The dreams of CRC’s founder and supporters started it all back in 1964 and as Crowley’s Ridge College matured from a two year Junior College, it transitioned to an accredited four year higher education institution. Its Division of Biblical Studies continues to grow in its offerings, and will soon include online degrees and certificates. The Teacher Education and Business Divisions continue to attract a large number of students each year. The Division of Arts and Sciences will attract many new students and help the College influence more young people within this beautiful campus and Christian higher education environment. Thousands more young lives will be changed from their experiences at CRC.
Mission Possible has a goal of $12 million, which is the largest fundraising campaign goal ever undertaken by Crowley’s Ridge College. As you can tell from reading about Mission Possible, reaching this goal will advance the College to a new level. Mission Possible will help CRC greatly improve its ability to serve current and future students with new facilities, improved facilities, new degree programs, improved athletic programs, additional scholarship funding, improvements to numerous student life areas, and to be completely out of debt. Achieving this monumental goal will offer CRC a much brighter and sustainable future.
Imagine driving to the campus of Crowley’s Ridge College and a brand new entrance with gorgeous landscaping and a bold, towering new sign catches your attention. As you drive onto the beautiful 150-acre campus, a new state-of-the-art, modern-looking brick and rock Science building with glass in key focal areas, a chemistry lab, classrooms, and offices is on your left and is easily seen from the main highway. After passing it, you notice the older Physical Science building has been remodeled with matching exterior siding to blend with the new Science facility. It features a new roof and freshly paved parking in the front and rear areas.
Just a short distance away, as you drive toward the center of campus, you can’t help but notice the crystal clear waters of the small lake and the dancing waters from a lovely fountain. These lovely attractions immediately lead your eyes to a multi-million dollar facility that houses a chapel with a theater seating auditorium and large stage, conference rooms, a kitchen, classrooms, offices, and a special room dedicated as a museum to the history of Crowley’s Ridge College. The exterior boasts a park like setting and leads to the water’s edge. You notice the perimeter of the water is landscaped with sculptured blocks and a beautiful spacious area perfect for student events, weddings, and other enjoyable venues.
As you drive just a few more hundred feet, you park in front of the freshly painted Carter Activities Center and notice the extra shade provided by the new front awnings as you enter the building. You are warmly greeted by a student working at Pete’s Treats, CRC’s new coffee and smoothie bar. You look around the Student Center and notice other students chatting away while enjoying the new furniture at the opposite end with the TV on a sports channel and other students playing ping-pong and pool. You enjoy seeing their smiles and hearing their laughter.
You then hear some balls bouncing and walk into the renovated gymnasium. You immediately notice the bright LED lights illuminating the beautifully painted Pioneers and NAIA conference branding on the court. The insulation on the walls and ceiling has been covered by new bright materials, numerous Pioneer team banners, and the USA Flag. You admire on both sides of the court how two stories of new spaces are utilized, some with athletic offices designed with glass facing the court, classrooms, conference room, video room, team dressing rooms, referee dressing rooms, kitchen and break area, and lots of equipment and storage areas. As you walk the full court and exit the opposite end, the new racquetball courts and Pioneer Performance Center for strength and conditioning are in full use.
The campus tour continues as you head to the Pioneer Complex, where the baseball and softball fields look brand new. Both have press boxes, nice fencing, protective netting, and impressive bleachers, and the gulley between both fields is gone, replaced with grass, landscaping, picnic tables and benches. These are not the same baseball and softball fields that you remember when you last visited CRC. You grab a burger and soft drink at the new concession stand before continuing the campus tour. On your way to the next stop, you see the spacious nice maintenance facility with multiple vehicle bays, covered parking for buses, vehicles, tractors and mowers, and plenty of storage. You then visit the Jennie Sue Eubanks Cafeteria and notice the new ceiling and LED light fixtures, new tables and chairs, pub tables and stools with designated areas for laptops, tablets, phones, and accessories with convenient charging ports. The kitchen features several new pieces of commercial equipment and the food serving areas look terrific. You think, “Wow, everything looks so clean and modern!”
As you drive around the remaining part of campus, the beautiful landscaping stands out in front of the Joe A. & Wanda Hall Johnson and the Charles R. & Wilma King Honor Housing apartment complexes. Right next to them, the tennis courts shine with new surface coating, bright court lines, and exterior lighting. As you drive by Winters Hall, you notice it has a more contemporary-looking exterior, new windows, and roof.
You then go to the top of the hill to visit the Larry M. Bills Administration Building. It also has a new contemporary look, new windows, and an elegant waterfall flowing down from the front toward the main parking area. The recently updated facility is also landscaped and features beautiful plants, flowers, and outdoor furniture to enjoy the beautiful view. From this hill, as you gaze across campus, you think Crowley’s Ridge College has come a long way, and you thank God for blessing this Christian ministry and all the students that have been served and will continue to be served for years to come. As you leave campus, you notice Wilson Hall has also been greatly improved with a new contemporary looking exterior, new windows, and a new roof. Just as you pass it, the bell tolls within the beautiful new bell tower, bidding you come back again soon.
Ladies and gentlemen, could you visualize all those amazing campus improvements as you read about them? Could you see all the fabulous new and improved facilities? Could you hear the crack of the bat and roar of the crowd at the Pioneer Field? Could you smell the burgers and hotdogs? Could you see the coaches looking out their glass windows onto the court inside the gym admiring the hard work of the Pioneer athletes? Could you see the students playing racquetball and hear the ball bouncing off the walls? Could you see the students in the new Science facility learning to use the equipment in the state of the art chemistry lab? Could you picture a wedding just outside the new Chapel next to the water’s edge? Could you hear the beautiful singing in the chapel and the proclaiming of God’s Word?
Once this “Mission Possible” $12 million Campaign has been funded, these wonderful accomplishments will indeed be true and part of CRC’s daily campus life. Crowley’s Ridge College will most certainly have advanced to a new level and its future will be sustained for generations to come.
Please prayerfully consider what you can contribute to Mission Possible to help the College fund the five important areas described earlier. You may also want to consider these questions and pray about them to make certain the $12 million goal of Mission Possible is achieved:
Major improvements in the Carter Activities Center and Campus Ministry House were completed at a cost of approximately $300,000. These improvements had to be quickly undertaken to make it possible for CRC to meet the ongoing athletic needs of our collegiate teams, other student life activities, and their spiritual needs. Furthermore, CRC began a new full-time campus ministry program that we named the Ridge Connection. The Ridge Connection enables CRC to more intentionally connect with all students as we share Christ with them in a variety of ways, which is largely accomplished through the renovated campus ministry house.
More than $2.5 million of facility improvements of immediate priority have been identified by an experienced engineer and other facility professionals. These improvements will correct critical areas for these six facilities: Larry M. Bills Administration Building, Winters Hall, Wilson Hall, Jennie C. Eubanks Cafeteria, and Science Building. These improvements will greatly enhance their exterior appearance, correct a variety of safety concerns, and improve their ability to serve students and staff with classrooms, housing, health and fitness, food, and new degree programs.
Nearly $5 million of new facilities have been identified to advance CRC to a new level in meeting the student’s educational needs. These new facilities are: a Science Building, Entrance and Sign, Chapel, Carter Activities Center – Phase 2, Baseball / Softball Field & Facilities, and a Maintenance Facility.
The new Science Facility is needed to meet new Arts & Sciences degree offerings in professions of Pharmacy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology, Pre-Nursing and community outreach in offering the ability to provide various animal testing services. A new entrance has been needed since the four-lane highway expansion cut into the College’s easement and changed the current entrance making it hard to navigate since the highway expansion flattened that area. A new eye-catching landscaped Entrance Structure along with a towering CRC Sign will correct this issue.
Crowley’s Ridge College now has more than 200 students and plans are to increase that number through new degrees and our recruiting plan. It is time for CRC to have its own Chapel, complete with a large stage, comfortable theater seating, and other designated areas to serve our students. This new Chapel will be next to the lake with one side having a large glass area with a walk-out open area leading to the water’s edge. This needed facility will add to the College’s beautiful campus and provide a stunning outdoor wedding venue, which is requested often, and it will be available for many other activities and events.
More Endowment Funds are needed to fund current and new scholarships. Adding $1.5 million to our Endowment for a variety of scholarship areas will help students to attend Crowley’s Ridge College and avoid high student loan debt. Funds are needed to fund scholarships in these four Academic Divisions of Arts and Sciences, Biblical Studies, Business, and Teacher Education. While we can use additional Bible Endowment Funds, the Endowment Funds for the other three Divisions are especially needed as CRC has grown in each of these areas.
Funding Operational and Future Growth Needs – Adding degree programs, hiring additional faculty and staff, maintaining current and future facilities, and this beautiful campus is challenging. Numerous expenses make up these areas. Funding a $1 million endowment will help CRC meet these needs much more effectively, which will help the College continue to grow.
Crowley’s Ridge College has a business model that is working well. It is based on recruiting a certain number of athletes and non-athletes, being able to meet fundraising goals, and offering a strong Christian academic environment that leads to students returning each year to complete their degree requirements. Being able to pay off $1.75 million in debts for operations and capital improvements leading up to this working business model is important to CRC’s Board of Trustees, President, and Administration. Paying off this debt will free up needed money that will be used for other important areas to advance the College in key areas to better serve its students.
President
rjohnson@crc.edu
870-236-6901, Ext. 216
GIVING
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