Hesston College receives grants totaling nearly $4 million for tech, student experience upgrades

The Hesston College campus looks forward to upgrades after learning they will receive three grants for a combined total of nearly $4 million. These include a FEMA grant for $149,999, a Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) grant for $800,000 and a Title III grant for $2.9 million.

With Hesston College’s strategic plan shift in fall 2023 to focusing on bachelor’s degree programs, the need to make larger technology investments became apparent. The college later enlisted the help of a consultant to aid in establishing a grant-writing culture, and that investment is paying off.

“We knew this transition toward four-year professional degree programs would require investment beyond our own capacity,” shares President Mark Landes. “We now have funding to upgrade our entire technology infrastructure, which will serve to transform Hesston College over the next five years. This is an investment in our students whose experiences will see direct improvement as a result of our grant funding.”

Technology updates are the common thread between the three grants.

The FEMA grant for $149,999 will be awarded over three years to improve campus safety. This grant allows for key card entry to be set up at both of HC’s dorms, Erb Hall and Kauffman Court, replacing the need for physical keys. The upgrade provides added safety functionality with the ability to centrally lock down exterior dorm doors in case of an emergency. The project is set to begin before the end of the calendar year with hopes for completion by the start of the fall 2027 academic year.

The CDS grant for $800,000 will also be awarded over a three year period. The primary goal of this grant is to launch a cybersecurity bachelor’s degree program, a program that Vice President of Academics Ross Peterson-Veatch believes is the expression of Hesston’s new academic model and will allow the college to serve the community in a way that participates in cultural and economic development of this region.

“In our new model, we want to ensure that students gain real world experience in all of our academic programs,” Peterson-Veatch explains. “The technology infrastructure improvements built into this program’s launch will make it possible for us to provide actual services to community partners. This foundation will help us create future programs that will support broader community aims.”

In addition to hiring a program director, the CDS funds include a large technology investment which will go toward new computers for the computer lab, new fiber optic cables in several campus buildings and establishment of a community-facing Security Operations Center.

The $2.9 million Title III grant will be awarded over a five year period to further advance the college’s four-year academic vision and IT roadmap, strengthening career pathways and institutional capacity. A portion of funding is designated to create the Pathways Center for Career and Vocation within the already existing Smith Center. This center will serve as a centralized hub connecting students, academic programs, employers and other workforce partners.

“The director of the Pathways Center will coordinate internships, work-based learning experiences, employer engagement, career coaching, mock interviews, networking opportunities and other workforce readiness activities,” says Landes. “By embedding career development into the student experience, the college will strengthen student retention, increase career readiness and improve employment outcomes after graduation.”

The grant also includes significant investment into technology modernization of the campus management platform, wireless infrastructure and classroom technology, among other items.

“These investments in Hesston’s technology infrastructure will clearly strengthen our foundation, but equally important is how we will create stronger connections between our students’ experiences and the job market,” Landes shares. “It’s critical that we are creating new pathways for our students into the job market and that we are equipping them the best we can for the careers that lie ahead as they leave Hesston College.”

Recognizing the resource challenges with technology investment over the past several years, Landes says the college was fortunate to have a local alum, Don Weaver, volunteer to lead a task force beginning last year to establish a technology roadmap for HC. While funding proved to be the biggest hurdle in reaching the desired technology outcomes, this roadmap is now fully achievable with funding in place.

“Providing an attractive environment for our students and employees requires significant investment in technology. With plenty of other strategic initiatives in motion and needing to be successful, our technology needs to facilitate and enhance our strategic efforts, not limit them,” Landes explains. “Implementation of the Title III Grant over the next several years will provide a much stronger foundation from which Hesston College can operate efficiently and launch new initiatives.”