2020-21 University news

Retiring trustee Lawrence E. Milan ’73, retiring vice president for advancement Dr. Hans Houshower, President Dr. Jane Woods and retiring trustee James T. Sommer ’68.

Dr. Wood reappointed

The Bluffton Board of Trustees reappointed Dr. Jane Wood as president; reviewed plans for the Knowlton Science Center; and completed diversity, equity and inclusion training.


Strength and conditioning

Strength and conditioning

Bluffton University's strength and conditioning program is now an approved and recognized program through the National Strength & Conditioning Association's (NSCA) Education Recognition Program (ERP).


Members of Bluffton's first Digital Music class

Digital music album

"B-Verb" features 13 tracks from 13 student composers from Bluffton's first Digital Music class. "We are really excited about this album. There's a song for everybody on it."


Five faculty and staff members completed the Building Cultural Competencies within Organizations certification program

Cultural competency training

Five faculty and staff members completed the Building Cultural Competencies within Organizations certification program. The program is designed to strengthen awareness and understanding about diversity and inclusion.


Five nursing students graduated from Northwest State Community College and are ready to begin BSN courses at Bluffton.

Nursing students

Five Bluffton nursing students graduated from Northwest State Community College with associate degrees. As a dual-degree program, nursing majors must complete foundational nursing classes before completing their BSN at Bluffton.


Faculty Members

Faculty Grants

Faculty members were recognized at an academic year-end event honoring faculty who have been awarded grants, sabbaticals and other scholarly endeavors.


Five corporate and church partnerships have been established since January 2021.

Bluffton develops partnerships

Bluffton continues to grow its network of Corporate Partnerships. The university has entered into 3-year agreements with four new Corporate Partners since January.


Service to students recognized

Service to students recognized

Long-serving employees were recognized for their commitment to students during a faculty and staff recognition luncheon. Employees, reaching five-year to 35-year milestones, were celebrated.


Emily Dienstberger and Meredith Myers

Scholarships

Emily Dienstberger and Meredith Myers have been awarded the full-tuition Presidential Scholarship, valued at nearly $140,000 for four years.


New business administration concentrations are available in two growing and in-demand fields; project management and supply chain management.

New concentrations

New business administration concentrations are available in two growing and in-demand fields; project management and supply chain management.


Profit into peace

Profit into peace

Olivia Tennefoss '21 won the annual C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest with a speech celebrating the way small-town entrepreneurship builds peace and well-being.


2021 graduates process into Salzman Stadium

2021 Commencement

"It's not your responsibility to solve all of the world's problems, but neither can you ignore them," challenged 2021 Commencement speaker Lawrence E. Milan '73.


Bluffton's new degree-completion program for its nationally accredited social work major is designed for working adults.

Degree completion

Bluffton's nationally accredited social work major is now available through a degree-completion program designed for working adults. Classes will begin Aug. 4, 2021.


Academic excellence

Academic excellence

Bluffton University recognized many of its top students for their academic achievements at the 2021 Academic Awards and Honors Forum.


Patrick Spillman and Abigail Newkirk were named the 2021 athletes of the year

Athletic awards

Bluffton recognized Patrick Spillman and Abigail Newkirk, standout senior athletes in men's and women's soccer, as the 2021 athletes of the year.


Reading endorsement

Reading endorsement

Teachers seeking to advance their careers can fast-track their plans by enrolling in Bluffton's summer reading endorsement program.


New for fall 2021-22

Ambassador program

Bluffton will launch the President's Ambassador Program in the fall. Select students will assist recruit prospective students, welcome campus guests, and engage alumni and donors.


Vaccination clinic

Vaccination clinic

Bluffton University will partner with Bluffton Hospital to offer on-campus vaccination clinics for current students on April 9 and 12.


Spring Spiritual Life Week guest speaker, Dr. Drew Hart

"Good Trouble"

Dr. Drew Hart led conversations exploring the need for "Getting Into Good Trouble" during Spring Spiritual Life Week.


Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan Jr.

Keeney Peace Lecture

Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan Jr. called on individuals to "courageously use their resources, platforms and privilege to disrupt and dismantle policies that discriminate and decimate."


Swimming and Diving Head Coach Ben Rath

Head coach named

Ben Rath will serve as Bluffton's first head men's and women's swimming and diving coach, an intercollegiate program to start in the 2021-22 academic year.


2021 commencement speaker Lawrence Milan '73

Commencement 2021

Health care executive, Lawrence E. Milan, a 1973 Bluffton graduate, will address the 2021 graduating class during the May 8 Commencement ceremony at Salzman Stadium.


Design Your Life certified coach Dr. LaShonda Gurley

Certified coach

Dr. LaShonda Gurley, Director of the Center for Career and Vocation at Bluffton University, has been named a Design Your Life certified coach.


Dr. George Lehman, emeritus professor of business, will share his expertise in Emotional Intelligence in the workplace with area businesses.

EQ training

Dr. George Lehman, professor emeritus of business, will provide training on emotional intelligence (EQ) in the workplace, beginning with a free virtual session through the Lima-Allen County Chamber of Commerce.


Transfer-friendly

Bluffton was named to the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society's 2021 Transfer Honor Roll in recognition of the dynamic ways the university supports transfer students.


New Trustee Bethny Ricks '06

Winter meeting

The Board of Trustees welcomed Bethny Ricks as a new at-large member, discussed current business and granted three sabbaticals for the 2021-22 academic year.


Athletic announcement

Spectators allowed

Starting Friday, Feb. 12, Bluffton will allow on-campus spectators (students, faculty and staff, who are a part of the daily campus community) for all remaining home games for indoor sports.


New corporate and education partnerships established since fall 2020.

Corporate Partnerships

Bluffton has entered into 3-year Corporate Partner or Education Partner agreements with five companies and four school districts since fall 2020, providing tuition discounts to their employees.


Bluffton University will add swimming and diving as an intercollegiate sport for the 2021-22 academic year. The search for a head coach is underway.

New sport added

Bluffton University will add swimming and diving as an intercollegiate sport for the 2021-22 academic year. The search for a head coach is underway.


Soloists for the 2020 Bluffton University performance of Handel's

Soloists announced

Bluffton's music department has announced the soloists for its 125th performance of Handel's "Messiah," at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, via livestream.


Jessica Lovell has earned the Beaver-Falcon MAcc Scholarship, a Bluffton-Bowling Green partnership that includes a full-tuition award plus a paid graduate assistantship.

MAcc scholarship

Jessica Lovell, a senior from Grove City, Ohio, is Bluffton University's ninth recipient of a full scholarship to Bowling Green State University's Master of Accountancy program.


Chad Stearns ’00 and Cody Ridenour ’08, co-owners of Modo Media, video new footage for the

"Messiah" retrospective

Instead of recording a traditional concert to be viewed online for Bluffton's 125th performance of Handel's "Messiah", the music department teamed up alumni music majors to develop a mini-documentary.


Virtual pedagogy

Virtual pedagogy

Bluffton University is offering a graduate-level course on creating quality learning experiences for K-12 remote classrooms, Jan.11-Feb. 26, 2021.


Even most of the rehearsals have taken place on Zoom.

Virtual fall play

"All of the plays are written for Zoom and they've been written since March. They capture the little dramas that are being communicated through these boxes on our screens."


New Trustees Annette (Althaus '89) Heslep and Lynn (Woeste '94) Carpenter

Fall board meeting

The Board of Trustees discussed the Bluffton's strategic plan and welcomed new members Lynn (Woeste '94) Carpenter and Annette (Althaus '89) Heslep at its fall meeting.


Cast Lists for Virtual Fall Plays

Cast Lists for Virtual Fall Plays

Bluffton University theatre will present five short plays for their fall performance collectively titled "Alone, Together," during three virtual viewing opportunities, Oct. 29-Nov. 1.


Farm to Table Harvest Dinner

2020 Harvest Dinner

Bluffton University Nutrition Association (BUNA) will host its annual Harvest Dinner on Friday, Nov. 6. The event will be held in a drive-thru format this year.


Virtual Family Nights

Virtual Family Nights

Bluffton University admissions invites high school aged students and their families to participate in a Virtual Family Night in the Fall of 2020.


Kai Smith represented Bluffton in a state-wide roundtable discussion.

ODHE Roundtable

Kai Smith '22 represented Bluffton in a roundtable discussion with Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. College students from across the state shared how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting their lives and education.


Best Graduate School

Bluffton University was recognized by "Ohio Business" magazine's 2020 Best in Ohio Business Awards for Best Graduate School Program.


Enrollment grows

Enrollment grows

Bluffton's undergraduate enrollment numbers are on the rise for the 2020-21 academic year. A solid incoming class combined with successful retention efforts account for a 21-student increase over 2019-20 enrollment.


U.S. News & World Report

The "U.S. News & World Report" has again named Bluffton to the top tier of Midwest "regional colleges," and as a Best Value School and Top Performer in Social Mobility.


Dr. Jonathan Andreas

Economics of COVID

Using unemployment data, polls from economists and graphs charting changes in GDP, Dr. Jonathan Andreas described a recession that evolved more quickly than one ever experienced in the U.S.


As a scholar of ancient biblical texts, Dr, Jackie Wyse Rhodes focused on three books from the Old Testament in her Forum presentation, “Deserving Happiness: A Wisdom Conversation.”

Civic Engagement Forum

As a scholar of ancient biblical texts, Dr. Jackie Wyse-Rhodes focused on three books from the Old Testament - Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes - in the Civic Engagement Forum "Deserving Happiness: A Wisdom Conversation."


Eric Kurtz, MCC Great Lakes, presented the 2020 Opening Convocation address.

Opening convocation

"With all of the issues of our day... it is painfully clear that individual actions are not enough. We will only get through this by working together," challenged Eric Kurtz, MCC Great Lakes.


Musselman Library

Safe return to campus

Bluffton students begin fall classes on Aug. 17. While some campus events will continue for students, events and facilities will be closed to off-campus guests for at least fall semester.


Corporate and Education Partnerships provide tuition discounts to local business employees.

Enhancing the region

Corporate Partner and Education Partner programs provide benefit-eligible employees and their families a 20 percent tuition discount on undergraduate, degree-completion and master's degree programs.


2020 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee

DEI Committee

A newly-formed committee will work to support all aspects of diversity, equity and inclusion on campus. Its initial focus will be to increase support for Black students, faculty and staff.


Seasons for Bluffton University golf, cross country and track and field will resume on schedule this fall.

Beaver athletics return

The safer return to athletics plan includes competition opportunities for all teams. For some teams this means a spring conference game schedule. For other teams, there will be no changes to the schedule.


The achievements of Bluffton University’s class of 2020 were celebrated Saturday, July 18, 2020, during a socially-distanced, in person Commencement at Salzman Stadium.

2020 Commencement

Dr. David Yost '83, CDC consultant, addressed the 2020 Bluffton University graduating class during a socially-distanced, in person Commencement at Salzman Stadium.


Board of Trustees

Board of Trustees

During the spring 2020 meeting, Trustees discussed the implementation of the university's newly developed strategic plan, taking action on return to campus plans and reviewing increased diversity and inclusion efforts.


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