The
SpringHillian September 17, 2015
Volume 101 Issue 1
Ad Majorem Del Gloriam
Puto First Layman As President of Spring HIll College Center. Puto’s ties with Spring Hill College date back to when he was a student at the college. After earning an economics degree in 1964, Puto went on to be very successful. He was a part of the team who developed the strategic plan for the “Have It Your Way” campaign for Burger King. This is not his first experience with leadership at the college. Puto served on Spring Hill’s Board of Trustees from 2003 to 2012. During his tenure as part of the board, Puto saw the financial challenges the college faced. Puto attributed some of these challenges to the inconsistency of leadership, saying that in his time on the board the college went through “three to four [different] directors of admissions.” Puto went further to state that “students are vital to the success of the college” and believes that the college is now doing better. For the past three years the college has had the same director of admissions, Robert Stewart. Puto credited Stewart for the record breaking enrollment the college has seen. In addition, he commended the work Fr. Lucey and John Barter did over the past year. As president and COO respectively, Lucey and Barter “provided great financial stability to the college” said Puto. “Under their leadership, the college was able to balance its debt,” he added.
Dr. Christopher Puto Photo Courtesy of: Lindsey Hughes By: Fernando Soto Reporter For weeks, signs and articles have been advertising the historical inauguration of Dr. Christopher Puto.
For months rumors filled every corner of campus, from dormitories to departmental offices, about what Spring Hill College would be like under its 37th president. Puto himself announced that he is working on a strategic master plan that is set to bring the institution up to date and maintain it at a stable ground in many areas.
With dignitaries of the Jesuit community coming from all around the country to welcome Puto, Spring Hill College will officially inaugurate him today as the 37th president and first Developing the plan will take layman named to the lead the institution. The ceremony will being at 4pm some time; Puto estimates it will in the Arthur Outlaw Recreation
take about a year as he tries to get input from faculty, staff, and students. This plan calls for the revision of academics, student life, and structural changes to campus facilities. This plan will be new to Spring Hill, but not to Puto, as he has implemented similar plans of action elsewhere. While serving as dean of Georgetown’s school of business, his plan raised $80 million of the $150 million goal, within the first three years. With college tuition on the rise Puto hopes his plan will halt the significant increases Spring Hill has seen in recent years. Tuition at Spring Hill has increased at a rate of five percent, while the rate of inflation according to Puto, is at two percent. Puto stated that the major cost of providing a quality education is the salaries of faculty and staff. “They have families and mortgages. And we have to be able to sustain them,” Puto said. “[But] before I finish being president, we will have figured out a way to minimize the burden on students.”
“students are vital to the success of the college” -Dr. Puto discussing the future of Spring Hill College