Author: Annaleise Hein

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Kerr-Pegula Update

On Tuesday morning, faculty and staff members met for an update on the Kerr-Pegula Project. Dave Smith, Vice President for Finance and Planning, presented to faculty and staff information that will be shared with the Board of Trustees on Friday, May 3rd as they decide how to proceed with the project. Smith’s presentation was focused on the financial aspects of the Kerr-Pegula Project, such as the total cost of the project, the funds raised thus far, and the plan for funding the rest of the project, if extra funding is needed. These are the factors that the Board of Trustees will weigh as they vote on how to move forward with or delay the project.

Courtesy of facebook.com
Courtesy of facebook.com

The Board of Trustees has already approved the three fields that are currently under construction, while the addition of a field house is pending Board approval. According to Smith, there is a range of options which will be presented to the Board, and two of these options would not involved added funding. Dr. Robert Pool, Vice President for Student Life, said only a very small percentage of the project will be financed by loans. He said, “I, along with all of the presidential staff, have looked at all the risks and costs, and it is a no-brainer: go forward.”

Skip Lord, Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, said that the College has the gift (the original donation by the Kerr-Pegula family) and a plan for advancement. Lord supports the project not only because it will enhance intercollegiate athletics, but also because it has the potential to increase Houghton College’s visibility, improve enrollment, contribute to advancement goals, and expand intramural and academic programs. “It has the potential to impact Houghton in unique ways we have not even begun to imagine,” Lord said. He also said, “I am certainly hopeful that we will move ahead, but the Board of Trustees, in their wisdom, will make the decision.”

Like Lord, Lauren Niswander, Co-leader for Committee for Intercollegiate Athletics, reflected a large vision for the Kerr-Pegula Project. She said, “This is an awesome gift that we have been given, and it will help our campus ministry by opening doors to represent our athletics and academics.”

Connie Finney, Professor of Education, gave her opinion of the general support for the project. She said, “In my various conversations with faculty members, I have found them to be very supportive of the project.” Similarly, David Davies, Assistant Professor of Composition and Theory, stated, “I am generally in support of the Kerr-Pegula Project.”

However, some professors are more skeptical about the Kerr-Pegula Project. Benjamin Lipscomb, Professor of Philosophy, expressed concern over the funding of the project. If a significant amount of the funds come from loans, he said, “The financing of that debt will be an additional burden on the College and ultimately on its students.”  He affirmed the value of athletics but emphasized the importance of making sound financial decisions, especially because Houghton has been struggling with enrollment and finances. “The most disturbing aspect of going ahead without full financing,” Lipscomb said, is that the original vision was to have all the operating expenses covered by an endowment.” If the project is funded by loans rather than an endowment or funds the College already has, Houghton might jeopardize its financial and institutional values.

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Programs Hope to Improve Transition to Life after College

As seniors graduate this year, Houghton College is revising and enhancing efforts to help students transition out of Houghton and into further education or the working world. Career Services and Student Life are directly involved in programs aimed at the goal of preparing students to enter the world.

December 2012 Graduates. Courtesy of http://www.houghton.edu/
December 2012 Graduates. Courtesy of http://www.houghton.edu/

Vice President for Student Life, Rob Pool, said, “One view is that every aspect of college prepares you to transition out.” In a broad sense, Houghton’s purpose throughout each student’s entire time at Houghton, from enrollment to graduation, is to prepare students for a life focused on and help them transition out of Houghton.

Pool believes that much of the preparation for leaving Houghton is organic—built into the entire Houghton experience—from formal academic and spiritual life activities to residence life and stress management. While Houghton has thus effectively helped students transition into college, it is less clear how successfully Houghton has aided them in transitioning out of college.

Because this preparation is hard to see, some of the new transition endeavors involve, in Pool’s words, “re-packaging”  existing programs so that students see the value of what they already have.  Last year, Career Services held a business-related fashion show to help students know what type of attire is needed for a professional career. Although Career Services gave away hundreds of dollars in professional clothing, only six students participated in the event. This year, the event has been restructured and will be part of the Campus Store’s fashion show on March 15.

There are also new programs, most notably a pilot program for a small group of current sophomores, who in March will attend a retreat designed to help them discover their future vocations and establish a plan for moving toward their goals for the future. Dr. Pool hopes that this program will serve as a model that may be replicated on a larger scale in order that all students can benefit from it.

Career Services is also working hard to make students aware of the opportunities and resources available through their office.

Brian Reitnour works as the Coordinator of Career Services to help students translate their liberal arts education, which encompasses academics, clubs, sports, and other activities, into vocational opportunities beyond Houghton.

As Reitnour designs events and services for students, he tries to figure out what students want, what employers want, and what he can do to bridge the gap between the two. He said, “On a yearly basis, we have to figure out and re-figure out where we want to put our time and energy.”

One connection between students and professionals is Houghton Connects, a feature of the online Job Shop. This service links current students with alumni who have similar interests so that they can develop a mentoring or advising relationship. Additionally, Houghton alumni who are now employers often return to campus to recruit Houghton students. On March 19, eleven employers will be on campus for the Career Fair from 11:00-2:00.

On HELP Day, March 13, Career Services will offer  job- and internship-search workshops, alternative chapels, and financial management workshops to give students knowledge they will need once they leave Houghton.

Other opportunities for students through Career Services include Teacher Recruitment Days in Buffalo, free transportation to the Rochester Area Career Expo, and individual appointments. Reitnour said he finds individual appointments the most effective because students can pursue the help they want, whether that be for resumes, cover letters, graduate school, application processes, or even choosing a major.

Reitnour stressed that Career Services is not only for seniors, although typically about 50% of each year’s graduating class will utilize their services. His word of advice, applicable to all students regardless of academic class, is “Don’t Wait.” Starting sooner—finding internships, writing resumes, applying for interviews—makes the whole process easier.

Likewise, Dr. Pool emphasized the value of starting early. He said that by the end of sophomore year, students should have finalized their academic plans, established clear vocational goals, know how to maintain high wellness levels, and be creating a network of people who can act as mentors and recommenders. These actions are embedded in the Houghton experience and other services such as the events and resources available through Career Services, but Pool hopes the re-working of Houghton’s transitions programs will make these structures more visible and effective.

Surveys show that Houghton students are prepared to encounter the world and become effective leaders in work, ministry, and missions, but Pool said, “We always want to do better.”

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Townhouse Kill-A-Watt Challenge Raises Sustainability Awareness

Courtesy of www.houghton.edu
Courtesy of www.houghton.edu

Seven townhouses are competing throughout the month of February in the Kill-A-Watt Challenge, an initiative to raise awareness of energy consumption and reduce energy use on campus.
The competition is based on each participating townhouse’s residents’ reduction of energy use, which will be calculated by comparing weekly meter readings to a baseline measurement taken before the competition began. The winning townhouse will receive a pizza party after the Challenge concludes.

Brian Webb, the Sustainability Coordinator at Houghton College, has partnered with Student Life to spearhead this effort. The key goal of the Kill-A-Watt Challenge, said Webb, is “to help students become aware of their energy usage,” especially because they do not pay electricity bills directly.
Gabe Jacobsen, Director of Student Life, said, “It is not just about reducing costs, though that is a benefit. Rather, it is about helping students become people who care about how they use resources.”

JL Miller, Resident Director of the Townhouses, said he supported the Kill-A-Watt Challenge because of his “professional goal of seeing the Townhouses as a place of preparation for students’ launch from Houghton.”

Elizabeth Bailey, Assistant Resident Director of the Townhouses, said, “I think it’s a neat idea and a great opportunity for upperclassmen to learn how to save on energy costs as many of us will be paying our own water, gas, and electric bills soon.”

Senior Dianna Cornell is among the students participating in the Challenge.
She said, “I think it’s a good idea. Energy consumption is something we don’t really think about, so the competition makes us conscious of it.” Already, she said, she is more aware of ways that she can reduce her energy usage, such as unplugging her hair straightener and turning off lights that are not being used.

After one week of the competition, more than three quarters of all townhouses saw an energy reduction, reported Webb. The leader, with a 33% reduction, is Perkins 48.
The competition is limited to the townhouses for logistical reasons: while each townhouse is on a separate energy meter, the entire upper campus (every building from Rothenbuhler Hall to Shenawana Hall, with the exception of Steese Cottage and the MacMillan House) is on one energy meter. Webb is exploring options to install separate meters for each residence hall and hopes to have them in place for next year so that the Kill-A-Watt Challenge can include the dormitories as well.

Whether or not their energy consumption is measured separately, individuals across campus can reduce their energy impact in simple ways: Turn off electrical appliances, especially lights and televisions when they are not in use. Turn off power strips when they are not needed. Turn off computers at night (the myth that this harms computers is old-fashioned and untrue). Use microwave ovens rather than electric ovens, since they use less electricity.  Energy-saving practices such as these and others can help to reduce the amount of electricity that is wasted.
Webb said, “With energy, a lot of it comes down to habit, and it doesn’t take very long to develop energy-saving habits.”

By raising awareness of sustainability issues and reducing energy waste, the Kill-A-Watt Challenge marks a step towards sustainability at Houghton College. Jacobsen said, “Houghton is still in the infancy stage, in the residences at least, in addressing sustainability issues.” Both Jacobsen and Webb hope to see the Kill-A-Watt Challenge continued and expanded next year.

Although only students in participating townhouses are part of the Challenge, everyone on campus, from students to faculty and staff, can contribute. Simply knowing about the Kill-A-Watt Challenge raises awareness on campus and represents an opportunity to participate in Houghton’s movement toward greater sustainability. Jacobsen said, “From a theological standpoint, learning to be wise stewards of what we have fits in the general ethos of Houghton College.”