Letter from President Mullen

March 3, 2009

Dear Alumni of Houghton College:

As most of you know, the college’s West Seneca campus, just outside Buffalo, was given to Houghton by the Buffalo Bible Institute in the late 1960s. For forty years, it has enabled us to extend our work of Christian higher education into Buffalo and Erie County.  At various times, we have conducted classes there by satellite link, housed students who are observing or student teaching doing internships, and hosted outside groups. Recently, the campus has been the site of the Houghton Program for Accelerated College Education, or P.A.C.E., our adult degree completion program in management.

During this time, two things have become clear.  First, the facilities of the campus need significant renovation to be adequate for future growth. Second, the college’s mission in undergraduate education is drawing us more directly into the city of Buffalo, a significant distance from West Seneca’s suburban location.  As we seek to prepare graduates to take their place as agents of God’s reconciling and transforming purposes, the city is becoming an important arena for experiential learning, service, and internships. 

At a recent meeting, the Board of Trustees authorized the college administration to investigate options for future use of the West Seneca campus—including the possible sale of the property—if this is deemed to be the best way to steward the resources of this property for the work of Christian higher education.

As alumni of the college, I want you to be assured of three things:

  1. The ongoing work of Houghton College in the Buffalo area will continue as our students involve themselves more deeply in tutoring, internships, refugee support, and a range of other educational and service ventures in the city;
  2. Houghton’s P.A.C. E. program will continue.  In fact, we expect this program to become even more significant in the day’s ahead;
  3. We remain strongly committed to steward the resource of the West Seneca Campus in a way that best serves the calling of Christian higher education through Houghton College.

If you know of anyone who might wish to investigate the acquiring of this property, please do let us know by sending us an e-mail at alumni@houghton.edu

As we move forward, we are counting on your ongoing prayers for Houghton and for the Christian higher education we strive to provide our students in these turbulent times.

Sincerely,

Shirley A. Mullen
President