A Word From The President
A
private residential education is a costly commodity. It involves a
significant investment of resources in relatively few people. A private
education has always quite appropriately had to ‘make its case’ in a
democratic society. This pressure is even stronger today in a struggling
economy—when it seems less and less feasible for individuals who want to
access a private education to do so.
Part of making the case for Houghton in this moment involves affirming at the theoretical level what makes a Houghton education distinct within the larger world of higher education. This speaks to what many Christian families are wrestling with today. Why pay for a private education—and especially a private Christian education—when there are less expensive ways of getting a college degree? How do I know this investment will pay off in an uncertain economy?
An even more compelling case for a Houghton education is the cumulative story of the rich and varied lives that our students and alumni are equipped to live. At Houghton, students are called out of the smallness of our self-centered consumer society into the larger world of community, of service, sometimes even of sacrifice. They are called beyond their initial dreams for their own future into adventures that they never thought possible. They are called out of their own familiar world to explore other worlds—sometimes on the other side of the globe, sometimes in our own geographical ‘backyard.’ They are called, in short, out of themselves to see the world through the large and loving eyes of our Heavenly Father who invites them into partnership with His eternal purposes.
In this issue of the Houghton Magazine, you are invited to glimpse this cumulative story from several perspectives—current students and faculty, recent alumni and alumni who have spent a lifetime reaping the benefits of their Houghton education. Then you may judge for yourselves whether the case has been made. We welcome your comments, your prayers and your partnership as we seek to steward faithfully this treasure of Houghton College in our time. Ultimately the final test of whether we have ‘made the case’ will be at that great accounting where God alone will be the judge!
Shirley A. Mullen ’76
President
