From the Gettysburg Approach to the faculty’s exploration of genAI to the creation of the Donna Jean Brogan Center for Quantitative Learning to our $2.4 million Wi-Fi upgrade, and so much more, there are few liberal arts colleges that have done more in a one-year span to position itself for the future than Gettysburg College.
It’s an observation shared by students and families, generations of alumni, and even top industry leaders and higher education experts. While our campus community has much to celebrate, we will not stand still.
Below are five additional initiatives that Gettysburg College students can anticipate for the 2024-25 academic year.
Renovated Paul Recital Hall
Nearly eight decades ago, Sidney Ehrhart ’50 witnessed his brother Richard ’46 perform as a member of the Gettysburg College Choir. The brothers’ deep relationship with their alma mater and our exceptional music program inspired Sid to make a $3 million gift this fall to establish The Ehrhart Family Scholarship and support renovations to Paul Recital Hall.
Renovations will include a large convex reflector positioned over the stage, greatly improving sound and communication quality; diffusion panels with angled acoustical tiles on the rear walls that will help eliminate wall echo; projective reflectors at the stage side wall opposite the windows, reducing sound buildup on stage; back-leaning, angled reflectors at the lower side walls to reduce sound buildup for an audience or rehearsing ensemble; and a mix of diffusion and felt on the wall opposite the windows for a mellower sound for all uses of the room.
“Ensembles rehearsing and performing from the stage will be able to hear one another much more clearly and be able to refine their performances to a much higher level without excessive strain,” said James Day, director of the Sunderman Conservatory of Music. “Audiences will be able to enjoy a much clearer performance, with text and polyphonic textures projecting to the back of the room, and large instrumental ensembles will be able to enjoy rehearsing without an overwhelming amount of reverberation, allowing them to refine their sound and balance more accurately.”
Expanded Teacher Certification Program
Gettysburg College is proud to expand its teacher certification program to disciplines beyond music education (preK-12), including biology (7-12 secondary), English (7-12 secondary), mathematics (7-12 secondary), and social studies (7-12 secondary).
The institution is an approved teacher education program by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. In addition to the teacher certification, Gettysburg students can also pursue an educational studies minor—a non-certificate program that can be completed alongside any study or major.
“Students prepared through our liberal arts and sciences tradition have a special niche in the classroom. Our students graduate with a breadth and depth of knowledge, as well as the critical thinking and reflection skills needed to make an immediate impact upon graduation. It’s a primary reason why we have such exceptional placement rates,” said Divonna Stebick, Director of Educational Studies and Director of Community Based Learning. “Especially in this moment when we are experiencing a national teacher shortage, Gettysburg College is pleased to step forward in response and expand this important program for our students.”
Game Lights at Musselman Stadium
Gettysburg College ranks No. 10 in the nation among liberal arts colleges for the “Best Athletic Facilities” by The Princeton Review—and our facilities are only getting better.
This summer, Gettysburg will construct new game lights at Musselman Stadium. The capital project is scheduled to be completed in August prior to the return of our fall athletic teams for preseason practice.
Football, field hockey, men’s lacrosse, and women’s and men’s track and field will all use the new lights for competition and practices. The lights will enhance the gameday experience for our student-athletes, families, and fans, as well as provide greater flexibility for game and practice scheduling and reduce safety concerns during daylight saving time.
A special thanks to our spirited and generous group of leadership donors—26 Gettysburg College alumni and families who championed this project and have now brought it to fruition: Jim Apple ’58, GP’20; Kyle ’96 and Jennifer ’95 Betty; David ’75, P’00 and Dorothy Brennan ’00; Chris ’89 and Karen ’90 Bright; Dave Bright ’60, P’89; Robert Bruns ’88; Majorie Burnett GP ’27; Chris Carr ’90, P’27; Michael and Bassima Delduchetto P’27; Amanda Dolan ’86; Braden Edwards ’90; Christopher and Wendolyn Hearn P’27; EJ ’91 and Cindy ’91 Johnson P’28; Earl ’88 and Katinka ’89 Kight; Christian and Kristen Limberg P’28; Scott Manneillo ’10; Charles and Jennifer Meyo P’27; Brock and Kristen Myers P’27; Patrick Pendergast ’99; Dan C. Polizzotti ’89 and Family; Jim Railey ’87; Stephen ’98 and Renata Raeder; Josh Reichert ’10; Craig Sabatino ’78; Sandra and Carter Sackman ’86; and David Tardio ’99.
Hosting First-Ever Night Football Game
With the construction of our new game lights at Musselman Stadium, Gettysburg College will host its first-ever night football game on Friday, October 4, against McDaniel College. This College-wide celebration will feature a campus tailgate, Bullets Marching Band halftime show, a donor recognition ceremony, and much more.
“We are excited to host the first-ever night football game on October 4. It will be a great opportunity to thank our donors who helped make this project possible, recognize the tremendous efforts and accomplishments of our student-athletes, and bring the whole Gettysburg campus community together for a fun evening to celebrate the Orange and Blue,” said Mike Mattia, Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation.
Enhanced Meal Plans
Building upon its No. 12 “Best Campus Food” Princeton Review ranking, Dining Services recently announced six new meal plans for the 2024-25 academic year: Unlimited Servo Entry (USE), Servo 16, Flexible 20, O&B 10, Flexible 12, and Apartment 7.
Dining Services is also taking steps to improve students’ dining experience by addressing crowd congestion in Servo. This will include relocating large groups of visitors to the Atrium and implementing other measures to streamline services and reduce wait times.
In addition to other updates, Dining Services intends to launch a new app in the fall that will allow students to build their own meal from the daily menu of nutritional analysis and avoid menu items containing allergens.
Photos by Abbey Frisco and David Sinclair
Posted: 05/09/24