At the spring meeting of the Board of Trustees, April 23, Louisville Seminary announced that Kerry E. Rice would serve as the new director of admissions, effective immediately.

Rice, who has been serving as interim director of the Seminary’s recruiting offices since last fall, came to Louisville Seminary following 15 years of ministry with the General Assembly Council of the Presbyterian Church (USA). During that time, he served as Coordinator for National Volunteers and on the Child Advocacy and Young Adult Ministry staff. He is an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

“Kerry’s vast knowledge of the denomination’s call process and his experience as a field education supervisor for Louisville Seminary were key strengths in his selection,” said David Gray, associate dean and registrar and chair of the Admissions Director Search Committee.

Rice has also been involved with ecumenical youth and young adult ministries through the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches, which were identified as important strengths toward the Seminary’s commitment to nurture a more inclusive learning and teaching environment and, therefore, grow a more racially and ethnically inclusive student body.

As Director of Admissions, Rice will be responsible for the planning, supervision, and evaluation of the entire admissions program. In addition he will be challenged to increase the Seminary’s enrollment, which has plateaued over the past three years at around 200; maintain the Seminary’s standard to recruit the most qualified students for admission; and to increase the percentage of racial/ethnic students enrolled, which is currently 16% of the student body.

One of Rice’s goals is to conduct a self-study or audit of the recruiting process to determine where aspects of admissions are not complying with the Seminary’s inclusive direction. During his interim leadership he had begun to develop a strategy for nurturing stronger relationships with predominantly African American schools within a five-hour radius. He has also suggested strategies for strengthening existing relationships with the African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion, and Christian Methodist Episcopal Churches, with whom Louisville Seminary has formal covenants to train their ministers.

Rice is a graduate of the University of Colorado (BA, political science) and is completing a Masters in Public Administration at the University of Louisville. He is married to Louisville Seminary alum Rev. Cynthia Cushman (MDiv ’94), who is pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church in Louisville.