houghton buffalo – Houghton STAR

Houghton Buffalo Closes

By Sarah Burton

On Jan. 23, 2023, President Lewis visited Houghton University Buffalo and announced that they would not be accepting any new students to the commuter campus. It was first opened in 2014, and this news has come as a shock to many. In a letter published on Jan. 24, he explains the reasons behind the situation.

The Buffalo Extension Site was not approved to become a Center when President Lewis first applied for it to become one in 2021. Part of the process for it to be approved was consulting existing colleges and universities within the city of Buffalo.

Erie Community College, Buffalo State College, and Niagara County Community College objected to Houghton Buffalo, thinking that Houghton’s approval would be, as President Lewis paraphrased, “detrimental to existing institutions” in the area.

Due to this kind of backlash in Buffalo, approval was halted and made increasingly more difficult. According to President Lewis, “[Houghton Buffalo] was notified on Dec. 27, 2022 that it would not be approved as an Extension Center.” If Houghton were to continue the fight for approval, the master plan for the entire University would have to change.

He states at the conclusion of his letter that “while we will no longer admit new students in Buffalo… Houghton remains steadfastly committed to our current students… and we will serve them through completion of their Houghton degrees.”

Interim Dean of Houghton University Buffalo Steve Strand describes the loss that is felt by faculty, staff, and students alike, saying that “They [Faculty and Staff] are very committed to the work here… [they] feel a sense of loss because they are intensely motivated by a strong sense of mission to serve students.”

Student Financial Services Specialist Ginny Dadaian also remarks on this sense of loss, showing true passion in her responses.

“I love Houghton University,” she exclaimed. “All across the US, private and public colleges and universities are struggling, unfortunately Houghton University is a victim of this wave.”

Dadaian, as well as several students, remarked on the impact of surrounding schools in the Buffalo area on the closing of Houghton Buffalo.

“I was thinking about furthering my education after my two year degree, but now I don’t know what to do,” states David Elliot, a sophomore.

Many of the students from Houghton Buffalo express deep concern for the branch’s closure. In particular, Desiree Radford has decided to take full course loads for both semesters of 2023, as well as a summer session to complete her degree by the winter.

“Even though President Lewis promised that we would all be able to complete our degree plan,” Radford says, “I just don’t have faith in that promise anymore.”

Radford also expresses the worries of the student body of Houghton Buffalo, stating “I am left to wonder why minorities always get the short end of the stick. I am very happy being at Houghton Buffalo, but I don’t feel like I am a part of Houghton University. So, I am very sickened by this decision.”

Many students from Houghton Buffalo are deeply concerned about the future of their education and the lack of resources they have now, upon hearing of the closing of their school. Transportation is an issue for several and there is a distinct lack of trust many feel, with many saying the student body wasn’t aware or involved until the visit made by President Lewis.

The closing of Houghton University Buffalo shocked many in the community. It has also challenged the community, with many mixed feelings from faculty, staff, and students about the situation. Its lasting impact has yet to be seen, with some expressing hope for the future and others suffering from a severe sense of grief and discontent. ★

Houghton’s educational involvement in the city of Buffalo has had a long and storied past, with new endeavors just about to get started.

For several years, the college has run the City Semester program, headed by Cameron Airhart, professor of history. The City Semester, one of Houghton’s ongoing off-campus programs, is intended to take Houghton students into western New York’s main city to explore, according to the web page, “living in community on the West Side of Buffalo, reading and thinking intensely about urban life and culture with others who are reading and thinking about the same things.”

Courtesy of http://springflingcny.wordpress.com/-

Soon, however, Houghton will be expanding even more into the city with Houghton Buffalo, an associate’s degree program set to launch in Fall 2014. According to Dr. Mark Hijleh, the idea for Houghton Buffalo was first conceived in April of 2012. Soon, Dr. Hijleh explains, it was determined “that there were good reasons to launch a program to serve students in the Buffalo area that need and want a Christian liberal arts alternative to community college and other options, but would not be likely to consider Houghton’s residential campus for the first two years of study.”

In October of 2013, Dr. Scott McClelland was hired as Dean of Extension Studies and has joined with with Dr. Hijleh to launch the program. Added McClelland, enrollment coordinator Aimee White has also been an integral part of the project.

According to the Houghton College website, Houghton Buffalo will offer students the opportunity to take courses in traditional subjects, including history, literature, communications, and mathematics. In addition, McClelland explained that Houghton Buffalo will also offer courses such as, “Life in the City”… [which] will enhance local students’ knowledge of their area and the challenges (and great opportunities) of urban life.” The credits earned at Houghton Buffalo will be transferrable to many 4-year institutions, including at the Houghton College campus itself.

In Buffalo, classes will be taught at First Presbyterian Church, near Kleinhan’s Music Hall. In describing the learning environment, McClelland said that the church has two classrooms, one of which doubles as a library, another room which is divided into a computer lab and student lounge, as well as an office, and a sanctuary. McClelland also noted that the area where First Presbyterian Church is located is safe, which should be reassuring to prospective suburban students wary of colleges located in the city.

When asked what excites him most about the program, Dr. Hijleh explains, “This new initiative marks an historic opportunity for houghton to bring its distinctive brand of excellence in christian higher education to a new group of students in Buffalo. thus, it allows us to extend our mission beyond the houghton residential campus in ways we have not been able to do previously.”

When asked if there was anything specific he wanted students to know about Houghton Buffalo, Dr. McClelland said, “As in any urban environment, there will likely be a greater diversity in our student demographics than normally available in our residential context. We hope both urban and suburban students, who otherwise could not consider our residential option, will come together and be as ‘iron sharpening iron’ in [Houghton Buffalo]. In our more globalized world, this dimension, I believe, is crucial to a well-rounded education.”