Oct. 30, 2020
Dear Colleagues:
“Together at Messiah” has been the mantra for our first semester as Messiah University. And while COVID-19 has impacted every aspect of campus learning and life, our community has adapted to pursue our mission with creativity and resourcefulness. We are now 10 weeks into our fall term, and I remain grateful for our campus’ mitigation and management of COVID-19, and for the encouraging results of our ongoing testing among on-campus students and employees. I am also inspired by the examples of innovative, high-quality scholarship and learning that abound amidst all of the challenges. This is relentless and exhausting work. I realize that students and employees are experiencing the physical, emotional and spiritual weight of maintaining this highly altered educational and residential experience this fall. Thank you for the myriad of ways you have rallied together to educate and care for our students.
Now, I’d like to briefly update you on the highlights of the recent fall board of trustee meetings, enrollment, giving and other institutional news.
Summary of the October board of trustees meeting
Due to social distancing directives, Messiah’s trustees met this fall via a full-board video conference meeting on Oct. 15, with the various committees of the board hosting earlier individual sessions. The board’s key topics of conversation related to updates on Messiah’s institutional response and planning related to COVID-19, and the next strategic plan for Messiah University. Jennifer deCoste, vice president of strategy for CREDO, led the full board through a strategic planning engagement session to discuss the emerging themes identified by the campus community in September, and engaged trustees in brainstorming possible initiatives and action steps for the future. Our institutional goal is to have a completed strategic plan for board approval at the spring 2021 trustee meeting.
On Nov. 5 the campus strategic planning committee will meet with CREDO for a full-day session to review campus community and board input. A summary of that input will be available on the Strategic Planning and Prioritization website on Nov. 16, 2020.
Below is a summary of the board’s key decisions and action items:
From the Committee on Assurance: The board approved the University’s FY20 audited financial statements by BakerTilly LLC and approved the calendar 2019 403(b) benefits audit by CapinCrouse LLP. The trustees also approved Baker Tilly, LLC and CapinCrouse, LLP as the auditors for FY21 and 2020 respectively.
From the Committee on Education: The board reviewed and approved term tenure renewal and emeritus status of educators as presented based on the recommendation of the Term-Tenure and Promotion Committee, the provost and the president.
From the Committee on Finance:
- The board approved a designation for the FY20 operating cash flow surplus of $771,000 to be retained as surplus/contingency reserves. Trustees were extremely appreciative of our campus community’s strategic fiscal response to the financial challenges of COVID-19 that resulted in this modest but important reserve, particularly when FY21 is marked by significant challenges.
- The board approved the University’s FY21 financial plan as presented and affirmed by campus governance groups.
- Trustees additionally approved Messiah’s tuition, fees and room and board rates for FY22 as presented and as approved by campus governance groups. Per Messiah’s usual practice, the approved FY22 tuition and fee schedule will be publicly announced to students and their families in early 2021.
Update on the Oakwood Hills development project
Oakwood Hills, a real estate development project commissioned by the Board of Trustees of Messiah University, is a long-term investment made via the endowment of the University. A separate, for-profit company was formed , Rider Musser Development, LLC, to develop the vacant land across from the University’s Grantham campus.
Messiah’s initial equity in Rider Musser Development (Rider Musser) was sufficient to attract long-term financing investment so that development and a longer-term financial plan could be accomplished. Rider Musser leveraged the University’s investment into a larger amount by financing the construction of six apartment buildings, a clubhouse and road construction by selling municipal bonds. In other words, the money from the University was used as a capital investment that enabled Rider Musser to borrow the necessary funds.
The entire mission of Rider Musser is to turn this land into a financially productive venture with a recurring stream of income for the University. Full implementation of this strategic vision will take years. Rider Musser now has bondholders who must be paid back their investment in this project. Debt service schedules were based on rental income assumptions. At the same time, a smaller amount of money will be repaid to the University beginning in 2023. As the debt decreases over the years, the amount that comes back to the University increases, and when bond holders are repaid the University will be the sole owner. The short-term financial plan, in the early years of the venture, focuses on debt service to the investors so that the University regains ownership of the development. During that time period, only a small amount of the initial investment is repaid to the University. Over time, as the cost of the debt decreases, this investment will provide a greater revenue stream to the University.
This context is important to understand in terms of our utilization of the Oakwood Hills apartments this fall for student housing. In August 2020, Messiah University asked Rider Musser for assistance in housing students due to the physical distancing requirements mandated by the pandemic. While Rider Musser offered the apartments at below market rate, Messiah University needs to fund this expense so that Rider Musser can maintain the planned debt service schedule and fund their operating expenses. This transaction is necessary at this point because Rider Musser is still paying bondholders for their investment as well as ongoing operating expenses. Rider Musser is an operating for-profit entity with ongoing fixed and variable expenses, including debt service, real estate taxes, insurance, sewer/water/utilities, property management and maintenance.
The commercial portion of the Rider Musser development is forthcoming. The pandemic has greatly slowed down the momentum in attracting businesses that want to build, but interesting discussions are occurring at the present and are hopeful and optimistic. The Rider Musser team has been successful in securing $6.2 million in state loans/grants for potential construction of this phase.
Messiah receives a nearly $1 million Lilly Grant
I am delighted to announce that Messiah University has received a nearly $1million Lilly Grant ($978,525 over a five-year grant period) for a project focused on efforts to cultivate Christian congregations learning to understand the history of racial injustice and the biblical mandate for reconciliation – one of Messiah’s core values. Messiah’s program, Thriving Together: Congregations for Racial Justice, is designed to help congregations grapple not only with large historical, social and religious contexts of racial injustice, but also delve deeply into local histories and congregational practices. Messiah faculty and students will work with 12 congregations representing different denominations to develop educational programming and mentoring. It will also be our goal to walk further into our own calling to be an instrument of God’s peace in our region as we seek to fulfill our identity and mission as a Christian institution of higher education. Peter Powers, dean of the school of the humanities and interim dean of the school of business, education and social sciences, and a team of faculty, including program director Drew Hart, assistant professor of theology, are providing leadership to this initiative. Of special note, Messiah’s proposal was one of only 94 grants funded from among more than 800 applications! Read more details.
DNP program earns accreditation
On Oct. 22, Messiah University received official notification from the CCNE Board of Commissioners that our Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program has received its initial CCNE accreditation, effective March 2, 2020. This accreditation, including the countless hours of hard work, planning and rigorous documentation that go into the process, is a reflection of Messiah’s commitment to nursing excellence and to maintaining the highest standards of nursing education. I am grateful for the leadership of Assistant Dean of Nursing Kim Fenstermacher and Kristen Slabaugh, coordinator of the DNP program, and for the earnest contributions of the faculty and staff involved in this effort. Congratulations on this outstanding achievement! Read the full announcement.
Enrollment update
Undergraduate admissions fall 2021: Although it is still early in the recruitment calendar, applications for fall 2021 are running behind as we approach the Nov. 15 free-application deadline which appears to be a national trend. Students starting college next fall are dealing with a variety of academic challenges (remote learning, reduced access to standardized tests, canceled events, etc.) causing an expected delay in the completion of college applications. The undergraduate admissions team is focused on connecting with students to encourage applications and visits. In addition to building our inquiry pool through additional name purchases, we are working with Messiah’s marketing team to design and implement multiple digital campaigns in order to boost our online presence.
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Oct. 27, 2020 |
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| Fall 2021 | % to goal | Goal | Fall 2020 | Previous three-year average to date | |
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First-year Students |
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| Applications | 790 | 31% | 2,550 | 982 | 891 |
| Acceptances | 423 | 22% | 1,950 | 545 | 481 |
| Active Deposits | 43 | 7% | 580 | 35 | 49 |
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Transfer Students |
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| Applications | 30 | 10% | 290 | 40 | 31 |
| Acceptances | 13 | 6% | 210 | 16 | 13 |
| Active Deposits | 7 | 8% | 90 | 5 | 3 |
Up to 10 families per day are able to participate in campus visits, tours and professor/coach meetings. Enrollment Management will safely increase those numbers after they move into the Kim S. Phipps Admissions and Welcome Center in early December. Additionally, there are a variety of ways for students to engage virtually with Messiah, including the navigation of our campus via a NEW virtual tour. Upcoming virtual admissions events include:
- Nov. 6, Spotlight Day (SOTA)
- Nov. 9, Honors Day I
- Nov. 13, Spotlight Day (BESS/HUM)
- Nov. 18, Spotlight Day (SEH)
John Chopka, vice president for enrollment management, has asked me to convey his sincere appreciation for the many ways our faculty and staff assist in recruiting new students. Because of pandemic-related limitations on travel and outreach, admissions team members are not meeting as many students in face-to-face settings. Please take time to submit names of prospective students through the Messiah University Refer a Falcon Program. Students referred by members of our community are much more likely to follow through with a visit or application. Thank you for taking time to think of students within your family, church or community who may be ready to see anew at Messiah!
Graduate enrollment FY21: The 2020-2021 fiscal year budgeted credit hour goals is 14,811. Currently we have reached 7,439 registered credit hours (50 percent to goal). Comparing where we are this year to where we were last year on Oct. 30, 2019:
- Ahead 44 new students (226 this year versus 182 last year)
- Ahead 83 unduplicated students (810 this year versus 727 last year)
- Ahead 1,311 credit hours (7,439 this year versus 6,128 last year; 50 percent to goal this year versus 48 percent to goal last year)
Assistant Provost and Dean Rob Pepper, along with the entire administrative, staff and faculty team of the School of Graduate Studies, are to be commended for the continued growth of these programs—which are vital components of our institutional vision for learning for life.
Giving update
Overall giving: Despite the ongoing challenges with fundraising during a global pandemic, we continue to be inspired by and deeply grateful for the faithful generosity of the Messiah alumni, parent, employee and friend donor community. We are currently at $2.3 million gifts in the door (38 percent of our June 30, 2021 goal), which is $450,000 ahead of last year at this same time. Total gifts and new pledges total just over $4 million (34 percent of our June 30, 2021 goal).
Fall donor appeal: Each fall, donors are invited to renew their annual contribution to the Messiah Fund and the development team seeks to add new or lapsed donors. So far this year, nearly 250 individuals have made a Messiah Fund gift, which is well over double the number from last year at this time. It is important to note that at just over $310,000 (24 percent of our June 30 goal), we are slightly behind our overall Messiah Fund / Operating giving from last year despite the increase in donors. More individuals are donating! Our sense is that the pandemic has had a lingering impact on discretionary spending, but that our donors still desire to continue to help our students.
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FY21 Giving Update as of Oct. 26, 2020 |
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| Gifts Received | Messiah Fund /Operating | Gifts Received and New Pledges |
| $ 2,311,600 | $ 310,462 | $ 4,033,979 |
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June 30, 2021 goals: |
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| $ 6,030,000 38% of goal | $ 1,300,0002 4% of goal | $ 12,030,000 34% of goal |
Changes to Commencement 2021
Both the undergraduate and graduate Classes of 2020 lost their opportunity to graduate together and in-person due to COVID-19. Campus leadership has explored numerous options for hosting an in-person ceremony to honor these graduates during the current fall semester or winter break—but because of federal/state and public health restrictions, this is not feasible. In response, as I previously announced via mass email, Messiah University is planning to host historic Commencement celebrations on May 8, 2021 (undergraduate) and May 15, 2021 (graduate). The University will commemorate a unique opportunity to be able to recognize Commencement for the last class to officially graduate from Messiah College (the Class of 2020) on the same day as celebrating the Commencement for the first official class to graduate from Messiah University (the Class of 2021)—for both the undergraduate and graduate classes. Preliminary plans may be found at www.messiah.edu/UGCommencement and www.messiah.edu/GRADCommencement, and additional details regarding participation will be communicated to all employees in early 2021.
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).
- Alison Noble, associate provost and professor of chemistry, has been elected to a four-year term on the National Board of the Lilly Fellows Program. The program, founded in 1991, strengthens the quality and character of church-related institutions of learning by:
- Offering postdoctoral teaching fellowships for young scholars who wish to prepare themselves for positions of teaching, scholarship and leadership within church-related institutions;
- Supporting young adults who are exploring vocations in church-related higher education through the Lilly Graduate Fellows Program;
- Maintaining a collaborative Lilly Network of church-related colleges and universities that sponsors activities and publications designed to explore the Christian character of the academic vocation and to strengthen the religious nature of church-related institutions.
The Lilly Network, of which Messiah University is a founding member, is comprised of 98 member schools representing a diversity of denominational traditions, institutional types and geographical locations. The program is based at Christ College, the interdisciplinary honors college of Valparaiso University in Northwest Indiana. Congratulations to Dr. Noble on this prestigious invitation and recognition.
- Messiah alumna Sarah Imboden ’04, is featured in a new documentary film, “For Love of Neighbor: Politics for the Common Good,” which tells the stories of Sarah and two other individuals—U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and founder of the AND Campaign Justin Giboney—who, on different levels and in distinct ways, are seeking to engage faithfully in contemporary American politics. You can view the film’s trailer and learn more about the documentary, produced by the Initiative on Faith and Public Life, at https://faithandpubliclife.com/flon/.
- Messiah Press earned several recognitions at the annual In-plant Printing and Mailing Association (IPMA) print awards on Sept. 23. There were hundreds of entries from in-house print shops all over the country. Only four in-plants earned three awards each, and Messiah Press was one of them! The Messiah Press team earned the following awards:
- The “Allice’s Adventures in Wonderland” marquee won a first-place Gold award, making Messiah Press eligible for a best in show award in June 2021.
- The Oakwood Hills ribbon cutting ceremony program won a silver award.
- And the “Dancing Prayers” marquee took bronze.
In closing
Although this semester has been challenging and exhausting, I remain encouraged by God’s faithfulness and the gratitude expressed by our students. They are thankful for all you have done, and are doing, to make their educational experience so meaningful. Allow me to share the words of two Messiah parents who are also alumni:
“We are praying for you, the professors, staff and the entire leadership team of Messiah University. During this global pandemic you had to work together to make critical decisions for the Messiah community… Thank you for your leadership, commitment to educational excellence and spiritual guidance in the lives of our children…”
Please continue to encourage, support and sustain our students—and each other—as we persevere during the last several weeks of this fall semester. As I shared with our trustees, I am so proud of the way that you have joined together to nurture, educate and care for our students during this unprecedented time. Praise God for sustained faithfulness to Messiah University; and I pray for all of us to experience continued guidance, wisdom and protection in the days ahead.
Warm regards,
Kim S. Phipps, President