Section
1
INSTITUTIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND HISTORY
Houghton College
provides an academically challenging Christ-centered education in the liberal
arts and sciences to students from diverse traditions and economic backgrounds
and equips them to lead and labor as scholar-servants in a changing world.
(Revised February 1995)
By 2008, Houghton College will have measurably elevated its practice of scholarship and service, deepened its commitment to civility and teaching excellence, enhanced its preparation of global Christians, and strengthened public awareness of the value of the Houghton experience.
We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments
are fully inspired of God, and inerrant in the original writings, and that they
are of supreme and final authority for faith and practice.
We believe that there is one God, eternally existing in
three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We believe that God created the entire universe including human beings
by special operation of divine power.
We believe in the fall of Adam and Eve and the consequent
sinful nature of all humanity which necessitates a divine atonement.
We believe in Jesus Christ as truly God and truly man, and
in His virgin birth, His matchless teachings, His vicarious death, His bodily
resurrection, and His promised second coming.
We believe in justification by grace through faith and in
regeneration by the Holy Spirit, Who makes the penitent believer a new creature
in Christ and commences His lifelong sanctifying work.
We believe that the Christian may be filled with the Holy
Spirit, or sanctified wholly, as a definite act of divine grace wrought in the
heart of the believer to take full possession, cleanse and equip for service on
condition of total surrender and obedient faith.
We believe in the personal existence of Satan.
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead ‑‑ of the saved to everlasting blessedness and of the lost to everlasting punishment.
(Revised
January 1989)
In addition to this
summary of the doctrinal position of Houghton College, it should be noted that
all faculty are expected to annually affirm their adherence to the Articles of
Religion of the sponsoring denomination, The Wesleyan Church, as stated in the
pamphlet, This We Believe which is accessible via the web at www.wesleyan.org, from the Academic Dean's
homepage, or by calling the Dean's office.
In addition, all members
of the Houghton community (students, staff, full‑time faculty,
administrators, and trustees) affirm their willingness to pattern their life
according to the "Responsibilities of Community Life" as found on the
web at http://www.houghton.edu/offices/human_resources/stmt_comm_resp.htm
The philosophy of
Houghton College, an educational institution of The Wesleyan Church, builds on
the concept of preparing individuals to become Christian scholar-servants who
exhibit the scholar’s passionate yet humble commitment to the Christian faith
and to their chosen academic discipline, and the servant’s qualities of serving
enthusiastically and unselfishly wherever called. The indispensable
characteristics of the scholar-servant are the competence to serve and the willingness
to serve.
To acquire the competence to serve, the scholar-servant
must develop effective skills in listening, reading, written and spoken
communication, computation, problem solving, logical reasoning, and value
discrimination. In addition, the graduate’s cumulative knowledge must provide a
solid foundation for life-long learning by a thorough grounding in one or more
academic disciplines plus familiarity with fundamental concepts, principles,
and methods of the basic fields of knowledge. Learning must also relate
disciplines to each other and to life in ways that assist in making wise
decisions and appreciating one’s individual heritage while respecting cultural
diversity and the integrity of creation.
To
develop the willingness to serve, the scholar-servant must
encounter positive models through life examples from Houghton’s faculty and
staff. Their reasoned faith must rest on sufficient knowledge of the Bible and
its central doctrines to communicate Christianity effectively to others, and
produce a world view that infuses Christian truth into knowledge and
experience.
To achieve its ideals,
Houghton College will sustain a scholarly community of believers who confess
the Lordship of Jesus and who actively seek truth and recognize its foundation
in Christ. Because of the risks involved in educating the intellect and the
character, the faculty and staff will strive to provide a challenging and
stimulating environment which is also nurturing and supportive. The community
will also be characterized by the historic distinctives of The Wesleyan Church,
including purity of heart and life, concern for justice in social issues, and
unselfish stewardship of time and the material provisions of Creation.
(Revised February 1995)
In 1883 the Lockport
Conference of The Wesleyan Methodist Church of America founded Houghton
Wesleyan Methodist Seminary. The
Seminary was established largely through the efforts of Willard J. Houghton,
who devoted much of his life to fund‑raising, administration, and general
service to the school that bore his family name.
In April 1883, ground
was broken for the first school building on land donated by Mr. and Mrs. Harvey
Tucker. A little more than a year later,
a solid brick structure welcomed its first students. But books, equipment, supplies, and money
were all tight, and it took constant prayer and pursuit to meet the fledgling
school's needs.
Soon after the turn of
the century, the sagging foundations of the original building and the limited
acreage led to a decision to abandon the original site and purchase, from the
Reverend Sylvester Bedford, the plateau the college now occupies. The first two buildings, a women's dormitory
and what is known today as Fancher Hall, were occupied in 1906.
By this time five seminary
presidents had made their contributions, and one of them, James S. Luckey, soon
returned to lead the college in unprecedented academic growth. As the years passed, the physical plant grew
to include a science building and a gymnasium, both replaced by more modern
facilities in subsequent years.
In 1923 Houghton
received a provisional charter from the Regents of the State of New York
authorizing the offering of degrees. Two
years later, the first four‑year class was graduated. In 1927, the Regents granted a permanent
charter and Houghton became a college.
President Luckey's third triumph came on November 29, 1935, when the
Middle States Association granted accreditation. President Luckey died two years later, but
his 29 years of effort provided the academic foundation for the future.
Dr. Stephen W. Paine, who had been teaching
Greek and serving as academic dean, was named president in 1937 ‑- the
youngest college head in the nation.
During his 35‑year administration, the college gained wide respect
for its firm adherence to evangelical Christianity and for rigorous
scholarship, while plant, faculty, and student body expanded. The college added nine major buildings plus a
suburban campus at Buffalo during this time.
Dr. Wilber T. Dayton succeeded
Dr. Paine in 1972, one year before the new, spacious campus center was
completed. Under his guidance, major
increases in college endowment were realized, and plans were initiated for a
new physical education center.
Dr. Daniel R. Chamberlain assumed the presidency
of Houghton College in September 1976.
Perhaps his greatest challenge was to consolidate and maintain the gains
of the past in the face of changing student resources and inflation‑related
economic factors. In 1987, Fancher Hall
was moved to its present site, in preparation for the construction of a new
academic building. This new facility was
dedicated in October 1989. In 1991 the
college introduced an adult degree completion program, offered first in West
Seneca and Olean, and later in Arcade as well.
First year students enrolling at Houghton
College in the fall of 1997 were the first to be required to have laptop
computers. An Educational Technology
Initiative resulted in a campus network, connecting not only administrative and
faculty offices, but also classrooms, dorm rooms, library carrels, and snack
shop booths.
A bond issue in the
spring of 1998 allowed a flurry of capital projects. These included new athletic fields and tennis
courts (1998), a refurbishing of the front of the Nielsen Center (1999),
another set of student townhouses (1999), a new greenhouse (1999), and, most
dramatically, a new home for Houghton's music program and art gallery, the
Center for the Arts (1999). Construction
also began in 1999 on an addition to the library, with a new front entrance
planned for the summer of 2000.
However, Houghton's
strength lies in its great people ‑‑ students, faculty,
administrators, staff ‑‑ who blend Christian commitment and
morality with up‑to‑date academic curricula, ample career
development opportunities, strong student enrichment services, and an exemplary
willingness to work. Convinced that
preparing well the students of today is critically essential to the church,
community and nation of tomorrow, Houghton is dedicated to providing an
enduring foundation of Christian idealism.
The people of Houghton believe that faith and academic excellence are
compatible, and that a wise combination of the two contributes to the fullest
development of the complete person.
(For a more complete
history of Houghton College, see Frieda A. Gillette and Katherine W. Lindley, And You Shall Remember, College Press,
Houghton, New York, 1982.)
1.6
A Chronology of Houghton College
1883 The Lockport Conference of the
Wesleyan Methodist Church of America founded Houghton Wesleyan Methodist
Seminary. The founding was largely
through the efforts of Willard J. Houghton.
1884 Houghton began service with
elementary and academic departments.
1888 A department was added for the
training of ministers.
1889 The first college‑level courses
were offered.
1902 The present campus property was
acquired.
1905
Fancher Hall was built on present
site of Academic Building. Construction
of Gaoyadeo Hall dormitory began.
1908 James Seymour Luckey was installed as
president (tenure: 1908‑1937). He
provided the leadership that lifted Houghton to become a strong, properly
equipped, and completely accredited liberal arts college.
1909 Three years of college work were
offered. Houghton students transferring to degree-granting institutions were
allowed advanced standing.
1917 Bedford Gymnasium was completed. Pierce W. Woolsey Hall was built on the site
of the present academic building.
1923 Houghton College was granted a provisional
charter as a four‑year liberal arts college, by the Board of Regents of
the University of the State of New York.
1925 The first four‑year class was
graduated (20 graduates).
1927 A permanent charter as a four‑year
college was granted.
1932 The first music building was
completed.
1935 Houghton gained full accreditation by
the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.
1937 Dr. Stephen W. Paine was installed as
president (tenure: 1937‑1972), succeeding James Seymour Luckey. Under Dr. Paine's leadership, Houghton grew
to its present size.
1942 Luckey Memorial Building was
built. (It now houses administrative
offices.)
1948 The first fine arts building was
constructed.
1952 Construction of East Hall dormitory
began.
1960 John and Charles Wesley Chapel was completed. (Features: 1200‑seat auditorium, classrooms, Marjorie Paine Memorial Prayer Room, 47‑stop Holtkamp organ, and the Ortlip mural "Redemption.")
1961 Shenawana dormitory, housing 116
students, was completed.
1964 Willard J. Houghton Library
dedicated.
1969 Buffalo Bible Institute merged with
Houghton College. The former BBI
property is now known as Houghton College at West Seneca and it houses the
P.A.C.E. adult degree completion program.
1970 The Paine Center for Sciences was
dedicated. Lambein Hall, housing 160
students, was constructed.
1972 Dr. Wilber T. Dayton was installed as
president (tenure: 1972‑1976).
1973 Lambein Learning Center opened on the
West Seneca campus.
1973 Dedication of Campus Center.
1976 Dr. Daniel R. Chamberlain was
installed as president of Houghton College.
1979 Demolition of Bedford Gymnasium
1981 Dedication of the Nielsen physical
education center
1983 The year of the centennial
1985 Accreditation reaffirmed by Middle
State Association
1986 South Hall dormitory, housing 140
students, completed. Townhouses built at
West Seneca Campus.
1987 Gaoyadeo dormitory demolished. Fancher Hall relocated to present site.
1988 Stevens Art Studios dedicated. Demolition of Woolsey Hall.
1989
Dedication
of the
1991 The
Program for Accelerating College Education (P.A.C.E.) for adult students added.
1995
Accreditation
reaffirmed by Middle States Association.
Constructed new home for the president; Randall
and Leonard Houghton townhouses
1996
Constructed
first
1997
Constructed
second
1998
Demolished
Gillette House and the old Fine Arts Building
Installed all-weather outdoor track; soccer,
auxiliary soccer, and field hockey fields; parking and tennis courts
Started construction of Center for the Arts.
1999 Margaret Bush Greenhouse constructed
Nielsen Physical Education Center is refaced
Dedicated the Center for the Arts
Demolished old music building
Hazlett townhouses on Leonard Street constructed
Began Library renovations
Dining Hall servery renovated
2000 Library
renovations completed
Houghton Creek bridge razed and replaced with aluminum
structure
Periodic Review Report (PRR) approved by Middle States
2001 Perkins Townhouses on Leonard Street
constructed
Chapel upgraded for accessibility
2002 Former Edwards home purchased and
demolished
Paine Science Center upgraded for accessibility
Apartments (Flats) constructed adjacent to townhouses
Lambein Residence Hall refurbished and updated
1.7
Institutional goals and objectives
In support of the
college's mission statement, a list of institutional goals has been
developed. These goals have been
accepted and approved by the president and the trustees.
1.7.1 General administration goal
Houghton College will develop its programs and policies in a manner that preserves our longstanding tradition of academic and spiritual excellence, while at the same time endeavoring to be flexible and creative in meeting the challenges of an ever‑changing society.
1.7.1.2 General administration objectives
a) To oversee the formation and implementation of institutional goals, objectives, and courses of action by regular meetings with the President's Advisory Board and other administrative offices on campus.
b) To continue to improve planning, management, and evaluation in order to ensure the maintenance of effective and efficient administrative services.
c) To maintain the college's participation in consortia and other affiliations that assist the institution in achieving common goals and increasing the effective use of available resources.
d) To develop, enhance, and evaluate institution‑wide procedures which allow students, staff, faculty, and administrators on both the main and the suburban campuses to make contributions through the President's Advisory Board to institutional planning.
e) To develop, introduce, and implement processes by which Houghton College can act and react more appropriately, more quickly, and more responsibly to changes in the external environment.
f) To include current evaluation and self‑study activities into an overall coherent effort.
g) To provide adequate computer support for all institutional functions.
h) To provide opportunities and resources for professional development of staff, faculty, and administrators through special seminars, workshops, training programs, graduate studies, and other avenues.
1.7.2 Academic goal
Building upon the
tradition of a liberal arts education, Houghton College will endeavor to
develop professional and pre‑professional curricula that combine the
skills needed for a future career with the doctrines and values of the
Christian faith, thus creating a community where scholarship and service to the
global community are combined in focus.
1.7.2.1 Academic objectives
a) To maintain and improve the quality of liberal arts education through curricular and co‑curricular activities that develop the whole person, establish a sound foundation for life‑long learning, equip students for professional and vocational competence, and promote Christian maturity.
b) To establish, revise, and maintain academic programs which preserve the strong liberal arts tradition and maintain the central Christian heritage of the institution and which are responsive to current and projected individual and societal needs, and to conduct periodic reviews of all areas of the curriculum.
c) To conduct an appropriate, balanced academic program based on the stated mission of Houghton College which reflects the realities of the general college financial picture and prudent forecasts, and which includes sound and prompt academic development, revision, or deletion as needed.
d) To strengthen and expand opportunities which promote the development of the Christian scholar‑servant through greater emphasis on service and personal commitment.
e) To strengthen and expand opportunities to provide greater post-secondary opportunities for the non‑ traditional student, especially at the West Seneca Campus.
f) To establish, revise, and maintain the resource centers within the academic disciplines.
g) To improve college academic‑support programs, resources, and instructional services through a program to identify problems, clarify goals, and introduce needed changes.
h) To provide regular, appropriate opportunities for the free exchange of ideas among faculty members.
i) To provide for all students the opportunity for a thorough grounding in the creative and performing arts.
j) To create and sustain a learning environment in which an international perspective is fostered and encouraged.
k) To establish and sustain programs that present opportunities to learn in an urban setting, reflecting the nation's shift away from its rural roots.
l) To develop and promote the study and application of Christian ethics in personal, social, and professional dimensions.
m) To provide commendable pre‑professional field experiences and to fully prepare students who so elect to enter directly into professional service.
1.7.3 Student services goal
Houghton College will
endeavor to develop the whole person by providing a co‑curricular
environment that enhances the process of learning for all students and provides
the needed support for those individuals with specialized needs.
1.7.3.1 Student services objectives
a)
To
retain and serve all qualified students to the college.
b)
To
maintain and improve opportunities for access to the benefits of the college to
students without regard to sex, race, color, physical handicap, national
origin, or age.
c)
To
provide a comprehensive program of personal counseling, career counseling, and
academic advisement services to accommodate the needs of each student.
d)
To
provide a comprehensive student learning skills assistance center which will
help make it possible for each student to attain maximum benefits from the
college experience.
e)
To
strengthen and expand opportunities which promote the development of the
Christian scholar‑servant through greater emphasis on service and personal
commitment.
f)
To
provide a quality student life program that contributes to an environment which
supports each individual's efforts to attain Christian maturity and to achieve
academic, social, and career goals.
g)
To
promote an integrated, participative program of health and physical development
(including intramural and intercollegiate athletics), involving all appropriate
college programs, facilities, and personnel.
h)
To
conduct chapel/convocation and small‑group programs which will promote
the worship of God and the purposes of the Houghton College community.
1.7.4 Outreach and public service goal
Houghton College will promote and use its resources to benefit its several constituencies and to demonstrate its commitment to service for others.
1.7.4.1 Outreach and public service objectives
a)
To
provide Christian performing groups, programs, educational services for the
church‑at‑large including The Wesleyan Church.
b)
To
develop a mutually supporting relationship between the college and the Houghton
Alumni Association through selected activities and programs.
c)
To
be a service center to the community and to offer or encourage programs and
ministries which are responsive to the intellectual, spiritual, personal,
cultural, economic, and social needs of residents of the region.
d)
To
increase public awareness and support in this region of Houghton College and
its programs through publications, presentations, and other promotional
activities.
e)
To
encourage Houghton alumni, friends, and other church and parachurch
organizations to use college facilities for conferences and special programs.
f)
To
identify, recruit, and enroll academically qualified students who accept the
mission and goals of Houghton College.
1.7.5 Resource acquisition goal
Houghton College will
develop funding to provide facilities and support programs for its educational
activities.
1.7.5.1 Resource acquisition objectives
a)
To
increase current unrestricted gift support by at least the rate of inflation
each year.
b)
To
increase student financial aid so that students from all economic strata will
be able to attend.
c)
To
conduct a planned program to increase the college's endowment and other
restricted funds.
d)
To
acquire funds as necessary to replace, upgrade, or add to campus physical facilities.
e)
To
increase the number of prospective individual, corporate, and foundation
donors.
f)
To
increase the number and amount of revocable and irrevocable planned gifts.
1.7.6 Resource management goal
Houghton College will
exercise careful stewardship of its finances and physical facilities.
1.7.6.1 Resource management objectives
a)
To
operate Houghton College under a fiscal plan that is based on a mission‑driven
balanced annual budget.
b)
To
provide, equip, and maintain physical facilities that are fully adequate to
support the college's academic and co‑curricular programs.
c)
To
replace or upgrade campus physical plant facilities as needed.
d)
To
achieve and sustain an aesthetically pleasing physical appearance of all
college facilities.
e)
To
eliminate non‑self‑amortized indebtedness as rapidly as
possible.
f)
To
provide institutionally funded financial aid to expand educational
opportunities for academically‑ qualified students, achieve educational
excellence, and improve operating revenue.
(Approved
December 1988)
1.8
Strategic Goals: 2003-2008
(These
goals were approved by the Trustees, May, 2003)
1.9 Professional
attitudes and practices
". . . you are no
longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members
of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with
Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy
temple in the Lord. And in him you too
are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his
Spirit." Ephesians 2:19‑22
"One Lord, one
faith, one baptism; one God and Father of us all, who is over all and through
all and in all. But to each one of us
grace has been given as Christ apportioned it." Ephesians
4:4‑7
A college is a
collection of students, faculty, staff and administrators. Evident within a college should be the
qualities of cohesiveness, interdependence, and constructive attitude. Even though the individuals may be highly
dissimilar in personalities and preferences, there is a common commitment to
the mission of the institution and to the goals and objectives of its
interrelated programs.
Faculty members are
significant and highly visible members of the college community due to their
academic credentials, their power to grade and evaluate, and their role as
professors. Because of this, a member of
the Houghton College faculty cannot avoid being a conspicuous model both to
colleagues and to students. Here are
some items that merit consideration:
1.9.1 General concept
In a community of
Christian scholars, a written expression of professional ethics may be
superfluous. Furthermore, a detailing of
ethical decisions for all situations is a practical impossibility. However, because of varied backgrounds and
experience of the Houghton faculty, a statement of agreement seems to be
required. Recognizing that individual
efforts arising from real Christian concern may be misinterpreted, this
statement of attitudes and practices has been created to promote mutual
understanding. From understanding should
spring the appreciation and respect that befits Houghton professionals.
No statement such as
this can be a complete discussion of ethical responsibilities for Houghton
faculty, and this fact is readily recognized.
Therefore, the faculty must constantly ‑‑ individually and
as a body ‑‑ seek guidance in the Word of God.
1.9.2 Personal loyalty
This loyalty should
extend to the administration and the institution. The employment arrangement is a mutual one,
involving both duties and responsibilities.
Disagreement with particular policies, procedures, or positions is not
unexpected, but the manner and place in which these disagreements are expressed
can be either constructive or destructive.
In a democratic society, the expressed will of the majority is commonly
accepted. Therefore, when matters are
decided by majority vote, unwillingness to accept and then support that
decision is disruptive.
Acting in a professional
manner includes acceptance of one's individual responsibility to perform duties
indirectly related to teaching, such as attendance at chapel, faculty and
committee meetings, and related assignments.
The teacher does not
punch a time clock. If he or he is a
true professional, she or he will not be seeking ways to turn in a minimal
performance but will exhibit a willingness to go far beyond this. Peripheral interests must be kept in proper
proportion so as not to interfere with the prime commitment to academic
pursuits. Time spent, rather than
monetary considerations, is a better measure of whether such pursuits present a
serious intrusion on the primary job responsibilities.
In the belief that all
faculty members have come together at Houghton as a result of God's leading and
direction, each must respect the integrity of the others' commitment to Christ,
although the working out of this commitment as specific service may vary
according to individuals. Room must be
left for individuality within the framework of basic agreement on the purpose
of Houghton as a Christian college of the liberal arts. The danger lies in allowing individuality to
foster dissention. One way that this can
come about is through questioning the intellectual honesty and integrity of
another faculty member. Others must be
free to express views differing from one's own without having their
intelligence or spirituality disparaged before other faculty members or
students. It is possible to belittle
another person's views by open criticism, or by ridicule or sarcasm in the tone
of voice used, with the latter sometimes being the more devastating. Dealing with ideas, especially when they are
of a controversial nature, should be done apart from the personalities of those
holding the ideas.
1.9.3 Relational aspects
Each faculty member is expected to have a high regard for the discipline in which (s)he is teaching, but this loyalty to one's own teaching area should not include belittling other disciplines. Students are ill served by the kind of competition that attempts to recruit students to its area without regard first and foremost for the best interest of the student. Such a provincialism is the antithesis of the spirit that should prevail on the liberal arts campus, where all the disciplines are included with the purpose of achieving a broad under standing of the world within a Christian framework.