June 7, 2016
Dear Colleagues:
What a wonderful time we had celebrating the graduation of the Class of 2016! The beautiful spring weather on Commencement day was a perfect backdrop for the hope-filled promise of sending 798 new Messiah College graduates into the world as agents of service, leadership and reconciliation. Thank you for the hard work, planning and participation that each of you brought to the day for our graduates and their families.
While our campus exudes a different rhythm in the summer months, we are definitely still a busy place! For example, on the heels of Commencement, our Community of Educators engaged in important sessions offered during May Educator Week. The College’s Crisis Management Team worked with local emergency response agencies to conduct a mock active shooter drill to strengthen our ability to respond to campus emergencies. And throughout the summer, Messiah hosts an active schedule of conferences, camps and other special events in addition to serving our graduate students through their on-campus summer intensive courses.
I realize that many of you are busy teaching online summer courses, recruiting students, raising funds, managing construction initiatives and the numerous other administrative, operational and educational planning and projects that prepare us for the academic year ahead. As we enter Messiah’s summer season, I’d like to express my appreciation to you and also provide updates related to the May board meeting, enrollment, giving and other campus news.
Summary of May board of trustees meeting
On May 5-6, the Messiah College Board of Trustees met on campus for their annual spring meeting. We began our time together with breakfast and a service of dedication to celebrate the new Martin Commons, named in recognition of Trustee Jim Martin and his wife, Donna—both longtime supporters of the College.
Key action/decision items from the board meeting included:
- Approval of the 2016-2020 Strategic Plan: After a concluding discussion and review, the trustees approved the final version of the institutional strategic plan for 2016-2020, “Embracing Change as Opportunity,” as previously approved by campus governance groups. The only change they requested was to move the university status discussion and deliberation into the first two years of the planning cycle.
- Approval of the Employee Code of Conduct and related changes to language in the Community Covenant: In March and April, staff and administrative employees were invited to attend “Coffee & Conversation” meetings, and I met with the Ranked Faculty Meeting, to review a suggested revision to the Community Covenant and a draft of the College’s proposed Employee Code of Conduct—designed to be an important reference that clarifies the link between the mission of the College and employees’ daily behavior and decision-making. The context for the recommended changes was reviewed and employees were given opportunities to ask questions and offer comments. Helpful employee input resulted in additional revisions designed to further clarify institutional expectations. The proposed change to the Community Covenant and the adoption of the Employee Code of Conduct was officially affirmed by the Community of Educators Senate and the College Council in April. At the May board meeting, trustees officially approved the change to the Community Covenant and the adoption of the Employee Code of Conduct. I appreciate my colleagues, Amanda Coffey, Randy Basinger and Kris Hansen-Kieffer, who have worked with me for the past 10 months to accomplish this initiative which clarifies behavioral expectations for employees (as we have already done for students).
- FY17 financial plan: The board of trustees approved the FY17 financial plan (as presented and approved by campus governance groups in April 2016), including employee raises. The FY17 financial plan includes a 3 percent increase to the faculty salary pool and a 2 percent increase to the staff and administrative salary pool. During the past few years, faculty salaries have been adjusted to remain above the 95th percentile of the College’s benchmark group, and similar adjustments have been made with staff and administrative positions.
- The board also designated an additional $250,000 of unrestricted funds, in anticipation of selling the Spruce Lane Farms property (bequest of Dorothea Shaffer), for an endowment scholarship matching initiative.
- Gift Acceptance Policy: The board reviewed and approved the revised and updated Messiah College Gift Acceptance Policy (last updated in May 2008). This policy provides guidance for the College in several ways. It defines the types of gifts and assets that are acceptable, as well as the process for accepting gifts; it establishes the various gift forms and procedures that we utilize; and it provides guidelines on the College’s role in gift administration.
- From the Committee on Education: The board reviewed and approved new faculty hires, promotions and the awarding of term-tenure as well as faculty emeritus status, as recommended by the Committee on Education. The provost’s office will communicate these decisions to the campus community via the Intercom.
- Trustee Class of 2020: The board approved the appointment of the following individuals as new trustees in the Class of 2020, effective July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2020: Wendy Cole (attorney), Edward Nevin (partner, Deloitte) and Kimberly Thornbury (Vice President, The King’s College) (first term); Richard Godshall (second term); Rim Hinckley and Craig Sider (third term); and Charlie Byers, Calvin High and Galen Oakes (emeritus).
- Trustee officers: The board approved the appointment of the following slate of officers for a one-year term to be effective July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017: vice chair, Craig Sider; secretary, Heidi Bingaman; treasurer, Rim Hinckley. George Parmer continues in his role as chair (second year of a three year term).
Mark your calendars for Community Day
This year’s Community Day gathering is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 23. I always look forward to this ceremonial launch of the new academic year as we gather together in the Calvin and Janet High Center for Worship and Performing Arts. All employees are encouraged to attend the morning service from 9-10:30 a.m. in Parmer Hall, which includes the opportunity to worship together and hear the “State of the College” address. Following the service, refreshments will be available from 10:30-11:30 a.m. on the Eisenhower Campus Center lawn (rain location for refreshments is Howe Atrium, Boyer Hall). All offices and departments (with the exception of dispatch and the Early Learning Center) will close from 8:45 to 11:30 a.m. to enable employees to attend the gathering and reception. If you have questions, please contact Melissa Cohen, executive assistant to the president, at mcohen@messiah.edu.
Enrollment snapshot
FY16 undergraduate enrollment goal: Good news–we are on track to meet our annualized FFTE budget goal of 2,618 for FY16!
Undergraduate admissions for fall 2016: Applications and acceptances for fall have been running about six percent ahead of last year. While deposits are tracking about two percent behind last fall, projections place us at or exceeding our first-year goal of 675 students. Additionally, we look to meet or exceed goals related to underrepresented, honors and international students. Overall, it looks to be a quality class! The enrollment team will continue to work with transfer students throughout the summer. With a nice lead in applications and acceptances, we are on target to reach our transfers goal.
The chart below offers a summary of admissions statistics for the fall:
| June 2, 2016 | |||
| First-year Students | Fall 2016 | % to goal | Goal |
| Inquiries | 27,744 | 99% | 28,000 |
| Applications | 2,577 | 95% | 2,700 |
| Acceptances | 2,043 | 102% | 2,000 |
| Active Deposits | 683 | 101% | 675 |
| Transfer Applications |
256 | 82% | 311 |
| Acceptances | 166 | 101% | 165 |
| Active Deposits | 60 | 71% | 85 |
Graduate enrollment: Overall graduate enrollment continues to be strong. With the end of the fiscal year in sight, 625 graduate students have enrolled for a total of 7,995 credit hours. We have almost reached our goal of 8,023 credit hours (just 28 credit hours to go by the end of June)!
Giving update
Overall giving: In total, we have raised close to $7.9 million, which is 111 percent of our June 30 goal. We have also exceeded our Messiah Fund/Operating goal by raising $1.5 million (104 percent of goal).
FY16 Giving Progress Report
Overall Giving
| June 2, 2016 | June 2, 2015 | |
| $7,850,904 | $6,387,662 | |
| 111% of June 30 goal of $7,071,018 | 106% of June 30 goal of $6,028,700 |
Messiah Fund/Operating
| June 2, 2016 | June 2, 2015 | |
| $1,498,766 | $1,342,662 | |
| 104% of June 30 goal of $1,441,000 | 96% of June 30 goal of $1,403,000 |
*Not included in the Messiah Fund is a non-cash unrestricted bequest of a farm
Campaign for Wellness: Construction for the much-needed new fitness and wellness center is underway! More than $5.8 million has been raised to date and we are confident of the successful completion of our $6 million fundraising goal.
Endowment Challenge 2016: As noted in previous updates, $250,000 in new scholarship endowment matching was approved by the board of trustees at their October 2015 meeting. A total of $261,000 was raised as part of the FY2016 challenge, well ahead of the June 30 deadline. There were 13 new scholarship funds created; in addition, matching gifts were made to 10 existing scholarship funds.
We Love Messiah: Our annual “We Love Messiah” campaign is currently in full swing. A generous group of alumni have challenged fellow alumni to be one of 500 new alumni donors to show love for Messiah by June 30, 2016. In return, the alumni group will contribute up to $25,000 to the Messiah Fund if we reach the 500 goal. We have already reached our first benchmark of 100 new donors (ahead of last year’s successful campaign!).
A reminder about summer parking
With construction underway and the influx of conference and camp visitors to our campus, it is extremely important to follow the parking directions from the Department of Safety this summer. Please provide a safe and hospitable campus environment by parking in the lot that you have been assigned, pay attention to emails with specific parking instructions and follow the direction of safety personnel. Thank you in advance for demonstrating a commitment to community by exhibiting patience and respect during the extenuating parking conditions of the busy summer months.
Good news about Messiah College
Here is a sample of some recent highlights about the success and recognition of Messiah College’s programs and people. For more details visit messiah.edu/news, Messiah’s official Facebook page at facebook.com/MessiahCollege and the Bridge magazine www.messiah.edu/the_Bridge (the source sites for many of the below news items).
- On June 1, the College dedicated its new combined cooling, heat and power plant (CCHP). Messiah and UGI HVAC Enterprises co-hosted a dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting for the contractors and business partners who collaborated on the project, along with local officials and local media. The new system will provide year-round electric power, heat and cooling generated from a single fuel source–natural gas. Messiah’s recent conversion to natural gas and the use of the CCHP (which is a more efficient and environmentally friendly energy source than our previous propane and electric fuel sources) is estimated to provide annual savings to the College of $800,000+ and provides annual emission reductions equivalent to removing 1,354 passenger vehicles from the road. Congratulations to Vice President of Operations Kathie Shafer and Director of Facilities Brad Markley and their teams for this achievement!
- Nicholas Sooy ’16 has been named one of 10 Lilly Graduate Fellows in the U.S. This program is part of the Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and the Arts that supports outstanding students who want to explore the connections among Christianity, higher education, and the vocation of the teacher-scholar as they pursue graduate degrees in humanities and the arts. The ten 2016 Fellows were selected by an eight-member selection committee who interviewed 16 finalists (selected from the top 56 candidates nationwide) in April. Fellows participate in a three-year program in which they meet regularly with a mentor, attend four conferences, participate in a long-distance colloquium, and receive three annual stipends of $3,000 ($9,000 total) to use at their discretion. Nicholas graduated on May 14 with a double major in philosophy and peace and conflict studies and was named the winner of the Donald and Anna Zook Alumni Merit Award.
- Messiah College has been recognized in the top 10 on the “Best Disability Friendly Colleges and Universities in the U.S.” list by College Choice.net. This ranking takes into account several key factors to ensure students looking for schools with exceptional support for students of all abilities will get the best rate of return on their educational investment. The ranking begins with a list of schools that far exceed the minimum legal requirements for accessibility that is then evaluated and ranked based on factors like academic reputation, student satisfaction, affordability, average financial aid award, and average salary of recent graduates. The ranking of all 50 schools (Messiah is #9) can be viewed in full at http://www.collegechoice.net/50-best-disability-friendly-colleges-and-universities/. Congratulations to Director of Disability Services Amy Slody and her team for this well-deserved recognition of the outstanding service and support they provide to our students and their families.
- As a NetVUE (Network for Vocational Exploration in Undergraduate Education) member college, Messiah College was eligible to apply for, and did receive, a Vocation Exploration Renewal Grant, a new initiative “intended to refocus and reinvigorate vocational exploration programming at institutions that already have made substantial and long-term investments in these initiatives.” The focus of the NetVUE Vocational Exploration Renewal Grant is the renewal and revitalization of IDCR151: Created and Called for Community. Messiah’s grant funding ($24,750) will be used to collect, analyze and reflect upon reported assessment outcomes of IDCR151, to revise curricular content in light of outcomes analyses and related reflection, and to design and implement faculty development strategies to ensure success of revitalized course format. This 2016-17 project will be housed in The Ernest L. Boyer Center and directed by Jim LaGrand, professor of history/director of the Core Course, and Cynthia A. Wells, associate professor of higher education/director, Ernest L. Boyer Center.
- The May 2016 issue of Harrisburg Magazine highlighted the partnership between Messiah College and the Downey Elementary School as illustrated in the following excerpt of the article “Seeing the Whole Picture: How Harrisburg School District is Piecing Together the Academic Puzzle”: “The kindergarten-to-fourth grade Downey School, tucked behind Cameron Street, is creating a model for other district schools to follow, says (Harrisburg School Superintendent) Sybil Knight-Burney. Much of it is emerging from Together for Tomorrow, a federal initiative in partnership with Messiah College. The complex initiative promotes “capacity building” by creating partnerships among area businesses and institutions, says Chad Frey, director of Messiah College’s Agapé Center for Curricular Service Learning. Under the initiative, Messiah College is tightening the focus of its service-learning courses, student-teacher placement and other teacher-education programs on the needs of Harrisburg school kids, says Frey. Read the full article at: http://www.harrisburgmagazine.com/May-2016/Seeing-the-Whole-Picture/.
Athletics highlights
Below are some highlights since my last update from Messiah Athletics. Visit www.GoMessiah.com the source for the stories below and for the Falcons’ most current scores, announcements and the full slate of team-specific news.
- Messiah softball finished the 2016 season as the NCAA Division III National Runner-Up after advancing through the Regionals, Super Regionals, and seven other teams at the Softball Championships. The team set a program record with 47 wins and accomplished their second-best-ever finish, bested only by their National Championship run in 2009.
- Senior softball pitcher Courtney Allen was named CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year for NCAA Division III Softball. This is the first time in Messiah College history that a Falcon has garnered this sport-specific honor.
- Through press time of this update, six Falcons had been named CoSIDA Academic All-American, the most-ever by Messiah College in a single academic year. Additionally, a Messiah-record 10 student-athletes had earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. A full list of both honors can be found at GoMessiah.com/CoSIDA.
- Messiah men’s track and field had four qualifiers for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships, and two of them finished as All-Americans: Tim Moses took fourth in the pole vault, and Jared Schatz took sixth in the 3000m steeplechase.
- Courtney Allen (softball) and Stephanie Athens (women’s lacrosse) both earned All-American honors in their respective sports.
- Four Messiah teams won MAC Commonwealth Championships this spring: women’s lacrosse, softball, men’s tennis, and women’s tennis.
- Messiah’s All-MAC Commonwealth honors were highlighted by a number of Falcons winning special awards: Courtney Allen (softball) and Steven Ridings (baseball) were each named Pitcher of the Year; Ashli Livermore (women’s tennis) was named Player of the Year; Courtney Wagner (women’s lacrosse) was named Rookie of the Year; Heather Greer was named women’s lacrosse Coach of the Year; and Jon Arosell was separately named Coach of the Year for both men’s and women’s tennis.
In closing
Emma Barbagallo’16 sent me a note at the conclusion of the spring semester. (She will be pursuing her MSW at the University of Pennsylvania in the fall of 2016.) May her words encourage each of you to know that your work matters and its impact extends far beyond our campus borders:
“… The AMIGO Scholarship/Mentoring program has enriched my life greatly, and it has made my educational pursuits possible (such as finances, study abroad opportunities, and international service). … It’s been wonderful to see the transformation in not only the increasing student body population size over the years I’ve been a student here, but also in the gorgeous landscape projects that all the construction workers are so diligently attending to each day. I marvel at the wondrous things that God is doing everywhere — in my own life, my friends’ lives, my professors, my coaches, and this college campus in its entirety. Thank you for making this a place where student’s passions, like myself, can flourish and thrive — and all credit to The Lord!! The AMIGO program gave me the grounding and foundation I needed to feel comfortable here (but never complacent), to establish friendships with peers and mentors, and to develop my leadership skills for helping others. It’s been a long growth process; but looking back, I’ve seen how all of these experiences that I’ve been involved with here at Messiah, have shaped me and matured me tenfold (more) than what I could have dreamed for myself… but that’s still not to say that I (do not) have more learning and growing to do in the future.”
Enjoy your summer!
Warm regards,
Kim S. Phipps, President