Sisters gets a glimpse of Gutenberg College

Last updated Dec 21, 2010 12:0pm0

If there were any skeptics at a public meeting hosted by the City of Sisters and Gutenberg staff last week, they either stayed quiet or came away convinced.

The tiny Christian liberal arts school based in Eugene is seriously exploring a move to Sisters (see related story, page 25). School staff and students offered the Sisters community a chance to learn more about the college at a Thursday evening meeting at Sisters Library.

"I must admit that I was cynical when I went into the meeting with the Gutenberg College people, but after meeting with them I see absolutely no reason for any fear," said Lisa Clausen, owner of Sisters Movie House and a Sisters Business Attraction and Retention Team (SBART) committee member. "I walked into the meeting prepared for battle and I walked out of the meeting believing that Gutenberg would be very good for Sisters, and Sisters good for Gutenberg."

Newly minted economic development manager Mac Hay hosted the Eugene-based Christian college as they prepared to submit their application for conditional-use permit to the City of Sisters on December 17.

Gutenberg president David Crabtree indicated that there is no question about Gutenberg that they won't welcome and answer.

Gutenberg is "a dinky college" as described by Crabtree as he addressed the 25 or so attendees of the public input session. Typically at 50 students, they are down to 27 due to the recession. There are seven full-time faculty and two part-time faculty. The majority of the seven support staff are Gutenberg graduates that are donating their time.

"We want to be a dinky college because from our perspective education is highly personal and highly interpersonal... we want to know each and every student and know them well," said Crabtree.

In their 16 years in Eugene, Gutenberg was maxed out at 50 students in their current facility, and there was no room for expansion. Crabtree and his staff were also concerned that the college had no sense of community in Eugene; they also felt dwarfed by the University of Oregon, just one block away.

The college sees Sisters' small size, vibrant arts community and strong sense of community identity as a major draw for Gutenberg. Crabtree pointed out a concept drawn from the ancient Greeks that they have come to believe in: "If a community gets so big that you don't know people by name, it is not a true community any longer."

Most of the Gutenberg students have a strong interest in the arts, eschewing the TV lounge for making life music and heated discussions.

"The vitality that this age group would bring to the community would be just fantastic," said Clausen. "On the other hand they (Gutenberg) will be able to recruit in a much more significant way with the Sisters brand, and they appreciate that."

Gutenberg is a Christian college modeled on the "Great Books" colleges (like St. John's and another dozen or so colleges in the U.S.) They study the original works of great writers from ancient times to the present. The students pick up English, math, science and other core subjects as they originally evolved throughout history. The Gutenberg curriculum results in a four-year accredited degree in liberal arts. There are no electives; all students take the same courses.

"We concluded that it is better for an education to be about how to live well. What we noticed was that, in our culture, the emphasis was on how to make a good living," said Crabtree.

Gutenberg considered moving to Sisters four years ago. A combination of strong local resistance to their program and the unwillingness or inability of their staff to make the move from Eugene caused them to call off their efforts at that time. For the past two years, Mayor Lon Kellstrom and then SBART volunteer Mac Hay have been working to re-engage with Gutenberg.

Gutenberg College faces hurdles

While Gutenberg College staff are enthusiastic about a proposed move to Sisters, it's far from a done deal.

The college has filed for a conditional use permit that would allow them to house their small Christian liberal arts school in the former headquarters of the manufacturing firm Weitech, which then served as the offices of Multnomah Publishing. Both businesses have moved away from Sisters.

The city and local economic development advocates have been courting Gutenberg, who initially looked into moving to Sisters in 2007. The college, which is down to 27 students from a high of 50, cannot sustain future growth in its current facilities in Eugene. Staff anticipates a maximum of about 100

students.

College provost Peter Wierenge said a family member of a Gutenberg student tipped the school several years ago to the possibilities of the former Weitech building.

"Our interest was initially because of that building and the City of Sisters," he said. "What's not to like about being in Sisters?"

Wierenge cited outdoor activities and the opportunity for students to be involved in a meaningful way in their community as significant attractions.

Boarding at the school is an important component of the program, but living space is not part of the application filed with the city on December 17.

"Eventually we will have to figure out dorm space," Wierenge said.

The college has made a deposit on the building and is contracted to close in 2011.

The college's first explorations into Sisters met mixed reactions from the local community. Some were welcoming; some expressed concerns about the school's impact on the character of the town. The notion of making a move has met with mixed reactions among faculty and students as well.

"We've worked together for 30 years in Eugene," President David Crabtree said. "We've got family ties; we've got parents; we've got grandchildren. To uproot people from that is a little tricky."

However, Crabtree noted, the six full-time and two part-time faculty-members' personal situations have shifted enough to make a change more congenial.

Probably the biggest hurdle to making the move to Sisters a reality is money.

Wierenge said that it will take $2 million to purchase the building and perhaps another $1.5 million to ready it for students and to cover moving and other expenses. That means heavy fund-raising, a task both Crabtree and Wierenge acknowledge is especially daunting in the face of continued economic hardship.

"Every college and university in the country is struggling with their funding right now," Wierenge said. "So if it's something we can pull off or not, we don't know."

The soonest the college could be in place in Sisters would be fall of 2011. If it doesn't happen then, it would likely be summer of 2012 before the move could be made.

"It would be difficult for us to move during the school year," Crabtree said.