The President’s Administrative Council’s 2013 press conference covered several hot topics around campus, including Biola’s pending statement about transgenderism, changes to the fall graduation ceremony and the creation of a public relations major.

Statement about transgenderism in preparation

President Barry Corey announced that a team of about 15 people are currently working on developing a statement that specifically addresses the issue of transgenderism. A draft of the policy went before the board of trustees in September and will be reviewed again in November. The university is crafting the statement to be theologically clear while taking a soft, pastoral approach to the subject, Corey said.

Status of the health care lawsuit

Another portion of the press conference provided an update on Biola’s lawsuit challenging the Affordable Healthcare Act, which requires institutions to fund contraceptives for employees. Corey clarified that the contraceptives in question are those that are classified as abortifacients, which conflict with Biola’s moral conscience. In the case that Biola loses the lawsuit, Biola will face difficult choices, Corey explained. If Biola chooses not to offer contraceptives as part of its health insurance, the fine levied by the government would cost Biola approximately $32 million per year, according to Corey. A second option, not providing employees health care at all, would incur a fine that is only a few million dollars annually. However, to fully comply with the Affordable Healthcare Act and provide the abortifacients goes against Biola’s biblical beliefs, Corey said. The board of trustees will make a decision based on the outcome of the court case in Jan. 2014 before the Affordable Healthcare Act goes into effect for Biola in Apr. 2014.

Tickets for fall commencement

Brian Miller, interim chief communications and marketing officer, informed students of a change to the number of people allowed to attend fall commencement. As with the spring 2013 commencement, each graduate will receive eight tickets which can be exchanged among students. The eight tickets will give guests access to Chase Gym, where the ceremony will be held. Satellite locations will also be available across campus so that guests without tickets can still view the ceremony. Miller also noted that Matthew Barnett, senior pastor of Angelus Temple and founder of the Dream Center in Los Angeles, is confirmed as the commencement speaker this fall.

Faster financial aid

Changes to financial aid file-reviewing will result in a quicker enrollment process, providing more students with their financial aid packages before the summer, said Greg Vaughan, vice president of enrollment management. While the government requires that a minimum of 30 percent of student financial files are checked extensively, Biola’s financial aid department has historically run checks on a significantly higher percentage of files, slowing down the process. Biola is working to reduce the number of files checked extensively, while still maintaining accuracy in financial aid awards, Vaughn said.

Public relation to become a major

While the journalism department offers a public relations emphasis, Biola is developing a full public relations major, said David Nystrom, provost and senior vice president. The major will not be available for at least a year or two, Nystrom said.