from Kevin J. Jean, Vice President of Institutional Advancement
May 10, 2008
For 160 years, Geneva College has shaped the lives of students and been a light for Christ in the community and the world. God has greatly blessed this institution, and used it to transform lives, both in the college and in the surrounding community. But as Geneva works to fulfill its mission and meet the needs of both the campus and the local community, it must be able to grow, improve, and create an increasingly effective environment for students to live and learn.
Until very recently, Geneva College was divided by State Route 18, a major highway that curved directly through the center of campus. During rush hour each day, cars zoomed around the bend at an average of one every 4.1 seconds. An average of 16,000 cars, trucks, vans, and buses made their way through Geneva’s campus every day. In addition to making it dangerous for students to walk back and forth to class, their residence halls and even the cafeteria, the highway presented the college and community with a variety of limitations. Not only did the bend prevent the college from growing or building a well-defined campus entrance, but it also hampered the local economy by limiting trucking service to businesses in Beaver Falls.
After 60 years of campaigning by the college and local community, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation made plans to eliminate the notorious “S-bend” by rerouting State Route 18. Construction began in Fall 2006 and the highway was successfully diverted and re-opened in the fall of 2007.
The relocation of Route 18 created a unique opportunity for the college to make campus-wide improvements and renovations under the multi-faceted Beyond the Bend program. Beyond the Bend is Geneva’s campaign to raise $7.5 million to make improvements that will reshape its campus and create a unified, peaceful environment for student life and learning.
PennDot’s rerouting of State Route 18 improved traffic flow and made it safe for students to walk to class. The first phase of the Beyond the Bend construction unified the Geneva campus including a number of renovations to Geneva’s Reeves Field, including the relocation of the women’s softball field, the installation of state-of-the-art synthetic turf, new visitors bleachers, a new score board, new fencing, and a new north-end wall.
Phase II began in March 2008 and a number of projects are already underway. At Reeves Field, improvements include a new press box, front wall, and a veterans’ memorial courtyard. Other plans include a pedestrian mall and a number of campus beautification projects to make the campus a more pleasant environment for work, study, and recreation. A main campus entrance—consisting of an iron archway leading to an entry boulevard and roundabout flag plaza—will welcome students and visitors to Geneva and give the college a clearer presence in the community.
Beyond the Bend is just one of the many ways Geneva is striving to create a safe place for students and pave the way for campus growth and development. As we move into the 21st century and work to meet these goals, a variety of challenges continue to arise. Among these challenges are the needs to expand student housing, grow the endowment to assist students with financial need, build a facility to celebrate the visual and performance arts, and refurbish existing facilities.
God has been faithful to Geneva throughout our long history, and we believe and trust that He will carry us through whatever lies ahead. As we serve our students, the campus and the community, we are thankful for His continued blessings and for the continued support of alumni and friends of the college. Without the prayers and generosity of our many donors, projects such as Beyond the Bend would not be possible.
The funding for Geneva’s future is on the rise. The current project Beyond the Bend capital campaign is the focus of the development office at this juncture. Throughout the past four months the president of Geneva and the new vice president of development have secured more than 100 personal visits, which have in turn garnished more gifts for the Beyond the Bend campaign.
The donors, friends, and partners of Geneva have indeed affirmed the Beyond the Bend campaign in a positive and most generous way. We are all aware of the increases in the construction industry which have risen dramatically over the past twelve months; however, this has not produced an obstacle that the donors and friends of Geneva are not willing to overcome. The truth is we in the development office have witnessed, from our donors, friends and partners, an even greater determination to complete the Beyond the Bend campaign with excellence.
The president, vice president, trustees, faculty, students, donors and friends of Geneva College continue to believe that this campaign is laying the cornerstone for the future of Geneva’s campus. We stand ready to complete this campaign and to do so with exuberance. The $7.5 million is the amount equal to the initial campaign projections and the donations now exceed $7.3 million. The revised cost now stands at $9 million which does not include any additional components to Beyond the Bend, but merely the increased construction costs that have ballooned over the past twelve months. Please partner with us to secure the additional funding necessary to complete Beyond the Bend with excellence.
To contribute to Beyond the Bend or obtain additional information, please contact Kevin J. Jean at 724-847-6795.
