Central Christian College of Kansas proudly announces the launch of its record $12.5 million capital funds campaign, Preparing The Way – Transforming Lives. This is the largest fundraising campaign that Central has launched to date. This campaign targets five key areas on the Central Christian campus: an outdoor athletic complex, two residential units, Presidential Opportunity Challenge (POC) scholarships, expansion of the dining facility, and the annual funds during this three-year long campaign.
“We are excited by the positive changes that have occurred on the Central campus in the past several years,” says President Hal Hoxie, “but for us to provide a continuous quality of excellence in academics and athletics, it’s important that we grow in meeting the needs of our increasing student population. This effort will bring even more positive changes to our campus – as well as a strong economic impact to our community.”
Central’s new outdoor athletic complex will provide the ability to host outdoor (collegiate, intramural, and community) athletic events and maximize Central’s community impact through top-of-the-line athletic camps and community sports leagues. The complex will include a high-level viewing area, two locker rooms, a large new weight room, and storage for the soccer, track & field and new lacrosse teams.
The new residential units will allow Central to redefine capacity and raise its growth ceiling. For the past decade, the residential units have consistently teetered around max capacity – often between 85 to 90 percent. The natural consequence for such volume is a fundamental limitation of growth potential, subsequently creating a metronome of progression and loss. By adding two new 80-bed, condo-style units, it will enhance the student satisfaction – which helps with student retention – and provides the necessary space for future growth.
Central’s dining room expansion, located in the Broadhurst Student Center, will support the increased student population and allow for a pleasant dining experience for students and faculty. It will also provide McPherson with the largest catered dining facility in the area – opening the door to hosting more conventions and civic groups and ultimately increasing the economic impact for local vendors as well.
Central’s distinguished Presidential Opportunity Challenge program, a work-based operation, focuses on instilling vocational and life skills into students who have higher financial need — many of which would never be able to attend an institution like Central if it were not for this program. Students are expected to work 15-20 hours a week at either an on-campus or community-located job in McPherson. Grants and additional donations ($6,000 to properly fund the program) from foundations, alumni and other various donors are needed to cover student expenses in this program.
Central Christian College of Kansas is a private, four-year college that offers more than 40 academic programs – some of which are the only one-of-its-kind in the state. It has 12 athletic programs consisting of 18 men’s and women’s teams, including new programs such as wrestling and lacrosse. Central has more than 300 traditional students living on campus, and it offers degrees to more than 800 online and non-traditional students, as well as high school students seeking advanced education through Central’s dual-credit program.
For more information concerning the Preparing The Way – Transforming Lives campaign, visit the campaign website at preparingtheway.centralchristian.edu or contact the Central Christian College of Kansas Advancement Office.
