Nov. 15, 2022

Dear Colleagues:

The academic year is progressing quickly with Thanksgiving break being only a week away! It has been an enriching fall semester and the Messiah community has much for which to be thankful. Since my last update we have enjoyed Homecoming and Family Weekend, hosted the board of trustees for their annual October meeting and celebrated the achievement of our capital campaign goal! The beautiful fall weather of recent weeks has reminded me how each season at Messiah brings a unique time of learning and growth in the lives of our students. I realize this is a very busy time for all of you; please know how much I appreciate the contributions you make to our students and our campus community.

Allow me to update you on undergraduate and graduate enrollment, giving, recent actions and decisions from the board of trustees, along with other campus-related news.

Highlights from the October 2022 board of trustees meeting

On Friday, Oct. 14-Saturday, Oct. 15, Messiah’s board of trustees held their annual on-campus fall meeting. Our trustees are a special, dedicated group of individuals who faithfully and voluntarily serve Messiah by contributing their experience, leadership and resources—and they were delighted to be back together on campus with our students and all of you. In addition to the important university business outlined below, the trustees were our special guests at the celebration event on Saturday evening commemorating the very successful completion of The Campaign for Messiah University: Learning for Life, Transforming the World. That night, we were delighted to announce that Messiah had exceeded the campaign goal of $75 million; we are currently at $80.8 million and counting!

The board’s Friday morning session began with a visit to Frey Hall to tour the new cybersecurity lab, the new digital media lab and to interact with professors and students in those disciplines. Our first business session featured an encouraging update on the good work being done by Rob Pepper in his role of creating university partnerships. Our Friday evening board dinner afforded an opportunity to celebrate and recognize Barry Goodling, prior to his retirement at the end of December, for his nearly three-decade career and the significant impact he has made on philanthropy at Messiah as vice president for advancement.

The final board session concluded with reports and action items from the board’s various committees, which are summarized below.

From the Committee on Assurance: The board approved the University’s FY22 audited financial statements by BakerTilly LLC and approved the 403(b) Benefits Audit 2021 by CapinCrouse LLP.

From the Committee on Education: The board reviewed and approved term tenure and emeritus status of COE members as presented based on the recommendation of the Term-Tenure and Promotion Committee, the provost and the president.

From the Committee on Governance: The board approved a language revision regarding the importance of a person in Messiah’s Foundational Values to include a statement about abilities. The revised foundational value language would read: “Every person is to be respected and valued, regardless of gender, race, nationality, ability, status or position.”

From the Committee on Finance:

  • FY22 surplus designation: The University experienced an FY22 year-end operating cash flow surplus of $2,648,000 as a result of significant savings in operating expenditures (primarily in areas that were underspent due to pandemic-related circumstances, i.e., travel, utilities, supplies, printing, hospitality, etc., and also a result of one-time government COVID-relief funding). The board approved the entirety of this nearly $2.65 million surplus be retained as institutional surplus/contingency reserves.
  • FY23 financial plan: Trustees approved the FY23 Financial Plan as presented and as approved previously by campus governance groups in spring 2022.
  • Approval of FY24 tuition, fees, room and board: Trustees also approved Messiah’s tuition, fees and room and board rates for FY24 as presented and recently approved by campus governance groups. Per Messiah’s usual practice, the approved FY24 tuition and fee schedule will be publicly announced to students and their families in early 2023.

From the Committee on Operations:

Authorization of new facilities projects:  The board approved moving forward with the below facility priorities for the institution:

  • Campus entrance construction: The board authorized Messiah University to proceed with the construction of a new campus entrance with a budget not to exceed $1.1 million. This fall, the University received a generous leadership gift pledge which completed the funding for this project, ensuring we can begin this project early next year. We will install a brick gate around the perimeter of the traffic circle on Lisburn Road and also install sidewalks and lighting along Grantham Road, which will significantly improve the safety of the corridor from Orchard Hill leading to campus. Additionally, we will install an updated digital message board for enhanced welcoming/wayfinding messaging that will improve first impressions for campus visitors as they approach University Avenue. This project first emerged as an important priority in the campus master plan and in conjunction with the traffic circle construction several years ago and, as such, was included as part of The Campaign for Messiah. However, due to various challenges (including the pandemic), the improvements were delayed until funding could be secured. Construction will begin in spring 2023 with a target completion date in time for the opening of the fall 2023 semester. You may view renderings of the project here.
  • Expansion of the Engle Center for Counseling and Health Services: As announced last year, the University launched an appeal to raise funds for a much-needed expansion to the Engle Center to provide for the growing need for counseling and health services for our students. The trustees have authorized the University to proceed with construction and renovations to the Engle Center with a budget not to exceed $2.8 million.

I invite you to read more about the campaign and these projects in the giving snapshot following later in this update.

Enrollment snapshot

Fall 2023 undergraduate recruitment: Applications, admissions and deposits have been running slightly ahead of last year as we approach our Nov. 15 free-application deadline. Two October open houses showcased campus beautifully as we hosted more than 300 families exploring Messiah for next fall and beyond. Two additional events, Spotlight Days, are planned for Nov. 11 and 18. Our Dean’s Scholarship ($1,000 per year for visiting campus) has already been awarded to 226 students for next fall and will be used to continue promoting the value of a campus visit in the enrollment process.

Below is a summary of admissions activity on Nov. 10:

Nov. 10, 2022
 

Fall 2023

% to goal

Goal

Fall 2022

3-year average

First-year students

Applications

1,211

47%

2,575

1,134

1,231

Acceptances

761

38%

2,000

762

760

Active deposits

96

17%

580

76

65

Transfer students

Applications

37

13%

290

31

52

Acceptances

18

9%

210

17

17

Active deposits

3

3%

87

4

3

Graduate enrollment FY23:  The 2022-2023 fiscal year budgeted credit hour goal is 14,790. As of the end of fall, we have reached 7,012.5 registered credit hours (47% to goal). Comparing where we are this year to where we were last year on Nov. 12, 2021:

  • 196 new students (58% to goal) this year compared to 188 (52% to goal) last year
  • 776 unduplicated students (85 % to goal) this year compared to 816 (87% to goal) last year
  • 7,012.5 credit hours (47% to goal) this year compared to 7,806.5 (51% to goal) last year
  • We are confident of achieving the annual targeted goal for FY23.

Giving snapshot

Overall giving for FY23: As of Nov. 9, we are ahead in total giving by more than $1 million compared to last year at this time. And we are ahead in total giving and new pledges by $4.5 million compared to last year at this time, including the generous leadership gift pledge that completed funding for the new campus entrance project.

Giving as of Nov. 9, 2022:

  • Total giving: $2,571,310 (40% of the June 30, 2023 goal)
  • Messiah Fund/operating: $394,843 (30% of the June 30, 2023 goal)
  • Total giving and new pledges: $6,999,204 (58% of the June 30, 2023 goal)

The Campaign for Messiah University: It was very gratifying to share the fundraising success of The Campaign for Messiah University: Learning for Life, Transforming the World at our celebration event on Oct. 15. As we gathered under an elegant tent for dinner on a lovely fall evening, we recognized the generosity of our donors who made it possible for Messiah to exceed the $75 million goal (currently at $80.8 million and counting!) with additional time remaining until the campaign concludes on Dec. 31, 2022. I invite you to view the campaign celebration video, which highlights the successes of the Campaign for Messiah University and the impact they have made—and will continue to make for generations—in the lives of our students.

What does it mean that Messiah exceeded its campaign goal? The Campaign for Messiah University was launched with five areas of focus: 1) the Messiah Fund 2) scholarship endowment 3) facility priorities 4) restricted giving and 5) estate gifts. The fact that we have already exceeded the goal has two main implications. First, we were able to add projects that were not originally on the list of priorities when the campaign began, including the expansion to the Engle Center and the other facilities listed below.  Second, it means we are able to offer more resources for our students, particularly as it relates to increased dollars for scholarship endowment and scholarship aid. Sustained acts of generosity have nurtured and supported our mission for our 113-year history. Beyond our gratitude for those who have invested in Messiah, we remain deeply thankful for the Lord’s faithful provision and for a bright future for Messiah University.

What’s next? Our work is not yet complete! Over the next several months, including beyond the official close of the campaign, Messiah’s development team will remain focused on continuing to raise funds for several key priorities that are rooted in the University’s strategic priorities and the emerging needs of our students:

  • The Messiah Fund provides critical support for the annual budget of the University by providing scholarship aid to all students as well as funding for campus improvements, student-faculty research and service and missions trips
  • Scholarship Endowment, which provides additional resources for families to make certain that a Christ-centered Messiah education remains affordable. Over the course of the campaign, we generated an additional $10 million in scholarship endowment support, which is providing $500,000 in new annual scholarships. We seek to continue this endowment growth trajectory to help even more students through expanded scholarship support.
  • Facility priorities
    • “Warmer Welcome” campaign for Messiah athletics – While we have upgraded the fields at our Starry Athletic Complex through the years, our concession and comfort facilities have not been renovated since the 1980s. Currently, the only permanent hospitality facility we have is the Falcon Hut, a small and outdated building, ill-equipped to support the significant growth of our current athletics program. We also lack proper seating for our lacrosse and softball fans, both in capacity and in obstructed/limited views of the fields of play. And while we addressed similar seating challenges for Messiah baseball fans several years ago, the baseball dugouts for our home Falcons and visiting teams are too small. Accordingly, our Warmer Welcome Campaign is focused on improving hospitality and concessions for all of Starry as well as seating for lacrosse and adding enhancements for softball and baseball. We are currently at $4 million toward our $5.5 million goal (72% of goal). More information about this project can be found at: http://www.messiah.edu/warmerwelcome.
    • Engle Health and Counseling Center expansion – Named for longtime Messiah University Trustee and his wife, “Doc” Harold and Mary Elizabeth Engle, the Messiah University Engle Health and Counseling Center provides high-quality physical and mental health care to our community. With the added pressures of physical and mental health demands brought about by COVID-19, the center has been stretched beyond capacity and needs a significant expansion. In the last three years, there has been a 200-300% increase in clinic visits and utilization of the health center by our students necessitating this expansion. Co-chairs for this important fundraising endeavor are Joe and Nancy Huerter along with Emerson ’74 and Ruth Lesher. Joe Huerter and Emerson Lesher have also served the University as Messiah trustees. We are looking to reach a $750,000 fundraising goal in time to break ground on the expanded facility in spring 2023 and open by fall 2023. Currently, we are at $341,000 (45% of goal). More information about this project can be found at: www.messiah.edu/engleappeal.
    • Resurfacing of the indoor track – A key part of the training regimen for both women’s and men’s track and field teams is the indoor track located on the upper level of the Hitchcock Arena within the Sollenberger Sports Center. The indoor track has never been replaced since it was first installed in 1985. Not only is the surface well-worn and age-compressed after 37 years of hard use, but, over this amount of time, it is also very damaging on the athletes’ bodies. The track is also an important fitness and wellness resource for the entire campus and local community. A planned new track surface will ensure fewer injuries among our runners and those who regularly walk the track. We have raised $155,000 toward our $250,000 goal (62%). If you would like additional information, please email Jon Stuckey at jstuckey@messiah.edu.
  • Estate planning gifts – These conversations related to leaving assets to Messiah University in donors’ wills and estate plans, help document future gifts to the University and better prepare us for financial stability and sustainability in the long-term.

Partnerships update

 In my State of the University address in September, I shared the importance of creating strong external university partnerships as a critical part of Messiah’s current institutional strategic plan. Since that time, Messiah has publicly announced the details of the following partnerships that position Messiah to make effective, mutually beneficial connections in our region:

The Bridge Center for Continuing Education:  Messiah University’s strategic plan calls for the creation of workforce development initiatives that expand Messiah University’s reach and advance the goal of becoming an institution that is committed to learning for life. The Bridge Center for Continuing Education was launched in September 2022 and will be coordinating programming designed to meet the needs of adult learner and partners. It will develop customized workforce development programs, continuing education, reskilling, and upskilling programming. Some of these programs will feature a partner organization and others we will be developed and administered solely by Messiah. For example, The Bridge Center has been contracted to provide continuing education training for house parents at Milton Hershey. Messiah educators are providing 21 workshops over a four-day period. We are pursuing additional opportunities to work with Milton and Catherine Hershey Schools in the area of early childhood education. Read the Bridge Center news announcement.

NAIOMT: Messiah has entered into a partnership agreement with NAIOMT (North American Integration of Manual Therapy) that will offer physical therapy continuing education events, an orthopedic clinical residency and the development of a Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree for Messiah’s graduate school. NAIOMT is a private physical therapist-owned organization dedicated to achieving the highest standards of clinical practice for manual physical therapists. NAIOMT strongly supports the union of the clinician, academician, and researcher to further facilitate the development of quality patient care, physical therapy education and the development of master clinicians. Read the NAIOMT news announcement.

Phoenix Rehabilitation and Health Services: Last month, we officially announced that Phoenix PT will be operating an inter-professional clinic at the Messiah University Winding Hill location. This partnership provides opportunities for collaboration on the training and development of the next generation of entry-level physical and occupational therapists and certified athletic trainers, continuing education opportunities for health care professionals and opportunities for research that advances evidence-based practice. Phoenix employees will also be engaged in the continuing education opportunities provided through NAIOMT. We are pleased that Kelly Clancy (Thomas), a 2006 Messiah University alum, has been hired by Phoenix as the clinic director. Read the Phoenix news announcement.

The Pathway Partners Program: brings Messiah University and K-12 educational partner students, families, and employees into a sustainable and intentional relationship. While each partnership will be designed to address the unique needs of the partner, agreements will typically include dual enrollment opportunities, continuing education and graduate programming for partner employees, traditional undergraduate enrollment scholarships, and summer camp programming for partner students. We have a goal of 12 schools over the next three years. The Christian School Association of Greater Harrisburg (formerly Harrisburg Christian School and West Shore Christian Academy) have signed the agreement and we are presently in conversation with five additional schools. Read the Pathway Partners news announcement.

Capitol Area Intermediate Unit (CAIU): This partnership will provide a 30% tuition discount for CAIU employees and member employees in public, vocational and non-public schools in the CAIU district. The discount is available to employees and member-district employees enrolled in graduate-level education degrees, certificates and/or certification programs in the special education; social, emotional and behavior wellness (SEBW); and teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) content areas. We are also in conversation related to providing continuing education opportunities for educators in the region. Read the CAIU news announcement.

Good news about Messiah

Below are just some of the recent achievements and good news stories of members of the Messiah community. For more details visit messiah.edu/news, Messiah’s official Facebook page, the Intercom and the Bridge magazine  (the source sites for many of the below news items).

  • New research by Kyle Chu ’24 and faculty advisor Jason Renn, assistant professor of politics, was published in late September by the Center for Public Justice (CPJ), a Christian civic education and public policy research organization based in Washington, D.C. Chu and Renn are recipients of The Hatfield Prize, which honors the late Senator Mark O. Hatfield, a U.S. Senator from Oregon known for integrating his Christian faith and his public policy commitments. The pair’s research examines diversion and prevention models that keep young people in their communities, as well as models that provide restorative, holistic support. Chu’s research highlights the need for juvenile justice reform and offers recommendations for government and civil society institutions, including faith-based organizations and houses of worship, to partner together for the flourishing of youth and their communities. Chu completed his research during his sophomore year and will graduate with a degree in political science and international relations in 2024. Read the news announcement.
  • Congratulations to Associate Professor of Music Erik Forst, whose debut solo album, “My Little Island,” released on the Mark Masters record label, was recently submitted and accepted for consideration for nomination for best classical instrumental solo for the 2022-23 Grammy Awards. The voting period closed on Oct. 23 and nominations will be announced in mid-December.
  • Toni Marie Palmertree, adjunct faculty member in the Graduate Program in Music, made her Metropolitan Opera debut on Nov. 3, singing the role of “Voce dal Cielo” ( translates as “Voice of Heaven”) in Verdi’s “Don Carlo.” The role is sung from the “domes” above the famous Metropolitan Opera Swarovski Crystal chandeliers to make it sound like the voice is coming from heaven. A filmed feature on Toni doing the role will be filmed on Nov. 15th. She will also be making two additional house debuts in 2023, singing the title role in “Butterfly” for Palm Beach Opera in January and the title role in “Tosca” for Florida Grand Opera in March/April. 
  • Biological Sciences alumna Molly Bletz ’11 was interviewed by and quoted in a recent story published by Katherine J. Wu for The Atlantic. “We’re Giving Up on the (Frog) Pandemic” describes work by scientists around the world to stave off a fungal pathogen that has decimated amphibian species everywhere. Bletz has worked on this disease since her first publication with Erik Lindquist in 2011. She is the David H. Smith Conservation Fellow, University of Massachusetts Boston, specializing as a disease ecologist and conservation biologist.
  • In fall of 2022, Messiah students majoring in education began a tutoring partnership with Capital Area Intermediate Unit where Messiah students are tutoring English learners in 28 local districts. Due to the challenges associated with Covid-19, English learners especially experienced learning loss. This tutoring will both support K-12 students as well as provide income and practice for our students.
  • Gregg Hurley, associate professor of dance, was invited to perform his work, “Two Halves Make a (W)hole,” at the American Dance Guild’s 2022 Performance Festival, “Return, Renew, Rejoice.” The festival will take place on Dec. 1-4, 2022, at the Ailey Citigroup Theater in New York City.
  • Valerie Lemmon, professor of psychology, has been honored by the Pennsylvania Psychological Association (PPA) with the “Outstanding Contributions to Ethics Education for Psychologists in Pennsylvania” award.

Messiah Athletics highlights

Below are highlights of recent success and accomplishments of Messiah student athletes and the Division of Athletics. For more details, and to view schedules to come out to cheer on the Falcons at future athletic events, visit www.gomessiah.com. 

  • Men’s cross country claimed their fourth MAC Championship in the last five years with a dominating effort at the conference championship! Logan Horst was named the MAC Runner of the Year for the second-straight season as the Falcons finished with 40 team points, 41 points ahead of second-place Widener. Louka Fetter was named the Rookie of the Year as Messiah claimed six All-Conference honors. At regionals this past weekend, the Falcons finished third overall while Logan Horst and Andrew Hutchinson qualified for Nationals in East Lansing, Mich. next week.
  • Field hockey won their 15th-straight MAC Commonwealth Championship with a 2-0 victory over the York Spartans on Nov. 5. Carrie Bair and Makayla Malcolm scored the goals in the championship game and Lauren Seubert was named the Tournament MVP after leading a stellar defensive effort. The Falcons advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and finished the season with a 17-3 overall record.
  • Men’s soccer claimed their 20th MAC Commonwealth Championship in program history with a 5-0 victory over Widener on Nov. 5. After a 4-1 victory in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, Messiah suffered a penalty kick defeat against Williams College in the Second Round ending their season with an overall record of 20-0-2. It is the third time in program history the Falcons did not lose a game in a season.
  • Women’s soccer earned their 22nd-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament after winning the MAC Commonwealth Championship last weekend with a 2-0 victory over the York Spartans. Kylie Firestone was named the MAC Commonwealth Tournament MVP after scoring in the semifinal and adding an assist in the championship game. The Falcons advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 20th time in program history and will play the Emory Eagles at Carnegie Mellon University on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.
  • Women’s volleyball advanced to the MAC Commonwealth Tournament and swept the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen in the play-in game on Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena. While their season ended in the MAC Commonwealth Semifinals, the Falcons finished the season with a 19-10 overall record, including nine-straight victories to open the season.
  • Women’s cross country earned a fifth-place finish at the MAC Championships at the end of October and finished 11th in the Mid-Atlantic regional this past weekend.
  • Men’s and women’s swimming are off to stellar starts in the 2022-23 season. Both teams are 7-0 on the young season with the men already topping their win total from a year ago. Last weekend the men earned a thrilling 132-130 victory over Arcadia to snap a streak of 25-straight DIII dual victories for the Knights.
  • Men’s and women’s basketball got their seasons underway this week. The men started the new year with a 68-61 victory over Shenandoah and then homed their home slate with a thrilling 70-68 double-overtime victory over Penn State Abington in their home opener. The women also opened their season with an exciting 48-47 victory over Johns Hopkins.
  • Wrestling started the new year last weekend by hosting the Messiah Invitational. The Falcons had 11 wrestlers earn top-six finishes on the day with Noah Rice finishing as the runner-up at 149 lbs. for the Falcons’ best finish of the day.

In closing

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. –Colossians 3:16-17

I wish you all a happy and restful Thanksgiving in the company of family and friends and hope that you will return refreshed and ready to complete the final weeks of our fall semester. I look forward to celebrating the Advent season with you. Watch your campus email for details on the many wonderful events we have planned to share in the joy of the Christmas season.

 Warm regards,

Kim S. Phipps, President