component
00:26:01.36\00:26:02.79
that there is a
university that has a campus.
00:26:02.82\00:26:05.99
They have library,
they have courses...
00:26:06.03\00:26:07.40
Sure, sure.
00:26:07.43\00:26:08.76
But completely online,
they started saying us...
00:26:08.80\00:26:11.70
Well, we need to
take you as an example.
00:26:11.73\00:26:14.17
Okay, then that makes it tough
00:26:14.20\00:26:15.54
because you're gonna
be the test tube baby now.
00:26:15.57\00:26:18.14
Yeah. You're gonna be, yeah.
00:26:18.17\00:26:19.51
This is the
problem because, you know,
00:26:19.54\00:26:20.88
as Carlos said already.
00:26:20.91\00:26:23.45
They don't have any other
place to compare you with...
00:26:23.48\00:26:27.55
Right. You are it.
00:26:27.58\00:26:29.05
And all the documentation
they require includes buildings
00:26:29.08\00:26:33.56
and many other things
00:26:33.59\00:26:35.52
that we don't have
and we'll never have.
00:26:35.56\00:26:36.99
Right.
00:26:37.03\00:26:38.36
So this is one
thing and one big problem.
00:26:38.39\00:26:40.03
The second problem is,
00:26:40.06\00:26:41.40
the Adventist system doesn't
have any online university.
00:26:41.43\00:26:44.70
So we're having the same trouble
00:26:44.73\00:26:46.84
with the Seventh-day
Adventist education system
00:26:46.87\00:26:50.04
because we are academic monster.
00:26:50.07\00:26:54.54
Yes, yes.
00:26:54.58\00:26:55.91
I mean, something
that never existed before.
00:26:55.94\00:26:57.35
Right.
00:26:57.38\00:26:58.71
So they are asking for things
00:26:58.75\00:27:00.55
that are very
difficult to fulfill,
00:27:00.58\00:27:03.82
but we have many things
that they cannot evaluate.
00:27:03.85\00:27:06.72
True because there's no
pattern, there's no manual.
00:27:06.76\00:27:09.82
You are it. Of course.
00:27:09.86\00:27:11.19
When they come
for an evaluation,
00:27:11.23\00:27:14.06
it's hard to
find the right person
00:27:14.10\00:27:16.20
to evaluate you.
00:27:16.23\00:27:17.57
Exactly.
00:27:17.60\00:27:18.93
That happened with the Council
of Education of Puerto Rico.
00:27:18.97\00:27:22.40
We sent the documents
00:27:22.44\00:27:23.77
and they did not
send us a date immediately
00:27:23.81\00:27:25.81
that they were gonna visit us.
00:27:25.84\00:27:27.24
And we started calling,
00:27:27.28\00:27:28.61
what, is there
something going on
00:27:28.64\00:27:30.35
and they said, "We
are looking for someone
00:27:30.38\00:27:32.48
and we cannot
find in Puerto Rico."
00:27:32.51\00:27:34.68
So they started
looking in the States,
00:27:34.72\00:27:36.85
in the United States for
people that knew about this,
00:27:36.89\00:27:39.45
so that they can come to
Puerto Rico and evaluate us.
00:27:39.49\00:27:42.32
And in the visit that
they made, there was...
00:27:42.36\00:27:44.76
I think it was two?
00:27:44.79\00:27:46.43
Two of the
evaluators came from the States.
00:27:46.46\00:27:48.83
No, one from the
States and one from...
00:27:48.86\00:27:51.10
One came from the
States and she was...
00:27:51.13\00:27:53.97
I was a doctor
and she was a lady,
00:27:54.00\00:27:56.14
a very special lady,
00:27:56.17\00:27:57.97
and she was kind
of leading the way
00:27:58.01\00:28:01.44
because they were behind her.
00:28:01.48\00:28:02.81
Okay, you know about
this, we're gonna follow you.
00:28:02.84\00:28:04.61
I see. I see. I see.
00:28:04.65\00:28:06.72
Now, so you have that
with the secular government,
00:28:06.75\00:28:11.39
you also have
that with the church,
00:28:11.42\00:28:13.29
because, of course, you want
to be recognized by the church
00:28:13.32\00:28:15.46
but since they
don't have anybody either,
00:28:15.49\00:28:17.66
how did you work with that?
00:28:17.69\00:28:19.03
How did you deal
with the church evaluating
00:28:19.06\00:28:21.63
so that you could be accredited,
00:28:21.66\00:28:23.00
you know, by the
Adventist church?
00:28:23.03\00:28:24.53
Well, we have some people
that are very well prepared
00:28:24.57\00:28:27.74
in that area too.
00:28:27.77\00:28:29.70
We don't have any fully online
00:28:29.74\00:28:32.07
and only online university
in the church around the world,
00:28:32.11\00:28:36.64
but we have some people
that in the last few years
00:28:36.68\00:28:39.65
finished their
degree in that area.
00:28:39.68\00:28:41.88
So they had to pick a person
that has some experience also
00:28:41.92\00:28:47.92
because degree is not enough,
00:28:47.96\00:28:50.26
you need some
experience, some knowledge.
00:28:50.29\00:28:51.99
Yeah. Sure.
00:28:52.03\00:28:53.36
And...
00:28:53.40\00:28:54.73
So they brought
one person from Andrews
00:28:54.76\00:28:57.00
and the other two were
00:28:57.03\00:29:00.80
in educational
area and that's it.
00:29:00.84\00:29:03.61
And they did
the best they could.
00:29:03.64\00:29:06.78
Which I think is fabulous.
00:29:06.81\00:29:08.31
So when Dr. Israel
later dropped this on you,
00:29:08.34\00:29:11.25
he really laid a
heavy burden on you,
00:29:11.28\00:29:13.65
because you're
starting something
00:29:13.68\00:29:15.02
that has no
pattern, that has no,
00:29:15.05\00:29:17.95
there's no way you
can go and look and say,
00:29:17.99\00:29:19.32
let's follow that pattern,
00:29:19.35\00:29:20.82
you're building it
from the ground up.
00:29:20.86\00:29:22.29
Exactly.
00:29:22.32\00:29:23.66
Exactly because I didn't
have that experience before.
00:29:23.69\00:29:25.56
I mean, how many people
do you know in the world,
00:29:25.59\00:29:30.07
because, you know, many
people around the world.
00:29:30.10\00:29:31.47
How many people you know
00:29:31.50\00:29:32.83
that built a
university from scratch,
00:29:32.87\00:29:35.14
from nothing, from zero?
00:29:35.17\00:29:37.11
Very few. Very few.
00:29:37.14\00:29:38.47
How many of them built
a university fully online
00:29:38.51\00:29:42.64
with all the infrastructure,
paperwork, knowledge,
00:29:42.68\00:29:48.68
skills needed for
every different function
00:29:48.72\00:29:51.52
and everything,
how many you know?
00:29:51.55\00:29:53.66
Perhaps not too many.
Not too many, like zero.
00:29:53.69\00:29:56.42
I know zero.
00:29:56.46\00:29:57.79
See, this is a major thing
00:29:57.83\00:30:00.96
because you're starting
something totally from scratch.
00:30:01.00\00:30:03.37
Now, are there
many online universities
00:30:03.40\00:30:05.57
in existence now today?
00:30:05.60\00:30:08.60
Is that it...?
00:30:08.64\00:30:09.97
We have several
online universities
00:30:10.01\00:30:14.21
around the world, not...
00:30:14.24\00:30:17.05
I mean, several universities
that have an online department
00:30:17.08\00:30:23.18
and they teach fully online.
00:30:23.22\00:30:24.55
This is what we have.
00:30:24.59\00:30:26.09
So the infrastructure
is mixed, you have both.
00:30:26.12\00:30:29.56
But only online university,
fully online university,
00:30:29.59\00:30:32.33
I don't think we have too many.
00:30:32.36\00:30:33.70
Okay. So there's
not, there's not a lot.
00:30:33.73\00:30:35.06
So you don't really
have like other club
00:30:35.10\00:30:37.47
that they can get together
and encourage each other
00:30:37.50\00:30:39.03
because they just, you know,
00:30:39.07\00:30:41.30
that there are groups
and university presidents
00:30:41.34\00:30:43.10
will come together
and encourage each other
00:30:43.14\00:30:44.74
because they
have some commonality,
00:30:44.77\00:30:46.11
but you guys are
kind of out there
00:30:46.14\00:30:47.48
swimming in a very big ocean
00:30:47.51\00:30:49.58
and evidently
doing a pretty good job.
00:30:49.61\00:30:51.25
So we praise the
Lord, we praise the Lord.
00:30:51.28\00:30:52.91
And by the way we're
building now a network
00:30:52.95\00:30:56.08
in the Inter-American Division
00:30:56.12\00:30:57.82
among the 14 universities
we have in different areas,
00:30:57.85\00:31:02.62
student development
and curriculum and so on.
00:31:02.66\00:31:06.23
One of the areas
is online education
00:31:06.26\00:31:09.66
that includes also
the online technology
00:31:09.70\00:31:12.50
you need for that,
00:31:12.53\00:31:13.87
and Carlos is the
coordinator for that area.
00:31:13.90\00:31:17.14
So we're trying to develop
00:31:17.17\00:31:20.14
that more and more in
our division and most likely
00:31:20.18\00:31:24.15
in the rest of
the world in future.
00:31:24.18\00:31:25.51
Yeah. Give me an idea
of how much staff you have?
00:31:25.55\00:31:30.85
That's difficult to say.
00:31:30.89\00:31:32.22
We have...
00:31:32.25\00:31:33.59
We're 17 in all.
00:31:33.62\00:31:34.96
Because your staff is
not all in Puerto Rico,
00:31:34.99\00:31:36.32
they are everywhere.
00:31:36.36\00:31:37.69
Well, we have an
office in Puerto Rico
00:31:37.73\00:31:39.89
and that is seven people, right?
00:31:39.93\00:31:42.23
Seven people. Seven people.
00:31:42.26\00:31:43.67
We have in Puerto Rico
people working from home
00:31:43.70\00:31:45.97
from different
places in the island,
00:31:46.00\00:31:48.27
we have about three?
00:31:48.30\00:31:50.01
No, four.
00:31:50.04\00:31:52.27
Four, four people
and then we have people
00:31:52.31\00:31:56.08
in the South American
Division and other places,
00:31:56.11\00:32:00.22
we have about 20 more, 27?
00:32:00.25\00:32:02.62
Twenty-nine.
00:32:02.65\00:32:04.35
Twenty-nine
professors around the world.
00:32:04.39\00:32:06.35
And not only professors,
we have the web development,
00:32:06.39\00:32:09.96
and people working for
us from their own places.
00:32:09.99\00:32:13.70
See this is a fabulous thing.
00:32:13.73\00:32:17.43
It peaks my interest in that
00:32:17.47\00:32:20.40
since you're not
bringing everybody together
00:32:20.44\00:32:22.14
to a campus, your professors,
00:32:22.17\00:32:25.64
your teaching
staff is everywhere.
00:32:25.67\00:32:27.94
Yeah. Yeah, it's everywhere.
00:32:27.98\00:32:30.71
And your student
body is everywhere.
00:32:30.75\00:32:32.75
Exactly.
00:32:32.78\00:32:34.12
So now your job is
to connect professors
00:32:34.15\00:32:37.39
who could be
anywhere with a student
00:32:37.42\00:32:40.36
who could be
anywhere and that's your job,
00:32:40.39\00:32:44.46
that's how university functions.
00:32:44.49\00:32:45.86
So let's walk through that.
00:32:45.89\00:32:48.40
Let's answer the question.
00:32:48.43\00:32:50.57
What kind of
courses do you offer?
00:32:50.60\00:32:53.37
I'm a student.
00:32:53.40\00:32:54.74
I'm a person at home,
I want to get education,
00:32:54.77\00:32:56.71
I cannot leave, I contact
you, what is available to me?
00:32:56.74\00:33:01.08
Yeah. All right. Carlos
is the Academic Director.
00:33:01.11\00:33:03.31
So I will, I will...
00:33:03.35\00:33:04.68
We have a couple of
programs that might interest.
00:33:04.71\00:33:07.55
There's one that we're
pretty emphatic about it,
00:33:07.58\00:33:12.82
because it's in
groundbreaking master's degree.
00:33:12.85\00:33:17.19
And that master degree
00:33:17.23\00:33:18.79
is an online
instructional design.
00:33:18.83\00:33:21.06
They are not...
00:33:21.10\00:33:22.80
Online education
is growing quickly
00:33:22.83\00:33:25.53
in every university,
especially in the United States.
00:33:25.57\00:33:29.07
And there are not
really a lot of people
00:33:29.10\00:33:32.67
that are prepared in
that area, specific area.
00:33:32.71\00:33:35.34
Some people think that
just to be an online professor
00:33:35.38\00:33:37.38
you need to, okay, I'll
take my courses in PowerPoint
00:33:37.41\00:33:40.15
and in Microsoft Word
and I'll put them online
00:33:40.18\00:33:42.55
and have students read
it and that won't work.
00:33:42.58\00:33:45.32
It's a specific way of teaching
00:33:45.35\00:33:50.83
that needs to be coordinated
00:33:50.86\00:33:52.93
and we are
providing this master's degree
00:33:52.96\00:33:55.13
to help people on how they
could transfer their knowledge
00:33:55.16\00:33:58.67
in education or any knowledge,
00:33:58.70\00:34:00.90
could be nursing,
could be in pastoral,
00:34:00.94\00:34:02.87
could be anything
00:34:02.90\00:34:04.24
and transfer
that into an effective
00:34:04.27\00:34:06.88
and good
quality course in online
00:34:06.91\00:34:11.11
and that's one of the programs.
00:34:11.15\00:34:13.92
Another program that
we're really proud of is
00:34:13.95\00:34:15.88
the Church
Administration and Leadership,
00:34:15.92\00:34:19.05
and that is to help anyone
00:34:19.09\00:34:20.52
that wants to be
proficient in administration
00:34:20.56\00:34:24.86
and be a good
leader of any institution,
00:34:24.89\00:34:28.13
any not-for-profit institution
or a church institution,
00:34:28.16\00:34:33.47
so that they can be effective
00:34:33.50\00:34:36.97
in what they want to do for God.
00:34:37.01\00:34:40.44
I find this fascinating.
00:34:40.48\00:34:42.41
My next question would be,
00:34:42.44\00:34:44.55
how do you
evaluate your faculty?
00:34:44.58\00:34:50.79
In other words, someone comes
to you or you contact someone
00:34:50.82\00:34:55.06
who has a degree in field X.
00:34:55.09\00:34:58.39
How do you know...?
00:34:58.43\00:35:00.03
And I'm saying this
00:35:00.06\00:35:01.40
because in all
endeavors that humans do,
00:35:01.43\00:35:04.23
you have good, better, best.
00:35:04.27\00:35:05.70
You have good lawyers,
you got better lawyers,
00:35:05.73\00:35:08.44
you got bad lawyers,
you got good teachers,
00:35:08.47\00:35:10.27
you got bad teachers.
00:35:10.31\00:35:11.64
You know, how do you know
that a given person is a fit?
00:35:11.67\00:35:17.28
Because I may be a
good classroom teacher,
00:35:17.31\00:35:19.65
doesn't necessarily mean
that I can do this online.
00:35:19.68\00:35:21.68
As you mentioned, I put
up a bunch of PowerPoints,
00:35:21.72\00:35:23.95
a bunch of papers
and say, "Here take it,"
00:35:23.99\00:35:25.32
you know, that's
not what works for you.
00:35:25.35\00:35:27.52
How do you evaluate?
00:35:27.56\00:35:28.89
How will you know
that this guy is a good fit
00:35:28.92\00:35:30.93
or this woman is a good fit
for what we're trying to do?
00:35:30.96\00:35:34.06
There is a very intense process
00:35:34.10\00:35:38.13
that we go through
to accept a professor.
00:35:38.17\00:35:41.04
First, we accept their
resume or their curriculums
00:35:41.07\00:35:46.21
and we analyze them.
00:35:46.24\00:35:47.64
First of all, they need
to have PhD or doctorate
00:35:47.68\00:35:52.05
in the specific area.
00:35:52.08\00:35:54.62
And then when they
start teaching for us,
00:35:54.65\00:36:00.29
we have evaluations,
we have peer evaluations.
00:36:00.32\00:36:02.99
Other professors
evaluate other professors
00:36:03.02\00:36:05.83
and then we have
students' evaluation.
00:36:05.86\00:36:08.63
And we also constantly
at the administrative part,
00:36:08.66\00:36:12.60
that's my area,
00:36:12.63\00:36:13.97
we constantly enter the
course to see what's going on.
00:36:14.00\00:36:16.74
If there is too much...
00:36:16.77\00:36:19.27
There is not enough
interaction between the students
00:36:19.31\00:36:21.31
and the professors,
00:36:21.34\00:36:22.68
we look at the comments
00:36:22.71\00:36:25.65
and we also do
student evaluation
00:36:25.68\00:36:29.15
at the end of the course
00:36:29.18\00:36:30.52
or almost at the
end of the course
00:36:30.55\00:36:31.89
we give them a form
that they need to present
00:36:31.92\00:36:35.29
and tell us how are we
doing, how was the course,
00:36:35.32\00:36:38.16
how was the professor,
00:36:38.19\00:36:39.53
how was the integration
of faith in that course,
00:36:39.56\00:36:41.83
was it okay.
00:36:41.86\00:36:43.20
There are different topics
00:36:43.23\00:36:44.67
that we need to guarantee
the quality of that course
00:36:44.70\00:36:47.70
because it's nothing if
we, if we just provide courses
00:36:47.74\00:36:51.67
and we don't have
integration of faith.
00:36:51.71\00:36:53.74
If we don't have
a good quality core,
00:36:53.78\00:36:58.45
in that course we're
not doing our job well.
00:36:58.48\00:37:01.68
So we evaluate our
professors in that way.
00:37:01.72\00:37:05.25
But we also have
a training course
00:37:05.29\00:37:08.26
for every professor.
00:37:08.29\00:37:09.62
Before you start
teaching a course,
00:37:09.66\00:37:11.23
you have to pass a training.
00:37:11.26\00:37:12.63
This is a must.
00:37:16.00\00:37:17.43
I mean, a professor may
have 20 years experience,
00:37:17.47\00:37:23.17
but exactly as you said,
00:37:23.20\00:37:24.71
may not fit within
the online environment,
00:37:24.74\00:37:27.48
online techniques, online world.
00:37:27.51\00:37:31.38
So that person will need to have
00:37:31.41\00:37:33.95
a full training
of 10 weeks at least.
00:37:33.98\00:37:37.69
Oh, wow.
00:37:37.72\00:37:39.05
And then if they
succeed with that...
00:37:39.09\00:37:41.76
It's like a
semester of training.
00:37:41.79\00:37:43.93
Yeah, something
like that. Yeah. Yeah.
00:37:43.96\00:37:45.43
About the semester
and it's quite intensive.
00:37:45.46\00:37:48.10
Yeah.
00:37:48.13\00:37:49.46
So after that we know
00:37:49.50\00:37:51.20
if the person
will be able to teach.
00:37:51.23\00:37:53.07
To teach.
00:37:53.10\00:37:54.44
And may I add, we
constantly also do
00:37:54.47\00:37:57.77
a professional
training, additional.
00:37:57.81\00:38:00.41
Every semester, they
need to take a course,
00:38:00.44\00:38:02.68
an online course, the professor,
00:38:02.71\00:38:04.05
so that we can, you know,
incorporate more technology
00:38:04.08\00:38:10.12
and more and more skills
for them to use in the courses.
00:38:10.15\00:38:12.82
Okay.
00:38:12.85\00:38:14.19
Yeah. The thing is this.
00:38:14.22\00:38:15.56
You cannot assume that a
person with 20 years experience
00:38:15.59\00:38:20.36
teaching face to face
00:38:20.40\00:38:21.90
is going to be the
perfect online teacher.
00:38:21.93\00:38:23.43
No, you can't.
00:38:23.47\00:38:24.80
And this is why out of 10 people
00:38:24.83\00:38:27.94
that start the training,
00:38:27.97\00:38:29.47
we'll finish, we'll end
up with about four or five,
00:38:29.50\00:38:34.38
something like
that, no more than that,
00:38:34.41\00:38:36.21
because usually
they get offended.
00:38:36.24\00:38:38.21
They said, you're
not going to teach me
00:38:38.25\00:38:39.91
how to teach.
00:38:39.95\00:38:41.28
You can teach me the technology,
00:38:41.32\00:38:42.82
not how to teach,
but it's not true.
00:38:42.85\00:38:44.45
It's a combo,
it's a whole package.
00:38:44.49\00:38:48.99
When you learn how to teach,
00:38:49.02\00:38:50.43
you need to learn
lot of things together
00:38:50.46\00:38:54.30
and many people do
not understand that part.
00:38:54.33\00:38:55.86
Yeah.
00:38:55.90\00:38:57.23
So when a person comes to you,
00:38:57.27\00:38:58.60
they've got to come with a
certain modicum of humility
00:38:58.63\00:39:03.14
because you're
reeducating the educator
00:39:03.17\00:39:06.78
and he has to be,
00:39:06.81\00:39:08.14
because I could be
a good online teacher.
00:39:08.18\00:39:09.51
Okay gentlemen, today
we're gonna learn this.
00:39:09.54\00:39:11.61
That does not translate
to what's going on online.
00:39:11.65\00:39:13.62
Yeah. Let them listen to this.
00:39:13.65\00:39:15.18
We're not the only
people that do that.
00:39:15.22\00:39:17.05
All online universities,
00:39:17.09\00:39:19.12
every university
that has online department
00:39:19.15\00:39:22.16
will do that,
all over the world.
00:39:22.19\00:39:24.39
Every university that
respects itself will do that.
00:39:24.43\00:39:28.66
And this is something
00:39:28.70\00:39:30.03
that people don't
necessarily understand.
00:39:30.07\00:39:31.40
It's not because
we're proud of doing
00:39:31.43\00:39:35.40
what we do that we
added that training,
00:39:35.44\00:39:38.27
every university does it.
00:39:38.31\00:39:40.38
So that's necessary,
absolutely necessary.
00:39:40.41\00:39:43.04
Okay. So we're
selling our product now.
00:39:43.08\00:39:45.35
One, all of your
faculty is PhD level,
00:39:45.38\00:39:49.38
so they have a
handle on their own material
00:39:49.42\00:39:51.55
what they're teaching.
00:39:51.59\00:39:52.92
Two, they've gone
through specialized training
00:39:52.95\00:39:56.12
that deals with
being able to teach online.
00:39:56.16\00:39:59.33
Three, they're
evaluated periodically
00:39:59.36\00:40:01.83
by peers and students
00:40:01.86\00:40:03.83
to know that
they're making the grade.
00:40:03.87\00:40:07.80
Are there any other mechanisms
00:40:07.84\00:40:09.57
put in place to
evaluate faculty?
00:40:09.60\00:40:11.97
I mean, those
three are enough really
00:40:12.01\00:40:13.38
because you got a
pretty good handle
00:40:13.41\00:40:14.74
on what you're dealing with,
but is there anything else?
00:40:14.78\00:40:20.22
When they...
00:40:20.25\00:40:21.58
After the training they
have to prepare a course.
00:40:21.62\00:40:23.49
This is part of the
training, after the 10 weeks.
00:40:23.52\00:40:25.79
They have to prepare
to develop a full course.
00:40:25.82\00:40:29.32
And we have to check the course
and we have to make corrections
00:40:29.36\00:40:33.96
and that goes back and
forth four or five times,
00:40:34.00\00:40:38.10
fix this, fix that, fix
that, and that is annoying.
00:40:38.13\00:40:43.67
That requires a lot of patience.
00:40:43.71\00:40:46.57
Yeah, listen. I'm
the expert in my area.
00:40:46.61\00:40:49.88
Let's say that I'm
expert in theology,
00:40:49.91\00:40:53.31
just to say something.
00:40:53.35\00:40:54.85
And how come you
tell me what to change?
00:40:54.88\00:40:59.55
They don't
understand that the change
00:40:59.59\00:41:01.42
is about the
organization of the course
00:41:01.46\00:41:05.49
and the pedagogical
components of the course.
00:41:05.53\00:41:08.50
It's not about
the content itself.
00:41:08.53\00:41:09.86
So I say, if you
want to present this,
00:41:09.90\00:41:11.67
you've to present in this way
00:41:11.70\00:41:13.03
or that other way
but not in this way.
00:41:13.07\00:41:15.40
So it's very
difficult for people to assume
00:41:15.44\00:41:18.97
and this is why we
have out of 10 about four
00:41:19.01\00:41:21.08
maybe five people
finishing the full training.
00:41:21.11\00:41:23.95
But once they
finish the training,
00:41:23.98\00:41:25.78
once they start teaching,
00:41:25.81\00:41:27.32
they understand
exactly why we required this
00:41:27.35\00:41:32.75
or that change.
00:41:32.79\00:41:34.46
So I think that, that
is a very comprehensive way
00:41:34.49\00:41:40.10
to prepare and
then to evaluate them.
00:41:40.13\00:41:43.20
Yes. Yes. I'm sorry.
So that comes together.
00:41:43.23\00:41:44.57
Are most of your faculty
in the Inter-American Division
00:41:44.60\00:41:46.74
or they outside of Inter-America
00:41:46.77\00:41:48.40
and in Inter-America also?
00:41:48.44\00:41:50.74
Most may be in the
Inter-American Division.
00:41:50.77\00:41:52.11
Most of them.
00:41:52.14\00:41:53.48
But we have in
all the continents,
00:41:53.51\00:41:55.64
I mean all over.
00:41:55.68\00:41:58.88
Your student body,
00:41:58.91\00:42:01.05
mostly Inter-American,
mostly Spanish-speaking,
00:42:01.08\00:42:03.15
mostly
English-speaking, diverse?
00:42:03.18\00:42:06.09
It's very
diverse. It's very diverse.
00:42:06.12\00:42:08.49
We have a lot of students
English-speaking students,
00:42:08.52\00:42:12.53
Spanish, a lot of
them at this moment.
00:42:12.56\00:42:15.83
And we also provide
non-academic courses.
00:42:15.86\00:42:20.44
For example, layman's training.
00:42:20.47\00:42:22.77
At this moment we're
providing a course program
00:42:22.80\00:42:26.74
for Sabbath school teachers
00:42:26.78\00:42:28.58
and we even started
with a section in French
00:42:28.61\00:42:32.41
and that's
basically the three languages
00:42:32.45\00:42:35.55
that we're pointing at,
Spanish, English, and French.
00:42:35.58\00:42:39.79
Which covers a fairly
wide swath of the world.
00:42:39.82\00:42:42.32
If you had someone with
sort of an eclectic language,
00:42:42.36\00:42:46.39
is there any way to
accommodate them at all
00:42:46.43\00:42:48.26
or that, I guess...
00:42:48.30\00:42:49.63
Well, I mean, some,
they could come with you
00:42:49.66\00:42:51.03
with Tagalog or something.
00:42:51.07\00:42:53.07
I guess, there is no
real way to get that in
00:42:53.10\00:42:54.77
because you don't
have the personnel in that.
00:42:54.80\00:42:57.57
But in English,
Spanish, and French,
00:42:57.61\00:43:00.38
you've got a pretty good
part of the western hemisphere.
00:43:00.41\00:43:04.71
We're very
limited in French. Yes.
00:43:04.75\00:43:06.72
We don't have enough faculty
00:43:06.75\00:43:09.12
and enough people knowing
how to develop in French,
00:43:09.15\00:43:13.82
but in Spanish and English,
everything is bilingual.
00:43:13.86\00:43:17.89
French, we are at
some limited areas.
00:43:17.93\00:43:22.03
What...
00:43:22.06\00:43:23.40
You offer bachelor's?
00:43:23.43\00:43:25.63
Master's degrees. Master's only.
00:43:25.67\00:43:27.00
Master's?
00:43:27.04\00:43:28.37
So all you have them,
00:43:28.40\00:43:29.74
you're at the
graduate school level?
00:43:29.77\00:43:31.11
That's right. Okay,
not doctorates just yet?
00:43:31.14\00:43:32.71
Not as yet. Not as yet.
00:43:32.74\00:43:34.08
So it's master's degree? Okay.
00:43:34.11\00:43:36.18
We'll praise the Lord for that.
00:43:36.21\00:43:38.48
How big is your student
body? You have the number.
00:43:38.51\00:43:41.48
At this moment we are
around rounded up in 300.
00:43:41.52\00:43:46.89
It's like 296
students in both languages,
00:43:46.92\00:43:52.83
Spanish and
English at this moment.
00:43:52.86\00:43:54.36
Is that about the average?
00:43:54.40\00:43:55.73
Is that a little high, a
little low as to what average
00:43:55.76\00:43:57.67
as you get
average, average-wise?
00:43:57.70\00:44:00.00
Yeah. Okay.
00:44:00.04\00:44:01.37
Can you rate it in
terms of, you know,
00:44:05.01\00:44:07.58
in a brick-and-mortar school,
00:44:07.61\00:44:10.25
you would say X
number of faculty per student
00:44:10.28\00:44:13.72
or X number of
students per faculty member.
00:44:13.75\00:44:15.52
Does that even calculate,
00:44:15.55\00:44:18.59
you know, in
this kind of setting?
00:44:18.62\00:44:20.46
Yes.
00:44:20.49\00:44:21.82
Our equation...
00:44:21.86\00:44:23.56
Let's put it that way.
00:44:23.59\00:44:24.93
Our equation would be
like 20 students per professor.
00:44:24.96\00:44:28.40
Okay. Okay.
00:44:28.43\00:44:30.17
That's not bad.
00:44:30.20\00:44:31.80
We have maximum,
we have a minimum.
00:44:31.83\00:44:35.64
But today it's
about that, right?
00:44:35.67\00:44:37.24
Yeah.
00:44:37.27\00:44:38.61
That's the average. Yeah.
00:44:38.64\00:44:39.97
Now I wasn't quite sure
on your course offerings.
00:44:40.01\00:44:43.95
Walk me through that again.
00:44:43.98\00:44:47.52
What do you offer?
00:44:47.55\00:44:48.88
We have graduate.
00:44:48.92\00:44:50.59
As I mentioned, master's in
online instructional design.
00:44:50.62\00:44:53.66
We have the
church administration
00:44:53.69\00:44:55.52
and leadership program
00:44:55.56\00:44:57.09
and we also
offer training courses,
00:44:57.13\00:45:00.33
nonacademic training courses.
00:45:00.36\00:45:01.70
Okay.
00:45:01.73\00:45:03.06
But we're
developing new programs too.
00:45:03.10\00:45:04.57
Yes.
00:45:04.60\00:45:06.67
In the graduate
program, we have,
00:45:06.70\00:45:09.20
at this moment we're
in the process of being,
00:45:09.24\00:45:12.01
of submitting two
more master's degrees.
00:45:12.04\00:45:15.54
We also had doctoral programs
00:45:15.58\00:45:17.81
but we need to wait a little bit
00:45:17.85\00:45:19.65
for some of the
technical aspects about it.
00:45:19.68\00:45:22.98
But we're planning to...
00:45:23.02\00:45:24.39
I don't know if
we can mention them.
00:45:24.42\00:45:25.75
Yeah, you can mention
because we wanted to start,
00:45:25.79\00:45:29.46
already offering degrees.
00:45:29.49\00:45:30.89
People are asking
for doctorate degrees,
00:45:30.93\00:45:33.73
but there are some
technical requirements
00:45:33.76\00:45:35.36
from the accrediting bodies
and this is why we had to wait.
00:45:35.40\00:45:39.60
They're asking
for a couple of years,
00:45:39.63\00:45:41.47
after the first graduation
00:45:41.50\00:45:44.57
in order to start submitting
the documentation for PhD
00:45:44.61\00:45:49.34
and that's why
we can't right now,
00:45:49.38\00:45:51.55
we're waiting for that.
00:45:51.58\00:45:52.91
Yeah. Yeah.
00:45:52.95\00:45:54.28
I know that in evaluating
universities in particular,
00:45:54.32\00:45:57.72
a lot of weight is placed on
what students are you sending
00:45:57.75\00:46:00.42
through that are finishing.
00:46:00.46\00:46:01.89
You know, you don't
want a lot of people in queue
00:46:01.92\00:46:03.39
waiting for their degrees.
00:46:03.43\00:46:04.99
Which is why I said
that a doctorate's degree
00:46:05.03\00:46:06.73
is a testament to, to focus,
00:46:06.76\00:46:10.47
because if you, if you stay
focused enough schools don't...
00:46:10.50\00:46:13.70
You don't get points for
having a lot of people in queue
00:46:13.74\00:46:16.17
waiting for their degree.
00:46:16.20\00:46:17.54
You can't get...
00:46:17.57\00:46:18.91
You wanted to get them out
00:46:18.94\00:46:20.28
because it makes a
school look better to say,
00:46:20.31\00:46:21.64
we've graduated X
number of students.
00:46:21.68\00:46:23.01
Yeah.
00:46:23.04\00:46:24.38
So you don't want to be having
this long line of students
00:46:24.41\00:46:26.31
waiting to get finished,
you want them through so that,
00:46:26.35\00:46:29.35
you know, the resume of
the school looks better,
00:46:29.38\00:46:30.85
so that's coming.
00:46:30.89\00:46:32.32
But there are
two master's degrees
00:46:32.35\00:46:34.09
that people are asking us for,
00:46:34.12\00:46:36.29
so that's why we
presented those two.
00:46:36.32\00:46:39.56
One of them is
administration as a profession,
00:46:39.59\00:46:41.50
education
administration and supervision
00:46:41.53\00:46:44.37
and the other one is
administration and leadership.
00:46:44.40\00:46:48.40
So those two are the ones
00:46:48.44\00:46:49.77
that people are
asking a lot for them
00:46:49.80\00:46:51.14
and then we prepare them
00:46:51.17\00:46:52.51
and we're submitting
the documents already for it
00:46:52.54\00:46:53.88
to be fulfilled.
00:46:53.91\00:46:55.24
I suspect a lot of
pastors in the field
00:46:55.28\00:46:58.35
and administrators in the field
00:46:58.38\00:47:00.12
would kind of like to
study those kinds of things
00:47:00.15\00:47:02.05
that are having to leave
00:47:02.08\00:47:03.42
their, their
charge and responsibility.
00:47:03.45\00:47:05.79
Yeah. Praise the Lord.
00:47:05.82\00:47:07.66
Is it an expensive thing?
00:47:07.69\00:47:09.79
You know, it always
gets down to shekels and...
00:47:09.82\00:47:13.73
Not at all.
00:47:13.76\00:47:15.10
I would say that
this is not expensive,
00:47:15.13\00:47:16.97
I know that Carlos
just finished his master's
00:47:17.00\00:47:21.24
not long ago and
now he is in PhD.
00:47:21.27\00:47:24.74
And he will
testify that our prices
00:47:24.77\00:47:27.81
are about half of what he
paid for his master's already.
00:47:27.84\00:47:30.75
One-fourth.
00:47:30.78\00:47:32.11
One-fourth? One-fourth.
00:47:32.15\00:47:33.48
Wow!
00:47:33.52\00:47:34.85
My master's was
$21,000 to finish.
00:47:34.88\00:47:38.85
That much? I didn't know.
00:47:38.89\00:47:40.36
And our master's
degree is like $6,000.
00:47:40.39\00:47:45.63
Yeah. Well, we have
some programs with discounts.
00:47:45.66\00:47:48.90
I mean, if you
fulfill some conditions,
00:47:48.93\00:47:52.40
then you get 5%
discount for that,
00:47:52.43\00:47:54.50
10% for that and so, so
the price can get as low as,
00:47:54.54\00:47:58.84
can get as low as
about $6,000, five something.
00:47:58.87\00:48:02.44
But the reason for
this, for such a low price
00:48:02.48\00:48:05.21
is because if we
present the price
00:48:05.25\00:48:09.25
that of a US degree for $21,000.
00:48:09.28\00:48:14.19
And we go to Venezuela
at this moment and we say,
00:48:14.22\00:48:16.66
this is a degree for $21,000,
00:48:16.69\00:48:19.36
they'll say you're
crazy, get out of here.
00:48:19.39\00:48:22.10
And if we go to Inter-America,
00:48:22.13\00:48:24.87
that's too high and
that's one of the things
00:48:24.90\00:48:28.24
that we were
told that our degrees
00:48:28.27\00:48:30.87
need to be very low
00:48:30.91\00:48:32.24
so that our fellow
countries can afford them
00:48:32.27\00:48:38.65
and that's why
it's such a low price.
00:48:38.68\00:48:40.62
Yeah.
00:48:40.65\00:48:41.98
Consider that a PhD...
00:48:42.02\00:48:43.69
My PhD cost about
$70,000 in the US.
00:48:43.72\00:48:48.49
I studied here in the US.
00:48:48.52\00:48:50.73
Who will be able to pay that
in the Inter-American Division?
00:48:50.76\00:48:53.40
I mean, we have to be reasonable
00:48:53.43\00:48:56.60
and think about them,
00:48:56.63\00:48:57.97
because we want
people to be prepared.
00:48:58.00\00:49:01.24
We need people to be prepared.
00:49:01.27\00:49:03.74
So that's our
mission, that's our vision too.
00:49:03.77\00:49:07.08
So we can't think in
terms of prices here.
00:49:07.11\00:49:10.88
That's why we do
every effort we can
00:49:10.91\00:49:14.58
in order to make sure
00:49:14.62\00:49:15.95
that prices are
going to be accessible,
00:49:15.98\00:49:19.75
people will be
able to study with us.
00:49:19.79\00:49:21.42
Praise the Lord.
00:49:21.46\00:49:22.79
And the only way to
do that is to hire people
00:49:22.82\00:49:24.33
from all over the world
00:49:24.36\00:49:25.83
and to have
people well-prepared,
00:49:25.86\00:49:28.10
but with the
lowest possible expenses
00:49:28.13\00:49:30.17
in terms of institution.
00:49:30.20\00:49:32.93
So we have just the
minimum people at office
00:49:32.97\00:49:37.54
and the rest of the
people are from home.
00:49:37.57\00:49:39.77
And, I mean, that
saves a lot of money,
00:49:39.81\00:49:42.21
that's why we can afford that.
00:49:42.24\00:49:43.58
So you're actually exploring
ways to keep the cost down
00:49:43.61\00:49:46.11
for education.
00:49:46.15\00:49:47.48
And, of course, your professors
00:49:47.52\00:49:48.92
that are in different countries,
00:49:48.95\00:49:50.29
you're paying
them in their money,
00:49:50.32\00:49:51.69
so it's not out
us, I would suspect.
00:49:51.72\00:49:54.52
No, we pay in USD,
00:49:54.56\00:49:56.52
but we have
different rates because,
00:49:56.56\00:50:00.03
I mean if you have
a professor in the US
00:50:00.06\00:50:02.06
less than $3,000 to $4,000,
00:50:02.10\00:50:05.07
they may not want to work,
00:50:05.10\00:50:08.30
but in the Philippines
$4,000 is half year's salary.
00:50:08.34\00:50:12.01
Yes.
00:50:12.04\00:50:13.38
So...
00:50:13.41\00:50:14.74
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:50:14.78\00:50:16.11
You understand?
Oh, very much so.
00:50:16.14\00:50:17.55
We need to consider
that and they agree with that
00:50:17.58\00:50:20.52
because for them...
00:50:20.55\00:50:21.95
I mean, what we
pay is reasonable.
00:50:21.98\00:50:25.42
We don't pay the
lowest of the lowest.
00:50:25.45\00:50:27.96
We pay what is
reasonable I guess.
00:50:27.99\00:50:30.79
So for them,
it's good too. Yeah.
00:50:30.83\00:50:32.19
I mean, they are doing
work, so you've got to pay them.
00:50:32.23\00:50:34.36
I mean, yeah,
yeah, it's not volunteer.
00:50:34.40\00:50:35.86
Yeah. Yeah.
00:50:35.90\00:50:37.23
It's not volunteering at all.
00:50:37.27\00:50:39.33
No, but that is a good thing
00:50:39.37\00:50:40.70
because you may ask people
to do exactly what you need
00:50:40.74\00:50:44.57
because you're paying and
I think that that is fair.
00:50:44.61\00:50:47.11
It is fair. That is
fair. I want my salary.
00:50:47.14\00:50:48.81
You want your salary.
00:50:48.84\00:50:50.18
I mean, when you work and
you do the best you can do,
00:50:50.21\00:50:53.68
you can expect also
a reasonable salary,
00:50:53.72\00:50:56.28
but you have to do the best.
00:50:56.32\00:50:57.75
Yes, you have to
do your best. Yeah.
00:50:57.79\00:50:59.12
And this is the way we think,
and this is the way we work.
00:50:59.15\00:51:02.62
You know, I've been
concentrating on you so much,
00:51:02.66\00:51:05.29
I've not looked at the clock
00:51:05.33\00:51:06.66
because this is
fascinating to me
00:51:06.70\00:51:08.70
that we're
getting down to the end.
00:51:08.73\00:51:10.57
I want to go to the
contact information just now
00:51:10.60\00:51:14.44
and then we can
recalculate our time
00:51:14.47\00:51:15.87
and then we can end this
00:51:15.90\00:51:17.24
because there are still
many more questions I have.
00:51:17.27\00:51:18.91
First of all I think
this is a fascinating thing
00:51:18.94\00:51:20.88
and a thing whose time has come
00:51:20.91\00:51:22.81
and glad that God has laid hands
00:51:22.84\00:51:24.41
upon you guys to do this.
00:51:24.45\00:51:25.85
Should you want to make
contact with the university,
00:51:25.88\00:51:29.48
to support it,
00:51:29.52\00:51:30.85
to find out what
courses you can be involved in,
00:51:30.89\00:51:36.36
how you can join the
faculty of the staff.
00:51:36.39\00:51:38.76
Maybe you even have a
skill that they may want to use.
00:51:38.79\00:51:41.36
Here is the contact
information that you'll need.
00:51:41.40\00:51:45.13
Herbert Fletcher University
00:51:45.17\00:51:46.87
is an online
distance learning institution
00:51:46.90\00:51:49.10
of the Inter-American Division
of Seventh-day Adventist.
00:51:49.14\00:51:52.24
They offer graduate programs
00:51:52.27\00:51:53.98
for those who wish to
further their education.
00:51:54.01\00:51:56.61
To find out more,
00:51:56.64\00:51:57.98
visit their
website HFUniversity.org.
00:51:58.01\00:52:01.58
That's HFUniversity.org,
00:52:01.62\00:52:04.35
or call them at (305) 712-3732.
00:52:04.39\00:52:09.79
You may also write to them
at Herbert Fletcher University,
00:52:09.82\00:52:13.40
P.O. Box 3269,
00:52:13.43\00:52:16.26
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico 00681.
00:52:16.30\00:52:20.94