General | 11/2/2020 11:03:47 AM
Dr. Shirley Mullen has shared her intention to complete her fifteen-year tenure as President of Houghton College at the conclusion of the 2020-2021 academic year. Mullen also served as chair of the Empire 8's Presidents Council from 2017-2020.
Dr. Mullen, the fifth president in the history of Houghton College, believes this timing allows for a smooth transition in leadership that will ensure continued momentum for the nationally ranked Christian liberal arts college with an enrollment of nearly 1,000 students.
“Given the successful conclusion of our $70 million IMPACT Campaign, including more than $41 million from alumni and friends designated for access and affordability, the launch of our 2021-2023 strategic plan, the strength of our senior leadership team, and the support of our Board of Trustees, Houghton College is well prepared to continue delivering our commitment to ‘Accelerate the Pace of Mission-Driven Change’ to meet the needs of today’s students over the course of their lifetime,” said Mullen.
Inspired by the words “Yours for fixing up this world,” which founder Willard J. Houghton used to sign his letters, Mullen has intentionally sought to cultivate Houghton College’s distinctive brand of Wesleyan education that emphasizes both personal and social restoration to God’s originally intended purposes for individuals and the world.
“The contemporary cultural climate often seems to require choosing between a commitment to social justice and a commitment to personal morality. Houghton College seeks to prepare graduates whose vision transcends the temporary categories of partisan politics to care about the full range of concerns that God cares about and whose training in the timeless habits and skills of a Christian liberal arts education assures their ongoing relevance and effectiveness in the everchanging marketplace of our time. Our graduates have the capacity to live in the ‘courageous middle’ and serve as the bridgebuilders, translators, and hosts who can convene and sustain productive conversations and bring together the Truth and the Grace that came in Jesus Christ,” Mullen said.
President Mullen’s leadership has led to significant advances for Houghton College, including
- implementing dramatic change in the Tuition Pricing Model to assure prospective students and their families that a Houghton education is obviously affordable, partnered with a renewed commitment to accessibility and affordability for learners of all ages through the expansion of Houghton College’s online and non-residential urban centers in Buffalo and Utica;
- improving curricular and co-curricular program offerings such as Engineering, Data Science, Criminal Justice, Master’s programs in Business Administration and Education, and a revived Pre-Law program including the creation of the Katherine W. Lindley Center for Law and Constitutional Studies and the commitment to Sustainability and Creation Care;
- initiating the move to NCAA Division III Athletics;
- enhancing facilities including Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex, Equestrian Event Center, 11-Acre Solar Panel Array and Alumni House as well as the renovation of the Paine Center for Science (including the Robert and Elizabeth Van Dyk Data Science Analytics Suite and the Dr. and Mrs. Edward Savolaine Science Honors Suite);
- strengthening programs in Advancement and External Engagement such as the annual One Day Giving Challenge, the 1883 Society to recognize annual giving, the James S. Luckey Society to recognize legacy giving, and the growth of endowment during the IMPACT campaign to fund 90 new student scholarships, the Shannon Summer Research Institute, the Horne-Blanchard Chair of Music and the Irwin Chair of Engineering, and the annual Kindschi Faith and Justice Symposium; and
- cultivating local and regional partnerships such as Leadership Allegany in cooperation with the County Chamber of Commerce, Allegany County United Way, and ENCORE—a dedicated effort to provide programming for local senior citizens.
The Board of Trustees will begin a presidential search immediately under the co-chairmanship of Board Chair John Lee and Carrie Whitcher and in partnership with Academic Search with the expectation that Houghton’s sixth president will take office on June 1, 2021.