Houghton College will expand to Utica, New York, beginning next year. Dean Connell believes the new program, which he says will mirror the off campus program already established in Buffalo, will allow Houghton to reach the heavy immigrant population in Utica. The program is expected to begin in the fall of 2017.
Students of the Utica program will have the opportunity to graduate with an Associates of the Arts degree under the leadership of Mark Caruana as Dean of Houghton College Utica. Dean of the college, Jack Connell, is confident the program will distinguish itself “through the curriculum that is high quality and profoundly Christian, the faith commitment of the faculty and staff, the nurturing Christian community that is formed around the students, and by the spiritual formation opportunities (such as chapel) that will be provided.” Connell said the school as a whole “benefits because we are extending our mission in a way that’s beautifully consistent with our historic desire to educate students from a variety of backgrounds, including those whose resource limitations create barriers to enrolling.”
The college has also updated its online education offerings, now promoting three full degree programs entirely online. Potential students can now obtain degrees in psychology, business, and communication studies through the online education program. Paul Young, chair of the psychology department, recognizes the needs of individuals who choose to study online. He stated,“Not everybody can take the time out of their life to go to college. Not everybody can afford to go to a residential college.” Still, people who cannot go away for college still show interest in a Christian education according to Marlene Collins-Blair, Associate Dean of Distance Education. She remarked, “Because most of our students are working adults, I have often wondered ‘Do they really care that it’s Christian?’ And they actually do.” She recalled a specific case in which an online student spoke on how “the way that Houghton has allowed her to see the same things that she’s been taught at work has been huge for her”.
Young explains that since students from the online program will not benefit from most on-campus opportunities and because Houghton needs to be competitive with other, similar offers of an online education, the tuition rates for the online programs will be significantly lower However, Young pointed out “They’re not using classroom space. They’re not using recreational facilities. They don’t get to play Frisbee on the quad. You know, all the things that increase expense to make the on campus experience the Houghton College experience.”
However, the faculty designing the online programs were intentional about bringing the spirit of Houghton into the online programs. Young explained the psychology program makes frequent use of online forums and video chats to maintain interactions between students, even as they are in their separate homes. The class sizes will also be kept small, never going over twenty students, and will require discussion through online forums. Young remarked “I suspect there are classes at Houghton where at the end of the class you don’t even know everybody’s name and that’s not likely to happen in these.”
Additionally, Collins-Blair spoke on how the new online programs will continue the reputation of Houghton education, stating “It’s still high touch, it’s still high quality.”