Houghton College
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| Established | 1883 |
|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| President | Dr. Shirley Mullen |
| Undergraduates | 1,200 |
| Location | Houghton, New York, United States |
| Campus | Rural |
| Nickname | Highlanders |
| Affiliations | Wesleyan |
| Website | http://www.houghton.edu/ |
Houghton College is a 4-year Christian liberal arts college, operated by the Wesleyan Church. Houghton's main rural campus is in the Genesee Valley of southwestern New York (Houghton, New York), and a secondary suburban campus is in West Seneca, New York, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It also has campus extensions in the Adirondacks State Park of New York, Australia, Tanzania, and London, England.
Houghton began as Houghton Seminary, offering high school-level work, in 1883, and began offering college level classes in 1899. The founder was Willard J. Houghton, a Wesleyan Methodist minister. It was chartered as a liberal arts college by New York State in 1923 and accredited by the Middle States Association of School and Colleges in 1935.
The school offers baccalaureate degrees in 48 fields. In 2005, the first graduates of the MA program for music were recognized. The student body is interdenominational, with recent demographics showing 10% of the students as a part of the Wesleyan church.
The sports teams are the Highlanders. Houghton fields teams in men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, women's field hockey and volleyball, and co-ed track and cross country. Most of the teams have enjoyed some degree of success, with the women's soccer team reaching the NAIA National Tournament six times since 1998, including three-straight trips.
Houghton College is a member of the Christian College Consortium.
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[edit] Academics
Houghton College grants two-year and four-year degrees in forty-six majors. The college has fifteen academic departments: Art, Biology, Business and Economics, Chemistry, Education, English and Communication, Foreign Languages and Linguistics, History and Political Science, Integrative Studies, Mathematics and Computer Science, the Greatbatch School of Music, Physical Education/Exercise Studies and Recreation/Leisure, Physics and Earth Science, Psychology and Sociology, and Religion and Philosophy.
In 2003, the college began accepting students for a graduate program in music offering the Master of Music (MMus) and Master of Arts in Music (MA) degrees. Two additional graduate programs, in Religion/Theology and Education, are projected to begin in 2007. Also, in 2007 or 2008, a screenwriting program will also be added for a BA degree
[edit] Campus Life
The majority of the College's students live in College-owned housing. There are two dormitories for female students, Gillette (formerly East Hall) and Lambein, while the men live in Rothenbuhler (formerly South Hall) and Shenawana. The college also owns numerous townhouses and a building of flats.
Students also have the opportunity to apply to live in approved off-campus housing, called Community Living Opportunities (CLOs). This option is generally open only to Juniors, Seniors and Super Seniors, and a limited number of spots in the program are available. Super Seniors (those students with over 120 credits) automatically qualify for CLO housing.
Numerous student groups are active on the campus in all areas of interest. Some of these include: Allegany County Outreach, the Boulder, the Star, the Intercultural Student Association, Clown Ministry, College Republicans, Habitat for Humanity, Gadfly Society, Equestrian Club, Evangelicals for Social Action, Dayspring, Swim Club, Climbing Club, Global Christian Fellowship, and Youth for Christ. The college also provides both interscholastic and intramural athletics.
[edit] Athletics
The Houghton Highlanders field 10 varsity teams. The women are able to participate in soccer, basketball, field hockey, volleyball, track, and cross country. The teams provided for the men are soccer, basketball, track, and cross country.
[edit] Historical Personages and Alumni
Stephen W. Paine served as president of the college for thirty-five years. He taught classical languages in addition to his duties as president. When he became president in 1937 he was twenty-eight years old, making him the youngest head of a college in the U.S. at the time.
The Ortlip family is responsible for most of the artistic heritage of the college. H. Willard Ortlip was a benefactor of the college, and together with his wife Aimée was responsible for the historic mural in the foyer of the campus chapel. Several Ortlip family members have taught art and painting at the college over the years, and the new art gallery on campus is named for the Ortlips.
[edit] Presidents of the College
- James S. Luckey, 1908-1937
- Stephen W. Paine, 1937-1972
- Wilber Dayton, 1972-1976
- Daniel R. Chamberlain, 1976-2006
- Dr. Shirley Mullen, 2006-present
