May 19, 2017

Dear Colleagues:

I am convinced that now more than ever our world needs Messiah College graduates, which is why I am looking forward to celebrating our first-ever Commencement for the School of Graduate Studies tonight in Parmer Hall! I appreciate everyone’s efforts during this extremely busy time of the year as we transition from academic year-end to a full summer schedule of online classes, conferences, and academic and sports camps.

On May 3-5, I met with the College’s board of trustees on campus at their annual spring meeting. Our discussions included the good news and positive accomplishments of our students, alumni and employees, as well as conversation related to the challenges Messiah is currently facing. As we conclude the spring semester, I would like to summarize the outcomes of the recent board meeting and provide additional campus news.

Summary of May board of trustees meeting

At the board’s first general business session on May 4, the trustees and the College’s senior administration engaged in an educational session about student learning outcomes and followed by a discussion of how Messiah College compares to its top competitors.

Key actions from the spring board meeting included:

From the Committee on Governance:

  • The board approved the appointment of the following individuals as a trustee in the class of 2012, effective July 1, 2017-June 30, 2021.
      • First term: Linda Eremita; second term: Rod Musser; third term: Barbara Moses, Gary Langmuir, Linda Pheasant and Jerry Wenger.
  • The board approved appointment of the following slate of officers of the board of trustees for a one-year term to be effective July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018.
      • Vice chair, Craig Sider; secretary, Heidi Bingaman; treasurer, Rim Hinckley

From the Committee on Education:

  • The board reviewed and approved new hires, promotions, term tenure renewals and emeritus status for faculty members as presented based on the recommendation of the Term-Tenure and Promotion Committee, the provost and the president, effective Aug. 1, 2017. The provost’s office will communicate these decisions to the campus community via the Intercom.

From the Committee on Finance:

    • The board approved the FY18 Financial Plan as previously reviewed and approved by campus governance groups.
    • The board authorized the engagement of Select Asset Management and Trust for the purpose of serving in a fiduciary capacity and providing the College with investment management and advisory services.
    • The board approved the additions and amendments as recommended by the finance committee to the College’s cash flow investment policy.
    • The board approved the allocation of $500,000 from the endowment to fund the sixth endowed student scholarship matching initiative.

Prioritization

In early April, I announced employee forums to educate the campus community regarding the need to permanently reduce institutional expenses by $1.5 million as of June 2019 (FY20). The first employee forum was held on May 15 for the COE, and as a reminder, all administrative and staff employees are invited to attend a forum on May 23, from 2-3 p.m. in Parmer Hall.

Update from university status task force

During the past academic year, members of the University Status Task Force (which I chair) have held monthly meetings to design a research plan to address the questions as outlined in theme one, goal four of the strategic plan, which states “Messiah College will determine whether to apply for university status in response to the needs of student recruitment and the changing academic program,” and the corresponding action item which directs the appointment of “a presidentially led task force to conduct a review and make a recommendation to the board of trustees and campus governance groups for discussion and deliberation in the 2018-2019 academic year.”

The research plan and decision-making calendar are outlined in this attachment. I want to express my gratitude to the members of the task force for their good work:

  • Andrew Babyak, chair, department of business; assistant professor of management
  • Randall Basinger, provost
  • John Chopka, vice president for enrollment management
  • Robin Collins, distinguished professor of philosophy
  • Kristopher Cravey, director of graduate programs in business and leadership; assistant professor of business
  • Ted Davis, distinguished professor of the history of science
  • Timothy Dixon, director of orchestral studies; professor of music
  • Jacob Edmunds, student body president
  • Raeann Hamon, professor of family science and gerontology chair
  • Jay McClymont, director of alumni and parent relations
  • Laura Miller, director of institutional research
  • Sarah Wade, associate vice president for enrollment management

New undergraduate programs

In my February update I shared that the COE Senate approved several new undergraduate programs: majors in actuarial science and finance, and a minor in speech and language pathology. Additionally, in April the COE Senate approved a minor in digital humanities, which will allow students to study various aspects of the humanities and human culture through the lens of new and emerging media.

Enrollment snapshot 

Undergraduate enrollment fall 2017:  After a suspenseful deposit season leading up to May 1, we are pleased to report that we have achieved 98 percent of our goal to have 675 first-year students in the fall. Additionally, we are off to a strong start with transfer activity, having secured commitments from 67 students (79 percent of our goal of 85). Some good news related to this class:

  • 15.5 percent of our first-year and 22.4 percent of our transfers are from U.S. underrepresented students, for a total of 118 students.
  • The Martin’s Program secured commitments from 17 students, and the R.H. Flowers Program (formerly Amigo Program) brings us 62.
  • Our Honors Program has secured commitments from 119 students (an all-time high).

The chart below shows where we are on May 16 compared to last year in the admissions cycle:

May 16, 2017 May 16, 2016
First-year Students Fall 2017 % to goal Goal Fall 2016 % to final Final
Inquiries 39,826 142% 28,000 27,644 99% 27,862
Applications 2,527 94% 2,700 2,571 99% 2,596
Acceptances 1,936 94% 2,050 2,030 98% 2,064
Active Deposits 662 98% 675 668 98% 685
Transfer
Applications		 265 92% 288 238 84% 283
Acceptances 146 76% 191 151 74% 203
Active Deposits 67 79% 85 51 64% 80

Graduate enrollment update:  Overall graduate enrollment continues to increase at a steady pace. To this point in the fiscal year, 680 graduate students have enrolled (we have exceeded our FY17 goal of 655!) and we are at 106 percent of the FY17 credit hour goal!

  • Master of Occupational Therapy—I am pleased to report that we have exceeded our enrollment goal of 30 students, with 32 confirmed deposits for our first cohort of MOT students who will begin their studies in July 2017. In addition, we have a number of strong applicants on the program’s waitlist.

News from the School of Graduate Studies

Doctor of Physical Therapy: The Community of Educators recently approved the post-baccalaureate 110-credit, 3-year program curriculum culminating in a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree to be launched in August 2018. The program includes 48 hours of part-time integrated clinical experiences occurring prior to 34 weeks of full-time clinical education experience. Forty-four percent of student placements have been confirmed in a variety of healthcare/PT settings predominantly in central Pennsylvania, and we are actively searching for core Ph.D.-credentialed faculty to teach in the program. Starting in July 2017, the applications for students to apply to the first cohort will be initiated and in November 2017 we will submit the Application for Candidacy Status to the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, culminating in an onsite review to be scheduled for early 2018.

 Giving update

Overall giving is well on track to achieve the fiscal year $7.1 million goal by June 30, 2017. The Messiah Fund /operating goal continues to lag behind because we have not received any large unrestricted bequests during this fiscal year (which has contributed to meeting past years’ goals). Accordingly, we are actively working to build a Messiah Fund that raises an annual predictable and robust dollar amount absent the unpredictable timing of unrestricted bequests.

Overall Giving Messiah Fund / Operating
May 8, 2017 May 8, 2017
$ 6,738,057 $ 1,031,925
95% of June 30, 2017 goal of $7,100,000 70% of June 30, 2017 goal of $1,484,220

 Ralph S. Larsen Finance lab: As previously announced, we have achieved the $750,000 fundraising goal for the new finance lab to be named in honor of the late Ralph S. Larsen, a longtime friend, Messiah parent, generous supporter of the College and former CEO of Johnson & Johnson. Fundraising has been going so well for this project that Phase 2 of the fundraising effort has been approved to include a $100,000 operating endowment in support of the finance lab and the new finance major. To date, we have raised over $40,000 for the new endowment.

 Field hockey resurface: We continue to work at raising $150,000 for the Anderson Field resurfacing project for our field hockey team, having already raised $87,750 toward our goal. The deadline is Dec. 31, 2017. This will enable the resurfacing to be complete in time for the fall 2018 season.

Endowment Challenge #5: Last year at the May 2016 board of trustees meetings, the Committees on Finance and Advancement approved allocating $250,000 in matching dollars to launch Endowment Challenge #4. The $250,000 goal was reached prior to the winter board meetings. Consequently, we are grateful that we were able to immediately implement Endowment Challenge #5 in the amount of $583,000 due to the maturity of an unrestricted charitable gift annuity. As of early May, $510,000 has already been raised, adding a total of $1,020,000 to overall endowment. Since 2013, the five endowment challenges have added over $3.3 million to endowment, have established 56 new scholarship funds, and have added 60 new gifts to existing funds.

 New facilities progress

Falcon Fitness Center:  On May 1, the College received an occupancy permit from the township for the new construction, which will allow us to move the departments of health, nutrition and exercise science staff into their new offices on May 22. The new Sawyer Gymnasium and the wrestling room addition are online and ready to be used for summer conferences. The fitness center is complete and ready to accept delivery of equipment, which is scheduled for later this summer. Work is currently focused on completing the exterior of the building, site work and landscaping. The conversion of Hitchcock Arena to become the new home court for our athletic teams began earlier this week on May 15. The entire campus is looking forward to using this transformational facility!

Commuter lounge: A team of employees from the Divisions of Student Affairs and Operations, along with commuter student representation, has been meeting to finalize the renovation plan for a new commuter lounge to be located in Mountain View Residence, in an area currently occupied by South Side Café. The lounge will provide the students with a kitchen, various study areas and space designed for relaxation and the building of friendships. As part of this project, the other section of the existing lounge area will be renovated to provide a small learning commons area for residential students. Construction will begin after commencement with completion targeted for late August 2017.

 Ralph S. Larsen Finance Lab:  The plans are completed for the renovation work in Frey Hall to create the new finance lab, which will include state-of-the-art technology, giving our students access to Bloomberg terminals and other tools which will assist them in developing skills to be successful financial professionals. Work is scheduled to begin on May 18 and is expected to be completed by early fall 2017.

 Good news about Messiah College

Here is a sample of some recent highlights about the success of Messiah College’s programs and people. For more details visit  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 April 28, six student teams competed in finale of the Impact Venture Challenge, a “Shark Tank” style business competition that awarded $10,000 in seed funding. You can read more about the six finalist teams here: http://bit.ly/2oY6Arp. Congratulations to first place winner fathering.me, a venture with the goal to encourage, empower, and equip the young fathers of unplanned pregnancies to become the best dads they can be. To all of the IVC teams who competed, you make Messiah proud!
  • Exciting news from Messiah College Department of Theatre and Dance and Messiah College Department of Music: Last season’s production of The Tender Land received second place (tie) in the American Prize Opera Production Competition. The production was produced by the Department of Theatre and Dance and directed by Damian Savarino (music and stage) and Timothy Dixon (conductor).
  • Congratulations to Elizabeth (Maurer) Dewhurst ’92—who was recently awarded the Washington, D.C. Teacher of the Year award! She has worked tirelessly in the D.C. public school system for many years, in roles as teacher and department chair. Dewhurst was honored at a White House ceremony last month and will also be recognized during halftime of the Bowl Championship Series final football game in January 2018.
  • Madilyn Keaton, a third-year sustainability major and a Messiah College Martins Scholar, has been named as a recipient of Campus Compact’s 2017 Newman Civic Fellowship in recognition for her exceptional leadership, service and advocacy in our community. As one of 273 Newman Civic Fellows across the country, Madilyn will experience a variety of learning and networking opportunities during the coming academic year—including a national conference—as well as pathways to exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities.
  • Professor of the History of Science Ted Davis was recently honored with an invitation from the Smithsonian Institute to serve on the advisory board that is planning a new exhibit at the National Museum of American History on the intersections of science and religion in U.S. history.
  • Messiah College has been named one of the top 100 colleges for sports lovers by MONEY and Sports Illustrated magazines. The list started with colleges who make the cut in their annual best colleges rankings, and then added 15 sports-specific data points related to opportunities for student-athletes and the quality of fan experiences.

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’ latest scores, announcements and the full slate of team-specific news.

Conference postseason

  • After winning the MAC Commonwealth Championship for the third-straight season, No. 4 Women’s lacrosse defeated No. 14 SUNY Cortland in the NCAA Second Round on Sunday, May 14. The Falcons won 14-13 thanks to a goal by Annika Johnsen with 16 seconds to play. The win moved Messiah into the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in program history, and they will take on No. 11 York College in Hartford, Conn. on Saturday, May 20, at 2:30 p.m.
  • Messiah softball, men’s tennis, and women’s tennis all competed in their respective NCAA Tournaments this year, though each of them ended their season in the opening rounds of play.
  • Women’s track and field won the MAC Outdoor Championship for the first time since 2012. The Falcons also won the Indoor Championship earlier this season, making it the fifth time that head coach Dale Fogelsanger led the team to winter- and spring-season titles in the same year.
  • Two men’s track and field athletes will be competing at the NCAA Championships later this month: Tim Moses in the pole vault, and Christian Pavlovich in the javelin.
  • Men’s tennis defeated Lebanon Valley 5-1 to win the MAC Commonwealth Championship for the fourth-straight season.
  • Women’s tennis defeated Lebanon Valley 5-3 to win the MAC Commonwealth Championship for the second-straight season.

Notable news/honors

  • The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) announced this week more than 350 players selected for the 2017 Division III All-Region softball teams. Messiah College received four honors: Carrie Fix and Erin Cressman were named First Team for the East Region, while Amanda Jones and Madelyn Yannetti were named Second Team. All but Yannetti are repeat selections from last season, with Jones earning the honor for the third time in her career.
  • Messiah wrestler Lucas Malmberg won his second-straight NCAA Division III National Championship at 125 lbs. in early March. His title was the 27th Division III Championship for Messiah Athletics, and it also helped the wrestling team finish fifth overall at the two-day championship tournament. Messiah wrestling had four individuals finish as All-Americans, including National Runner-Up Ben Swarr at 174 lbs.
  • Messiah Athletics named Justin Beachy ’13, MA ’15 as the first-ever head coach for men’s volleyball, which is transitioning from club to NCAA varsity status starting in 2017-18.
  • Messiah women’s swimmer Katie Wingert became the Falcons’ first-ever NCAA Division III Qualifier this season, and she competed at the NCAA Championships in Shenandoah, Texas. Additionally, Wingert was honored with the Elite 90 Academic Award, which recognizes the student-athlete with the highest GPA who is competing at the National Championships. Wingert holds a 4.00 cumulative GPA.
  • Senior Tim Moses finished fifth at the NCAA Division III National Championships for pole vault, good for his seventh All-American honor across the Indoor and Outdoor Championships. The honor tied him with former National Champion Chris Boyles for the most All-American honors by a Messiah men’s track and field student-athlete.
  • Messiah women’s basketball head coach Mike Miller was named a finalist for the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) National Coach of the Year for NCAA Division III.
  • Sophomore Erin Cressman was named CoSIDA Academic All-District for Softball. She is the fourth Falcon to earn the honor this year following three All-District and All-American recipients from the fall season.
  • Hayden Woodworth ’03 (men’s soccer) and Aftan Fisher ’06 (field hockey) were inducted into the MAC Hall of Fame.

Conference honor and awards

  • Heather Greer was named MAC Commonwealth Women’s Lacrosse Coach of the Year for the fourth-straight season.
  • Jon Arosell was named MAC Commonwealth Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year.
  • Dale Fogelsanger was named MAC Coach of the Year for Women’s Outdoor Track and Field.
  • Senior Alexa Dipeso was named MAC Commonwealth Women’s Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Year.
  • Junior Tim Dunn was named MAC Commonwealth Men’s Tennis Player of the Year.
  • Sam Esper was named MAC Commonwealth Softball Rookie of the Year.
  • Leanne Weaver was named MAC Outdoor Track and Field Rookie of the Year.

 In closing

As we send out both the Messiah College undergraduate and graduate Class of 2017—I hope that you are encouraged by the College’s mission and your role in helping our students mature in intellect, character and Christian faith. Thank you for your steadfast commitment to Messiah College.

Warmest regards,

 Kim S. Phipps

President