By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer
PINEVILLE – Louisiana College president Rick Brewer credits God and GuideOne insurance for the $12 million of ongoing campus improvement projects that stem from an April 2015 hail storm.
Since late May, 17 of 18 school buildings have received new roofs, and some facilities have received interior upgrades.
Brewer calls all of the improvements a miracle.
“How all of this has unfolded is nothing short of God’s work,” Brewer said. “What began as the inspection of one hail-damaged roof led to the discovery of additional damage caused by an April storm, a year ago. We could not be more grateful for the consideration and cooperation of GuideOne insurance.”
Louisiana College contacted GuideOne insurance to request an inspection, which revealed the refurbishment would be rather costly but the insurer agreed to cover all the repairs.
Additionally, Campers on Mission, a national Christian fellowship, offered to do some repairs and updates in other areas of the campus.
They launched the first wave of construction, refurbishing a fountain near Alexandria Hall, the main administration building, and formed concrete steps close to a dormitory. They also painted numerous curbs, refinished doors on several buildings and repainted a residence hall.
Many of the campers who assisted with the May projects are retired and travel the state lending a hand as a way to do missions.
Their time spent on campus saved Louisiana College thousands of dollars.
Once Campers on Mission wrapped up their week in Pineville, professional workers began to reshape the campus even more.
Guinn Auditorium will receive the most improvements.
The building, used for chapel services, commencement exercises and other large gatherings, will receive a new roof, ceilings, walls, flooring and seating.
A construction worker looks down toward the sidewalk surrounding Guinn Auditorium. The work is part of ongoing campus improvement projects at Louisiana College.
SPRING 2018 DEADLINE
College officials are hopeful the improvements will be complete by spring 2018.
Cottingham Hall also received major exterior and interior work. Projects included new carpet in the lobbies, corridors and main entrance area; freshly painted walls; upgraded electrical power service; new wireless points for Internet service; new bathrooms; and, the replacement of two existing air-handling units, pumps and piping.
For students looking for enhanced entertainment options, a ‘lounge project’ in Tudor Hall offers seven flat screen televisions for gaming or syncing with their Bluetooth headphones to listen to a specific screen. There also are ports to charge cell phones and other hand-held devices.
The lounge also features a new movie room, complete with a large flat-panel television, theater-style seating and surround-sound audio.
The Office of Information Technology also will receive improvements to its system across campus, with new the installation of new communication lines, closets and cabling in the main building.
Alexandria Hall and the Church Hall Data Center also will have generators installed, allowing for continued operation of communication equipment in the event of a storm or a loss of power on campus.
“In addition to the work covered in the insurance claim we are pursuing external support for approximately $10 million of refurbishment/replacement work in Cavanaugh Hall, Tudor Hall, H.O. West and English Village,” Brewer said. “We are praying for prospective donors to step up and meet this need while the projects covered by GuideOne insurance are completed. The financial savings of work being completed concurrent with these other projects would produce significant economies of scale for LC.
“Current campus improvements coupled with an uptick in new student enrollment illustrate God’s faithfulness to the College,” said Brewer, “as we pursue LC’s vision for ‘Preparing Graduates and Transforming Lives.’”
Flurry of activity
Campus improvements mark one of many aspects of activity on campus.
The college announced Sept. 7 it had experienced an enrollment increase of 14.5 percent above the numbers for 2015, reversing a five-year negative trend.
Overall, 255 new freshmen and 61 transfer students enrolling for the fall.
This semester, 1,126 students are attending, a 1.5 percent gain overall compared to 2015, when enrollment was 1,109.
The school also has seen dormitory occupancy up by 6.5 percent and a spring-to-fall 2016 retention rate of 82 percent.
Since Brewer became president in April 2015, Louisiana College has undertaken a number of initiatives, including the formation of Board of Visitors, which has resulted in more than $135,000 raised for scholarships.
Established in September 2015, the 100 alumni, business owners and other professionals and friends of Louisiana College, who are a part of the Board of Visitors, have committed to give between $1,000 and $10,000 annually for four years. During their four-year commitment, the members also help students find internships, network for the college, contribute to development of additional financial sources and refer prospective students to the school.
Most recently, Louisiana College hosted its first-ever Values and Ethics Conference.
The Oct. 10 event drew more than 300 people who listened to experts speak about the design of the universe, current and future implications of biotechnology, and fundamentals regarding the sanctity and dignity of human life.
Guest speakers were C. Ben Mitchell, provost and academic vice president at Union University, Jackson, Tenn.; Doug Axe, founder of the Biologic Institute in Redmond, Wash.; and, Mary Keinzle, healthcare specialist and ethicist at Christus Cabrini Hospital.
“On behalf of all involved in the conference, I extend our deepest thanks to Christus Cabrini Hospital for underwriting the conference,” Brewer said. “Without such sponsorship, the hundreds who attended the conference, as well as those who watched online would not have been exposed to such scientific, scholarly and compassionate responses to bio-ethical and biological issues that have faced and will continue to confront the Christian community. We were enriched by these scholarly and stellar speakers, whose presentations were engaging, thought-provoking and encouraging.”
