Dear Colleagues:

Christmas is a wonderful time of year at Messiah! Last week, Kelly and I hosted trustees, alumni, parents and other community friends as we celebrated the joy of the season at Messiah College Christmas. Students and faculty from the School of the Arts are engaged in numerous holiday concert performances. There is much “decking of the halls” in our student residences, classroom and office buildings, and employees and students are embodying the Christmas spirit by serving and giving of themselves in our region. As we enter the final weeks of the semester, I want to share with you some important campus updates regarding enrollment, giving, academic programs, our move to university status and other campus news.

Enrollment snapshot

Undergraduate enrollment: We are pleased to report a successful fall application campaign. When the campus experienced an early snow day in mid-November, members of the admissions team stayed on campus to process hundreds of applications as a result of our Nov. 15 free-application promotion (thank you!). We will continue to secure applications through the winter months, but our primary emphasis at this time is to complete files and notify students of admissions decisions prior to the Christmas break. Additionally, the first round of financial aid packages is soon to be released. This is a vital part of the decision-making process for prospective students and their families that sets the stage for “deposit season” after the holidays. The enrollment management team deeply appreciates the coordination, cooperation and collaboration from all faculty and staff who have joyfully devoted themselves to all recruitment efforts including event days and individual interactions with prospective students and families. Thank you!

Dec. 4, 2018
Fall 2018 % to goal Goal Previous four year average to date
First-year Students
Applications 2,023 79% 2,550 1,919
Acceptances 1,164 58% 2,000 1,227
Active Deposits 117 18% 660 118
Transfer Students
Applications 77 27% 288 76
Acceptances 18 9% 191 25
Active Deposits 3 3% 87 3

Graduate enrollment: As of Nov. 30, unduplicated headcount for graduate enrollment is at 718, compared to 643 last year (+75). We are also ahead in new students compared to this time last year (208 this year vs. 205). Additionally, we have already reached 83 percent of the credit hours budgeted for the current fiscal year (compared to 78 percent to goal last year), and are on target to meet the overall graduate enrollment goal for FY19.

Doctor of Physical Therapy granted candidate for accreditation status

I am pleased to report that, effective Oct. 31, 2018, Messiah’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program has been granted candidate for accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Candidate for Accreditation is a pre-accreditation status of affiliation with CAPTE that indicates the program is progressing toward accreditation and may matriculate students in professional courses.

This is the next step in the accreditation process for the DPT program, and I want to recognize the efforts of Rob Pepper, dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Valerie Olson, director of the Graduate Program in Physical Therapy, and the faculty and staff of the DPT program, for their diligent work in achieving candidate status. Messiah College has a dedicated, competent faculty, a well-designed curriculum, excellent facilities, a growing list of clinical placements, and the necessary financial and institutional support needed to deliver an excellent program that is in alignment with CAPTE standards and the mission of Messiah College. Thank you to everyone who has supported, and continues to support, the development and launch of our DPT program.

In November, we began actively recruiting the inaugural cohort of DPT students, which will start in fall 2019. Recruitment is underway via our own marketing campaigns and through PTCAS, the national centralized application service for physical therapy programs. We currently have 11 students deposited and 11 additional PTCAS applications in process toward our cohort goal of 36 students.

University Implementation Task Force update

Following the approval of the board of trustees at its October 2018 meeting, the College announced that Messiah College will move to university status by July 1, 2020.

On Dec. 3, I chaired the first meeting of the University Implementation Task Force, which includes representation from the following faculty, staff, students and alumni, to oversee the transition from Messiah College to Messiah University:

  • Todd Allen, special assistant to the president and provost for diversity affairs/professor of communication
  • Randy Basinger, provost
  • Kris Cravey, director, Graduate Program in Business and Leadership/assistant professor of business
  • Carla Gross, executive director of marketing and communications/special assistant to the president for communication
  • Raeann Hamon, chair, Department of Human Development and Family Science/distinguished professor of family science and gerontology
  • Jay McClymont, director of alumni and parent relations
  • Kathie Shafer, vice president for operations
  • Jon Stuckey, director of development
  • Tetsuo Takahara, SGA Student Senate representative
  • Kevin Villegas, director of student involvement and leadership programs
  • Sarah Wade, associate vice president for enrollment management

The task force is organized into four subcommittees that will steer/oversee the following transitional areas:

  • The Education Subcommittee—co-chaired by Provost Basinger and myself, will steer the components of university status that impact academic structure, accreditation and other curricular and co-curricular aspects of the institution.
  • The Celebration Subcommittee—co-chaired by Kathie Shafer and Jon Stuckey, will identify opportunities for, and assist with coordination of, campus celebrations of Messiah’s university status from July 1, 2020 through Commencement 2021.
  • Marketing and Communications Subcommittee—chaired by Carla Gross, will steer and coordinate the branding, marketing and communications strategies related to becoming Messiah University.
  • Operations Subcommittee—chaired by Kathie Shafer, will implement and integrate the brand of Messiah University into the physical and operational structures of campus.

The subcommittee chairs are currently developing the membership of their teams, along with timelines and structures for their specific tasks. I will keep the campus community informed of the work and progress of the University Implementation Team via my campus updates.

Giving update

This Christmas season continues to be an active time of generosity from faithful Messiah’s donors and friends. As of Dec. 4, giving totals for the 2018-2019 fiscal year are as follows:

FY19 Giving Progress Report as of Dec. 4, 2018

Gifts Received      Messiah Fund/Operating        Cash Gifts and New Pledges
$ 3,119,853 $ 401,510 $ 5,060,943
49% of 6/30/19 goal of $6,308,000 25% of 6/30/19 goal of $1,578,000 43% of 6/30/19 goal of $11,808,000

Promoting the common good through the United Way

I’d like to extend my appreciation to all faculty, staff and administrators who gave to this year’s United Way Employee Giving campaign. Through your generous donations we raised $50,538, which exceeded our goal by more than $16,000—and will go to the work of local organizations that are meeting significant needs in our region. Thank you to Ashley Sheaffer, director of the Agape Center, for leading this year’s United Way Campaign, supported by her student interns Andrew Hernandez and Jocie Vanic. I am grateful for the way that the Messiah College community promotes the common good of our neighbors!

Office of the President update

I am pleased to announce that Karin Bisbee ’98 has accepted the position of executive coordinator for the Office of the President and the board of trustees, beginning Jan. 2, 2019. Karin brings a wealth of experience to the role and she will be a wonderful asset to our campus community. She comes to us most recently from Messiah Lifeways where she’s served for the past 13 years in a variety of roles, including director of development and communication. She and her husband, Dan ’97, live near the college with their children, Noah (age 13) and Sarah (age 8), who are both proud graduates of the College’s Early Learning Center, and now attend Covenant Christian Academy in Harrisburg. The Bisbee family attends Grantham Church where Dan is also executive pastor.

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.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).

  • Jim Martin, member of Messiah College Board of Trustees and the president of Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe, has been named Business Person of the Year by the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce. Local business and civic leaders honored Martin because of his business growth, experience and success, and his long-term contributions to his profession and the regional community. The Martin Family have been faithful friends and generous benefactors of Messiah College, providing many lasting, meaningful gifts for students such as the Martin Multicultural Scholarship Program and the Martin Dining Commons. You may read more details at http://www.chambersburg.org/blog/2018/12/07/jim-martin-named-2018-business-person-of-the-year.
  • Each year, the senior class is encouraged to come together to leave their own legacy on campus through supporting a variety of Messiah College initiatives. The goal is for students to give toward projects that resonate with their own passions and commitments, and this year is particularly significant. The College is proud to announce that the Senior Gift Committee unanimously voted to create an endowed scholarship in honor of their classmate Ethan Van Bochoven, a senior music major who was tragically killed in an automobile accident in Harrisburg, on Oct. 12. The scholarship will go towards supporting a Messiah music major with financial need who exhibits the love of performance and humility that Ethan is remembered for. Please remember to pray for Ethan’s family and friends as they continue to grieve their loss and seek to find meaningful ways such as this to remember Ethan’s life and the impact that he had on the lives of others.
  • The United Soccer Coaches (USC) awarded Messiah senior forward Nick West the highest honor an individual can achieve in Division III soccer, naming him the 2018 National Player of the Year. West becomes the 10th Falcon in Messiah men’s soccer history to be named National Player of the Year, with all 10 honors coming in the last 17 seasons. West’s year was a historic one even in the landscape of Messiah soccer. He led the nation with 30 goals, notching at least one tally in 18 of the Falcons’ 23 games. You may read more at https://gomessiah.com/news/2018/12/7/mens-soccer-nick-west-honored-as-the-national-player-of-the-year.aspx?path=msoc.
  • Congratulations to Lynda Morris, a 2018 Master’s in Strategic Leadership graduate, who was awarded the Volunteer of the Year award at the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC Catalyst Awards, held on Dec. 6 at the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts in Harrisburg. Morris serves as the executive director at Capital Region Partnership for Career Development. In addition to assisting with programs at the chamber and their Education Business Partnership Committee, she has assists youth (and others) in many ways, through her work with schools, church, and community organizations.
  • Jan Dormer, associate professor of TESOL, was selected by TESOL International Association to serve on its TESOL Standards Professional Council. The council supports the association in advancing the quality and expertise in the field of English language teaching through standards for teaching and learning. In addition to being an associate professor of TESOL in Messiah’s Graduate Program in Education, Dormer is the author of “Teaching English for Reconciliation” (2018) and “What School Leaders Need to Know about English Learners” (2016, TESOL Press).
  • Messiah’s Graduate Program in Higher Education was recently selected as the #3 “Best Master’s in Higher Education” program in the nation for 2019. It was also selected as the #1 “Faith-Based Program” for online programs. Read more: https://bit.ly/2qmbuBo
  • On Nov. 13, Messiah’s School of Graduate Studies and Geisinger Holy Spirit cosponsored a community event, “Generation Stress: Breaking the Stronghold of Anxiety on our Kids.” A diverse group of panelists provided a multidisciplinary view of the issue and helped attendees learn to recognize symptoms of anxiety, reasons children experience it, and practical ways parents and teachers can help. More than 600 tickets were distributed for the event, held in Parmer Hall, which was part of the Partners in Caring Speaker Series, a unique partnership between healthcare and academia designed to address relevant health and quality of life issues facing residents of south central Pennsylvania. Messiah panelists included Deedre Mitchell, associate professor in the Graduate Program in Counseling, and Doug Miller, professor of health and exercise science.

    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.

  • Messiah field hockey went 20-1 during the 2018 season and advanced to the Elite Eight. With a 20-win season this year, Messiah has registered three-straight seasons with at least 20 victories for the first time in program history. The Falcons also claimed their 12th-straight MAC Commonwealth Championship this season.
  • Messiah men’s soccer registered a 19-1-3 overall record, also advancing to the Elite Eight. Their trip to the sectional final was the 18th time the Falcons have appeared in the Elite Eight. Nick West led the nation with 30 goals scored this season, second most in a single season in program history (A. Oostdyke, 31 in 1973). Messiah earned the 17th MAC Commonwealth Championship in program history with a penalty kick decision over Lycoming.
  • Messiah women’s soccer finished the 2018 season with an overall record of 19-1-2, advancing to the 18th Sweet 16 in program history. Brooke Firestone and Sunny Gelnovatch combined for 30 goals and 13 assists to lead the Falcons’ offense on the season. Women’s soccer also earned their 16th MAC Commonwealth Title in the last 19 seasons (16th overall).
  • Messiah men’s cross country claimed their second-straight MAC Championship this season before earning their highest-ever finish at the NCAA Mideast Regionals by placing fourth among the 52 teams in attendance. Benjamin Schott earned his third-straight trip to the NCAA Championships where he finished 153rd as an individual.
  • Messiah women’s cross country earned a third-place finish at the MAC Championships, their fourth top-three finish in the last five years. At NCAA Regionals, the Falcons finished in sixth place, with Leanne Weaver earning her first-ever trip to the national championships where she ran a personal best time of 22:50.9 to place 140th as an individual.
  • Messiah women’s volleyball ended their season with an overall record of 15-16 and earned a spot in the MAC Commonwealth Championships. The Falcons hosted the play-in match as the four-seed and swept the Widener Pride.
  • The Falcons had a total of 15 student-athletes named All-Region during the fall season with six named All-American so far; field hockey has yet to announce their All-America team.
  • Brooke Firestone (women’s soccer), DJ Cole (women’s soccer), Cooper Robbins (men’s soccer), and Nick West (men’s soccer) were named First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District, an award that honors student-athletes for their abilities in the classroom and on the field. Firestone and West also went on to earn Third Team Academic All-American accolades.

    In closing

    During this time of final exams, year-end projects and hectic holiday to-do lists, take time to reflect on—and share with others—the spirit of hope, peace and redemption that the Christ child, our Messiah, offers to us all. Kelly and I wish you a blessed and restful Christmas and a very happy new year from our family to yours.

    Warm regards,

     Kim S. Phipps, president