Dear Colleagues:

It was rewarding to begin our new calendar year together with the meaningful activities of our campus’ Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative week, planned in partnership by our students and colleagues in Multicultural and International Student Programs, Office of Diversity Affairs, Agape Center, Campus Ministries, Multicultural Council, Murray Library, Learning Technology Services, Dining Services, Student Activities Board, and the Office of Student Engagement. The thoughtful mix of speakers, performances, films, service opportunities and meals truly reflected Messiah’s commitment to the ongoing journey of reconciliation.

Other highlights to the start of 2023 included the public opening of the new Phoenix PT clinic located at Messiah’s Winding Hill facility, which creates significant educational opportunities to our students in our PT, OT and AT programs—as well as the public announcement of the successful completion of Messiah’s capital campaign. On Feb. 2, Messiah announced to the regional media that it finished its largest-ever capital campaign, The Campaign for Messiah University: Learning for Life, Transforming the World, which raised $83.4 million, exceeding the campaign’s $75 million goal. Congratulations to campaign director Dr. Jon Stuckey and the development office team!

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

Highlights from the January 2023 board of trustees meeting

I recently had the privilege of spending time with Messiah’s board of trustees at their annual winter meeting on Jan. 29-31. These are incredibly dedicated and hardworking servant leaders—who are committed to ensuring a promising future for Messiah University. We spent time reviewing key indicators and  current institutional challenges as well as devoting time to worship and prayer.

The board spent their main sessions engaging in a deeper understanding of Messiah’s unique mission and identity, reviewing key indicators of our institutional strengths and weaknesses, and learning about key areas of progress on the initiatives and goals in the university’s strategic plan. The final board session concluded with reports and action items from the board’s various committees, which are summarized below. I also had the privilege of sharing the good news occurring in our campus community—and celebrating the ways that God is visibly moving in the lives of our students and alumni.

From the Committee on Assurance: The board voted to engage Baker Tilly, LLC to perform the financial audit of the University’s fiscal 2022-2023 financial statements for the year ending June 30, 2023, including an audit of the federal awards programs and preparation of the Data Collection Form, and also including an audit of the PHEAA Institutional Assistance Grant. The board also approved to engage CapinCrouse LLP to perform the 2022 calendar year Retirement Plan 403(b) audit.

 From the Committee on Education: The board reviewed and approved promotions and term tenure status of COE members as presented based on the recommendation of the Term-Tenure and Promotion Committee, the provost and the president. The board also approved the Doctor of Science degree in Physical Therapy as approved by campus governance and affirmed by the Committee on Education.

Middle States Commission on Higher Education accreditation update

As I’ve shared in previous updates, Messiah’s self-study design plan for Middle States accreditation was formally approved by our Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) in October of 2021. Since that time, a campus steering team, co-chaired by Interim Provost Alison Noble and Associate Vice President for Institutional Research and Administrative Technology Laura Miller, along with multiple working groups, have analyzed and prepared Messiah University’s self-study report. This was a rigorous process that included soliciting and receiving feedback on draft chapters that were posted for campus review in the fall. The MSCHE site visit team has now been finalized, and the campus steering team will be communicating to various campus groups and committees in preparation or the visit—including a presentation to all educators at the Community of Educators (COE) February in-service. The on-campus site team visit will occur March 12-15, 2023. You may learn more about Messiah’s self-study process, timeline and working groups, and read Messiah’s self-study report at www.messiah.edu/middlestates.

Enrollment snapshot

Undergraduate spring enrollment 2023: Spring snapshot data was compiled on Jan. 24, and undergraduate enrollment continues to track at or above FY23 targets. We enrolled 2,359 undergraduate students for spring. Projections put us at 2,233 FFTE vs budget goal of 2,195 (+38 FFTE):

Undergraduate admissions: Applications and acceptances for fall 2023 have been running about 40-60 behind last year’s activity; however, early deposits are tracking with last year. The undergraduate admissions team continues to generate attendance of prospective students and their families at the last three open houses of the academic year—Feb. 20, March 24 and April 21. This is also a busy time for hosting Honors and Multicultural Scholarship Days; we appreciate campus’ collaboration on these important events as students begin to narrow their college decision process. The chart below shows where are as of Feb. 7:

Feb. 7, 2023
Fall 2023 % to goal Goal Fall 2022 3-year average
First-year Students
Applications 2,114 82% 2,575 2,158 2,206
Acceptances 1,618 81% 2,000 1,680 1,698
Active deposits 236 41% 580 235 230

Transfer Students
Applications 111 38% 290 99 125
Acceptances 59 28% 210 62 66
Active deposits 9 10% 87 13 11

Dual enrollment: Participation in dual enrollment with Messiah University continues to increase! On spring snapshot day, we had 133 students registered for a cumulative total of 555.5 credits, which compares to a total of 113 students and 475 credits during the spring of 2022. We have had 192 current high school seniors participate in dual enrollment with Messiah at some point during their high school career; 77 of these students have applied and been admitted for fall 2023, and 33 have paid an enrollment deposit. (We anticipate these numbers will continue to rise in the weeks ahead.) Summer dual enrollment registration will open on April 8.

Graduate student enrollment:  We are pleased to continue to report solid numbers in graduate enrollment. As of Feb. 8 (including a look at early summer registrations), we are at:

  • 281 new students (83% to goal) this year compared to 258 (72% to goal) last year
  • 884 unduplicated students (97% to goal) this year compared to 904 (96% to goal) last year
  • 14,603.5 credit hours (99% to goal) this year compared to 15,399.5 (101% to goal) last year.

Giving snapshot

 Overall giving for FY23: We are ahead in total giving by more than $1.5 million compared to last year at this time. In addition, we are ahead in total giving and new pledges by $3.9 million compared to last year at this time thanks to generous commitments for the Warmer Welcome Campaign for Athletics Hospitality, the Engle Center expansion, and resurfacing of the indoor track. While we are behind last year’s Messiah Fund/Operating total because of a large unrestricted bequest received in FY22, we are looking forward to a successful Giving Day on April 4 to help us bridge the difference!

Giving for FY23 (as of Feb. 9):

  • Total giving: $5,087,860 (85% of June 30 goal)
  • Messiah Fund/operating: $721,496 (55% of June 30 goal)
  • Total giving and new pledges: $10,402,375 (87% of June 30 goal)

Over the next several months, our Office of Development team will remain focused on several key priorities:

  • The Messiah Fund, which 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 tuition scholarship and program resources for students. We are currently at $443,000 toward our $1.5 million goal for Endowment Challenge #10 (30% of goal).
  • Facility priorities, including:
    • Warmer Welcome Campaign for Athletics Hospitality: Co-chairs David ’88 and Bonnie ’90 Millary and Brent ’05 and Mindy ’04 Smith have been outstanding advocates for this campaign. Our efforts to improve our concession and comfort facilities and add enhanced seating for lacrosse continue at full speed. We are currently at $4.4 million toward our $5.5 million goal (80% of goal). Additional needed enhancements to baseball/softball and a new plaza near the Starry parking area will increase the total, but we are committed to raising funds for the full project.
    • Engle Health and Counseling Center expansion: We are deeply grateful to our co-chairs, Joe and Nancy Huerter along with Emerson ’74 and Ruth Lesher, for this important fundraising endeavor. So far, we are at $489,000 (65% of goal). Our plan remains to break ground this coming spring (see details below).
    • Resurfacing of the indoor track: A key part of the training regimen for both women’s and men’s track and field teams as well as many of our student athletes is the indoor track located on the upper level of the Hitchcock Arena in Sollenberger Sports Center. The indoor track has never been replaced since it was first installed in 1985. Thanks in large part to the generosity of leadership donors Scott and Gaye Heintzelman, we have raised $155,000 toward our $250,000 goal (62%).

Campus construction updates

  • Engle Center: Pyramid Construction is currently obtaining the building permit and ordering building materials for the Engle Center renovation, with construction of the new addition scheduled for late February through late April 2023. After spring classes conclude, the existing building will be renovated with an estimated completion date of Aug. 1, 2023. The Division of Operations leadership is working closely with the Engle Center staff to ensure ongoing operations continue without interruptions.
  • Campus entrance: Plans are currently moving through the various review and approval processes with Upper Allen Township. Pending these approvals, the goal is to begin construction on June 1, 2023, and finish before the beginning of the 2023-24 academic year.
  • A Warmer Welcome: Plans for the Starry East hospitality building and lacrosse improvements are almost complete while plans for the baseball and softball improvements are in process and working through modifications to meet floodplain constraints. Conversations with Monaghan Township are in process with the goal of submitting documents for review and approval later this spring.

Government relations update

 The Council of Christian Colleges and Universities has actively advocated some recent legislative and judicial developments that are important to the religious autonomy of Christian colleges and universities.

Respect for Marriage Act: On Dec.13, President Biden signed into law the Respect for Marriage Act (RMA). While the core purpose of the bill was to codify and preserve same-sex marriage rights established by the Supreme Court under Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), the RMA was amended through bi-partisan effort in the Senate on Nov. 29 to include significant religious freedom protections for organizations that are committed to a traditional view of marriage. The RMA, as amended in the Senate, passed the House of Representatives on Dec. 8, with a vote of 258-169.

Key religious freedoms for faith-based institutions as contained in the RMA:

  • Congress articulates that traditional beliefs about marriage are reasonable and deserve respect.
  • Tax-exempt status is made more secure.
  • Existing religious freedom protections are reinforced.
  • New explicitly stated protection for religious schools and nonprofits.

 Hunter v Department of Education lawsuit:  In my August 2021 campus update, I first drew attention to Hunter v Department of Education, a class-action lawsuit that sought to strip longstanding religious protections from Title IX, a law that promotes diversity in higher education. The lawsuit, which was being facilitated by an advocacy group named the Religious Exemption Accountability Project (REAP), had organized 40+ plaintiffs from numerous Christian colleges and universities—including one former Messiah student—to sue the U.S. Department of Education, claiming that Title IX violates the First Amendment because it extends protection to religious groups with diverse views on human sexuality. Since that time, the CCCU has been a critical advocate working for the interests of Christian higher education in this case, filing numerous supportive briefs and motions. As a result of these efforts and other voices of support from faith-based institutions across the nation, in early January 2023, the ruling judge dismissed the Hunter vs. Department of Education case. You may read the judge’s full opinion on the case here.

The following is excerpted from a Jan. 20 statement from the CCCU:  “The CCCU served its 185+ members by intervening in the case to outline the value of Christian higher education. The CCCU filed a motion to dismiss the suit, which was granted on January 13, 2023. The plaintiffs aimed to prevent students from being able to take federal financial aid to the school of their choice, and we are grateful to the court for protecting student choice and religious liberty. Judge Aiken’s decision based on strong legal precedent reaffirms the constitutional rights of our institutions to live out their deeply and sincerely held religious beliefs, both in policy and practice.”

New educational programming update

  • In January, Messiah launched the public marketing for its new Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics/Dietetic Internship. This new program provides undergraduate students with a 5-year seamless pathway to becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) without having to participate in the national match—or a 1–2-year graduate program completion as part of the national match. The MSDI is a 35-credit, ACEND-accredited program that combines graduate-level coursework with a minimum of 1,000 supervised practice hours in inpatient medical nutrition therapy, community nutrition, food and nutrition services management and service to individuals with limited access to the foods needed for a healthy life.
  • In the fall, Messiah announced the creation of a Doctor of Science in physical therapy degree in partnership with NAIOMT. A substantive change request was submitted to Middle States at the end of December (ahead of the Jan. 1 deadline) for this new degree type. We are awaiting Middle States approval prior to the launch of our public marketing campaign and have begun searching for a faculty program director.
  • We had an encouraging ABET accreditation visit in October for the initial accreditation of our four distinct engineering degrees in biomedical (BME), mechanical (BSME), electrical (BSEE) and civil (BSCE) engineering. We anticipate approval of these degrees by July 2023. A program proposal for a degree in robotics engineering has been recently proposed by the department to the provost for processing with the Educational Programs Planning and Coordination Team with the goal of advancing the proposal to campus governance this spring.

Good news about Messiah

Below are just some of the recent achievements and good news stories about 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).

  • ABC27 covered the official ribbon-cutting commemorating the opening of the Phoenix PT clinic at Winding Hill at its Feb. 2 open house in partnership with the West Shore Chamber of Commerce—featuring interviews with Messiah alumni Kelly Clancy, director of the new clinic; Rob Pepper, executive director of university partnerships; and George Book, president of the West Shore Chamber. Watch the ABC27 coverage. The Central Penn Business Journal and the Carlisle Sentinel also covered the event.
  • On Jan. 19, Messiah officially announced a new partnership with Messiah Lifeways that will facilitate collaboration on the training and development of the next generation of certified nursing assistants, provide continuing education for Messiah Lifeways employees and allow Messiah students to gain professional experience in a long-term care setting! Read more here.
  • William Stowman, chair of Messiah University Department of Music, recently spoke with WITF’s podcast, “The Spark,” about jazz, its rich history in Pennsylvania and the importance of teaching it in schools. Listen to the conversation on WITF here.
  • Congratulations to Ted Davis, professor emeritus of the history of science, who has been involved with several projects promoting the public understanding of the history of science and Christian faith. He was an advisor for an exhibit at the National Museum of American History. Similarly, he is an advisor on a very large exhibit on “Scripture and Science” that opens Jan.19 at the Museum of the Bible. It covers both Christian and Jewish ideas from around the world, over the span of 2,000 years. Some of Professor Davis’ own artifacts will also be on display.
  • The Carlisle Sentinel recently featured an interview with Tina Keller, chair of Messiah’s education department, as part of its Dec. 2 article, “Language barriers: helpers of English language learners come from variety of backgrounds.” Professor Keller shared about the TESOL needs in our region and how the pedagogy of Messiah’s TESOL program prepares students to integrate teaching English to speakers of other languages into their own current and future classroom experiences. Read the full story here.
  • Programmer/analyst Lin Taylor, from Information Technology Services, was featured in a story by ABC27 for her leadership in the Girls Who Code club—a nonprofit organization that seeks to close the gender gap in computer coding and technology professions. The group, which includes about a dozen girls, meets weekly to learn basic code and how to design algorithms and websites at the Hershey Public Library. You can watch the full story here.
  • After an outstanding fall season, Messiah Esports Smash Team finished as the NACE Varsity Plus East 1 Division 1 champions, ending with a record of 10-0. Congratulations to Head Coach Theresa Gaffney and our student competitors! Follow Messiah Esports on Instagram here.
  • FOX43 News recently updated the story of previous Impact Venture Challenge winners, Messiah grads Rachel Beatty and Rachel Ferrence, who are opening Ruby Coffee & Co., a  coffee shop in Camp Hill, with the mission of training, employing and helping survivors of human trafficking. Watch the full story here and follow their business here.

In closing

As I recently shared with our board of trustee members, Messiah’s distinctive Christ-centered education is making a notable difference in the lives of our churches and communities. And we are all essential to that mission. One of my favorite books is Eugene Peterson’s exegesis of the Psalms entitled “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction.” The title reflects how the Psalms illuminate the journey of the faithful who walk and work and hope. Peterson writes, “Hoping does not mean doing nothing. It is not fatalistic resignation. It means going about our assigned tasks confident that God will provide the meaning and the conclusions.” As a campus community, we engage in our meaningful assigned tasks each day, confident in God’s leading and provision. Thank you for the contributions you make in the lives of our students and to the enduring mission of Messiah University.

 Warm regards,

Kim S. Phipps, President