Bluffton University has expanded its network of Corporate Partnerships by signing an agreement with GROB Systems, Inc.
“We are excited to grow and expand our connections both in Ohio and across the world,” said Jane Wood, president of Bluffton University. “One of the greatest strengths of our graduate programs is our cohort model where students interact with and learn from their peers. These new partnerships are a great way to increase the diversity of thought and experience among our students.”
Bluffton University will celebrate Homecoming and Alumni Weekend 2023 from Friday, Oct. 20 - Sunday, Oct. 22. Events will be open to all alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents and friends of the university. Along with cheering on the football, volleyball and swim teams, the Beavers will host alumni gatherings, an open house, food trucks, Beaver Tail-Gating and more.
Tickets for adults are $25 and tickets for children ages 5-17 are $15. Students and faculty/staff with current Bluffton ID will have access to Saturday’s activities for free.
Students who participated in spring 2023 short-term cross-cultural experiences spoke during Bluffton University’s Oct. 3 Forum in Yoder Recital Hall.
Experiences included a Civil Rights tour of key southern sites; a tour of Holocaust sites in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic; a medical service experience in Ecuador and a service experience in Kentucky/Appalachia with Mennonite Central Committee’s SWAP (Sharing with Appalachian People) program.
Jacob Buchanan, M’Della Moon endowed chair in botany and environmental science, will present the Colloquium, “The influence of environmental and biotic filters on prairie pothole community dynamics” at 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13 in Centennial Hall’s Stutzman Lecture Hall.
During the presentation, Buchanan will discuss a subset of his dissertation.
The prairie pothole region is a massive wetland complex in north-central North America. This region is characterized by gentle rolling hills dotted with millions of small wetlands called prairie potholes. These wetlands support aquatic insects and crustaceans adapted to a harsh climate and seasonal availability of surface water. Buchanan will discuss the relative influence of temperature, disturbance, organismal movements and predation on the behavior of these communities.
Bluffton University is seeing gains in areas such as out-of-state enrollment and graduate enrollment. The number of full-time students enrolled at Bluffton, including both undergraduate and graduate programs, is 664.
“Most higher education institutions are starting to see the effects of the ‘enrollment cliff’ that is predicted to be at its highest in 2025,” said Robin Bowlus, vice president of advancement and enrollment management. “I am glad to say despite this dip, Bluffton’s total enrollment has remained steady, with increases in many areas.”
During the annual State of the University Forum, President Jane Wood announced a major gift from the estate of an alumnus, explained how the state of each student directly impacts the state of the university and shared successes from the past year.
To a round of applause, President Wood revealed a $1.8 million unrestricted gift from the estate of John and Erma Stutzman. A 1950 graduate, John Stutzman was a urologist and lifelong Bluffton supporter.
Connecting the announcement to the main theme, Wood shared the verse Luke 12:48 “To whom much is given, much is expected,” while reminding students how, just as it did for the Stutzman’s, their college education can inspire a lifetime of learning, serving and giving back.
