Huntington University exceeds goal by $22M

Huntington University is pleased and humbled to announce that the Step Forward Comprehensive Campaign launched in the fall of 2014 has shattered all campaign goals and raised a total of $56,623,840. This is $22 million more than the original campaign goal, and it is the largest campaign in University history.

In 2014, the Huntington University Board of Trustees approved a comprehensive campaign of $34 million.

“For those of us in the room when that was decided, that was a large goal and frankly, a pretty daunting one,” said Tom Clounie, Advancement Committee chair. “And it had a ticking clock on it. We knew this campaign was intended to wrap up in 2022 as part of the University’s 125th birthday year.”

That $34 million figure included six capital projects and nine new academic program launches in addition to growing the endowment and scholarship funds. Prior to taking the campaign public, the campaign had already funded the 2015 renovations to Forest Glen Park, the 2016 construction of the new Welcome Center, and the 2017 completion of the Ware Plant Science Production Facility. Those three projects totaled $10.5 million, but that was only the beginning.

“Seeing the faithfulness of God in this campaign and the success of the campaign to date, in the fall of 2019, on the recommendation of the Board of Trustees, the Step Forward Campaign goal was increased to $40 million,” said Clounie.

Fast forward to today and the campaign results.

Since the fall of 2014, Huntington University has invested $7.9 million in capital projects, including

• New occupational therapy labs ($75K)
• Renovations at HU Arizona to create space for an entire OTD program location ($125K)
• The reconfiguration of the Nursing Lab in Dowden Science Hall ($300K)
• The Forest Glen renovations and new turf project ($1.3M)
• The reimagination of the student center (known as the HUB) ($4.3M)
• The construction of the Welcome Center as part of the Merillat Centre for the Arts ($800K)
• The Ware Plant Science Production Facility addition to Dowden Science Hall ($500K)
• The construction of the Don Strauss Animal Science Education Center ($1.2M)
• The relocation and renovation of the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) ($100K)
• The renovation of the RichLyn Library conference room and additional student study and seating locations throughout the Library ($100K)
• The reconfiguration and upgrades to the RichLyn Library classroom ($50K)
• The complete overhaul of the PLEX locker rooms ($100K)
• Upgrades to the King Stadium press box and soccer field improvements ($100K)
• The relocation and reconfiguration of the Institute for Christian Thought and Practice ($100K)
• Restroom and student lounge updates for Loew-Brenn Hall ($100K)
• The creation of the esports competition lab ($35K)
• New campus sidewalks, fire pits and concrete replacement ($150K)
• The expansion and upgrades to the Lake Sno-Tip piers ($75K)
• The updates to the sand volleyball court and construction of the pavilion ($50K)
• Roush Hall student lounge updates ($25K)
• New campus signage ($100K)
• The UB Launch renovation ($100K)

To put that in perspective, when this campaign launched, there were only six capital projects on the University’s radar. The above list contains 22 projects, each of them completed. As a comprehensive campaign, Step Forward surpassed additional campaign goals.

“The results of this campaign allow HU to move forward faster to accomplish the mission God has called us to do,” said Dr. Sherilyn Emberton, president of Huntington University. “God’s faithfulness to the University through challenging times and a global pandemic is beyond evident in this campaign, not only in the capital projects completed and the dollars raised, but more importantly in the lives impacted. Nearly 400 additional graduates earned HU degrees as a direct result of this campaign. That’s a powerful statement to the steps of faith taken by so many since 2014.”