Counselors Do Their Homework at Huntington College

Huntington, Ind.- Scores of educators will take to the road this summer to broaden their knowledge of Indiana's independent colleges and universities. About eighteen - mostly high school guidance counselors - will visit Huntington College on Tuesday, June 23, as part of the Campus Tour Program of the Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI).

While high school students are enjoying their summer vacation, those who help them choose and prepare for college are inspecting labs and other facilities, talking with faculty and students, and sampling life on campus.

Tour participants will arrive at Huntington College at 10 a.m. and be welcomed by Jeff Berggren, dean of enrollment. The educators will then form small groups to tour the campus, led by current Huntington College students. At 11:30, participants will meet at the Habecker Dining Commons for lunch with HC faculty. Faculty will describe important developments in Huntington's academic programs, offer insights about the Christian college's unique campus culture, and describe HC students' opportunities for personal, intellectual, and spiritual growth.

The goal of the Campus Tour Program is to help educators assist their students in finding the college or university which best matches their abilities, needs and preferences. That match is one key to success in college, according to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI), which sponsors the Campus Tour Program. "It is essential to find the right 'fit' between student and institution," says ICI President T.K. Olson. "This program helps educators get a feel for each college - its campus culture, as well as academic strengths and student profile - to help students determine which college is right for them."

Participants in the 1997 tour program agree. "It was an excellent opportunity to learn what we need to know to help students make 'good' choices," said Alice Gillis, who teaches at Lewis Cass Junior/Senior High School in Walton. In addition to guidance counselors, teachers and administrators are invited to participate in the tours. The program is open to educators at high schools, middle schools and high schools throughout Indiana.

Funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment, the Campus Tour Program is in its second year. This summer, the program visits all 31 ICI member institutions in a series of five, three-day tours by motor coach.