Dear Colleagues:
I am pleased to be sending you my first campus update as the president of Messiah University! Thank you to everyone who shared, liked and reposted our university launch video, website and other communications among your professional and personal networks. It was a wonderful opportunity to share Messiah’s story and our institutional brand more visibly—and we look forward to celebrating as a university community in-person as soon as circumstances allow it! In the interim, the University Implementation Team will soon be communicating more about the distribution of Messiah University t-shirts to employees (along with some other branded and useful items!) before the start of the new academic year. Now, I’d like to briefly update you on our return-to-campus planning, enrollment, giving and other institutional news.
The Bridge to Reopen Messiah
We remain intently focused on our plans to reopen campus in August for an in-person start, and the launch of our fall semester for our undergraduate, graduate and adult degree students.
Reopening website: On July 15, the University launched the Bridge to Reopen Messiah website for campus stakeholders, including employees, students and parents, which details our fall 2020 plan that will allow us to fulfill our unique educational mission while simultaneously caring for the health and safety of students and employees. Numerous campus reopening teams continue to work on the extraordinary amount of logistics and planning need to launch our fall semester—focused on our commitments to health and safety, academic quality and flexibility, and student care and support.
Employee expectations: As outlined on the website, there is a checklist for employees on how we can all do our part for a safe and healthy start to our new academic year. All employees will also soon receive via email a “Community Promise” which outlines clear expectations for all educators, administrators and staff to help protect each other, our students and the surrounding community during the challenges of living and learning together during COVID-19. Students will also be receiving this promise.
Read the full return plan: Employees who would like to read the complete version of the Messiah University Return Plan may access the most recent version of the document on the FalconLink portal (search Messiah University Return Plan for fall 2020). As new developments, health information and/or state and federal guidelines emerge, changes to the plan will be updated each Thursday throughout the fall semester on Messiah’s emergency blog. Note: When you visit the blog, you may subscribe to automatically receive updated postings via email by selecting the blue “Follow” button in the right sidebar.
Please continue to check your campus email for any additional changing circumstances related to Messiah’s fall 2020 semester. Thank you for your continued commitment and service to Messiah’s mission and to our students during these challenging times.
MAC suspends fall 2020 athletic competition
On July 24, I participated in a meeting of the presidents of the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) and we were saddened to have to make the decision that in response to the continued COVID-19 pandemic and new NCAA related guidelines, the Conference will be suspending all intercollegiate athletic competitions for the duration of 2020. The MAC will be working with the NCAA and/or regional conferences to develop spring competition opportunities for fall sports as circumstances permit. The Conference is also leaving room for programs to work toward practicing in the fall. Cross country, field hockey, soccer, tennis and women’s volleyball will be able to participate in athletics activity that follows all campus protocols and procedures for health and safety and is phased in over time as contemplated by the NCAA resocialization of sport considerations. Winter sports will also work toward practicing in the fall to prepare for competition in 2021.
Earlier this month the NCAA announced more flexibility for Division III institutions in regards to their playing season. There is no longer a distinction between “traditional” and “non-traditional” seasons, instead there are 114 allowable days in the playing season for all sports in 2020-21. The MAC is just the latest among many Division III conferences that have suspended or canceled play for the upcoming 2020 fall semester and beyond. Click here to see a full list of conferences and institutions that have altered their athletic plans for the 2020 fall semester.
For the most current information, including FAQs on Messiah’s athletic schedule and plans, follow the Falcons on social media at @MessiahSports and on GoMessiah.com.
Inaugural State of the University address on Aug. 27
In a year of many unusual “firsts,” I will deliver the inaugural “State of the University” address via livestream on Aug. 27 at 9:30 a.m. I will miss the in-person fellowship of our annual Community Day gathering, which has been suspended due to state COVID-19 health and safety protocols. I am grateful, however, for Messiah’s personnel and technology resources that allow me to continue the tradition of “framing” the upcoming academic year. An email containing the livestream link will sent to you from the President’s Office.
Annual Plan status for 2019-2020
The Messiah community made progress on its Annual Plan for 2019-2020, (as rooted in the final year of Messiah College’s Strategic Plan for 2016-2010: “Embracing Change as Opportunity.”) Attached you will find the College’s Annual Plan summary of the status action plans for the past academic year.
As I’ve previously announced, Credo consulting has been leading our broader campus audit as an important step in laying the foundation for our FY21 upcoming strategic planning process. Employees and student leaders will be invited to participate in virtual planning sessions in September 2020, and the board will participate in October 2020—with the goal of finalizing the inaugural strategic plan for Messiah University by May 2021! The process is being led by a campus strategic planning team in collaboration with Credo.
Enrollment snapshot
Undergraduate admissions: First-year and transfer deposits continue to track closely to last year. Early summer melt among first-year students is currently minimal at 4 percent (26 students) compared to 8 percent (54 students) a year ago. Overall melt landed at 11.1 percent last fall, so we are working closely with students to serve them well and matriculate them in the fall. A virtual “pre-landing event” (aka summer orientation) was held and approximately 300 new students participated. Invoices will be sent to undergraduate students and their families during the week of Aug. 3 (a little later than previous cycles), and the Enrollment Management team is ready to work though potential financial concerns with families. The fall 2020 undergraduate admissions statistics are as follows:
| July 28, 2020 | |||||
| Fall 2020 | % to goal | Goal | Fall 2019 | Previous three-year average to date | |
| First-year Students | |||||
| Applications | 2,547 | 96% | 2,650 | 2,638 | 2,570 |
| Acceptances | 1,976 | 99% | 2,005 | 2,000 | 1,984 |
| Active Deposits | 625 | 99% | 629 | 625 | 651 |
| Transfer Students | |||||
| Applications | 272 | 94% | 290 | 295 | 293 |
| Acceptances | 162 | 78% | 207 | 190 | 194 |
| Active Deposits | 79 | 91% | 87 | 78 | 87 |
The total number of fall incoming (new and transfer) students is currently at 704. The compositional diversity rates for this incoming fall class are:
- Domestic students of color and international students = 19.5 percent (137 students)
- Domestic students of color = 17.2 percent (121 students)
- International Students = 2.3 percent (16 students)
Graduate enrollment FY21: The following is a graduate student enrollment comparison of where we are this year on July 28, 2020, to where we were last year on July 25, 2019:
- Ahead 38 new students (173 this year versus 135 last year)
- Ahead 82 unduplicated students (730 this year versus 648 last year)
- Ahead 1,215 credit hours (6,781 this year versus 5,566 last year; 46 percent to goal this year versus 44 percent to goal last year)
Giving update
I am delighted to report that—in a tumultuous year of unexpected challenges and a global pandemic—Messiah ended FY20 by exceeding our goals for total gifts received. Thank you to the Development team for persevering through the late spring months!
Not only were Messiah donors faithful on their pledge commitments and regular donations, but they also contributed generously to the Good Samaritan Fund. As noted in previous updates, the Good Samaritan Fund was one of the ways that donors could support students most impacted by COVID-19. This fund currently has nearly $120,000 available to assist students who are experiencing significant financial challenges because of the pandemic.
|
FY 2020 Giving Update as of June 30, 2020 Updated July 17, 2020 |
||
| Gifts Received | Messiah Fund /Operating | Gifts Received & New Pledges |
| $ 6,614,716 | $ 1,046,650 | $ 11,429,484 |
| June 30 Goals: | ||
| $6,030,000 110% of goal | $ 1,000,000 105% of revised goal | $ 12,030,000 95% of goal |
Good news about Messiah
Here is a sample of some recent highlights about the success of Messiah University’s programs and people. For more details visit messiah.edu/news, Messiah’s official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MessiahUniversity/ and the Bridge magazine www.messiah.edu/the_Bridge (the source sites for many of the below news items).
- I am delighted to report that 97 percent of Messiah’s first MOT cohort (class of 2019) successfully passed the NBCOT (The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy) within one year of completing their degree. Successfully passing the exam permits students to apply for their respective state licensure as an occupational therapist. This is an impressive pass rate for our first cohort and an important step towards continuing our program accreditation. Congratulations to all of our MOT graduates from the Class of 2019 and to our dedicated faculty and staff who educate and support our MOT students!
- Professor of History David Pettegrew has been offered a $60,000 Public Scholars Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for his project, “The Archaeology of the Early Christian World: History, Methods, Evidence” for research and writing a book on the archaeological history of Early Christianity. The grant was part of $30 million in grants the NEH announced on July 29 for 238 humanities projects across the country. This round of funding will support vital research, education, preservation and public programs in the humanities.
- Congratulations to Blake Lynch, Mike Eby and Brent Smith, three alumni recently named to Central Penn Business Journal’s list of Forty Under 40 honorees! Selected by independent judges for their achievements, leadership and community service, these outstanding young business leaders will be honored on the CPBJ’s virtual stage on Sept. 30.
- In July, Messiah Press (formerly College Press) was once again honored by the Association of College and University Printers (ACUP), during an online ceremony with a first place Gold Award in the category of “Digital Multi-piece,” which is awarded to the production team who best designs, prints and binds a complex project with multiple pieces working together to present a shared theme or message. The Messiah Press team won for a project that reworked their department’s change from college to university. This national award puts the Messiah Press up against competition from colleges and universities of all sizes and from Maine to Alaska. Congratulations to Ashley Todd for her winning design, Denny Barr and Cathy Weaver for their production work, and Tom Rhoads for his attention to detail and contributions in bindery.
In closing
We celebrate Messiah’s journey to becoming a university while simultaneously facing unprecedented challenges brought by a global pandemic that has reset our institutional life in so many unwanted ways. As your president, it has been my privilege to observe you giving your very best efforts these past four months. Your creativity, flexibility, and unwavering support for the education and well being of our students is evident on a daily basis. Working alongside you gives me much hope and confidence for Messiah’s future. Please know that I continue to pray for you as my valued colleagues. May we all join together in praying for God’s protection and guidance as we prepare to welcome and educate our students in the new academic year.
Warm regards,
Kim S. Phipps, president