Feb. 7, 2024

Dear Colleagues:

Often my first campus update of the spring semester finds us in the grasp of winter weather. But it’s been pleasant for our campus to have a recent bit of respite from our usual February temperatures. Let’s enjoy it while it lasts! I look forward to all that the semester will bring in the months ahead because—as we all know—the months will fly by quickly! In the interim, I’d like to share with you an update from the winter board of trustees meeting, enrollment, giving and other campus related news.

Highlights from the January board meeting

On Jan. 28-30, Messiah’s board of trustees held their annual winter meeting. Recently, I was interviewed for the Christian Scholar’s Review podcast and this question was posed to me: “What factors have contributed to your 20 years as president – when the typical length of a presidency is currently 5.6 years?” My first response was this – “God blessed me by leading me to an institution with a compelling mission overseen by a board of trustees who have been unwavering in their commitment and support of Messiah and our students.” I am grateful for this incredibly dedicated, insightful and generous group of servant leaders.

The board’s opening session featured a presentation co-led by Gary Nowicki, John Chopka and me about the state of private higher education and Messiah’s specific position in that neighborhood (similar to our employee forum in November) followed by a “blue-sky thinking” session led by board chair Craig Sider. The result was a spirited discussion of Messiah’s institutional strengths, challenges and opportunities for future growth and additional revenue.

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

From the Committee on Advancement: In recognition of generous leadership-level giving to Messiah’s Warmer Welcome Campaign, the board approved officially naming what has previously been referred to as the East Building as “Sawyer Pavilion” and to officially name what has been referred to as the lacrosse stadium as “The Witmer Family Lacrosse Stadium.” (Read more details about the Warmer Welcome campaign in my giving update below.)

From the Committee on Assurance: The board approved to engage Capin Crouse to complete the 403b audit for calendar year ending Dec. 31, 2023, and to engage Baker Tilly, LLC to perform the financial audit of the University’s fiscal 2023-2024 financial statements for the year ending June 30, 2024, including the audit of the federal awards programs and preparation of the Data Collection Form and an audit of the PHEAA Institutional Assistance Grant.

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

Announcing Messiah’s 2024 Commencement speakers

Both the Graduate and Undergraduate Commencement Committees are working to prepare for the graduation festivities for Messiah’s undergraduate and graduate Class of 2024. Commencement weekend will be here before we know it! The websites for both Commencement ceremonies are now live, providing important details for graduates and their families and announcing the Commencement speakers for the Messiah University Class of 2024.

Undergraduate Commencement—May 11, 2024

Commencement speaker Jeffery Deal, M.D., is author of four novels and an anthropology book on South Sudan. He recently retired from his position as director of health studies for Water Missions International and is now a Senior Fellow of Public Health and an adjunct professor of anthropology for the College of Charleston. In addition to writing fiction, his previous publications span the fields of microbiology, anthropology and surgery. His patented robot, Tru-D, is being used around the world and in the U.S. to reduce hospital-acquired infections. Read more.

School of Graduate and Professional Studies Commencement—May 18, 2024

Commencement speaker Amy E. Black, Ph.D., is professor of political science at Wheaton College (Ill.). Prior to joining the Wheaton faculty in 2001, she taught at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. A graduate of Claremont McKenna College, Black earned her Ph.D. in political science at M.I.T. She is a specialist in American government, and her teaching and research interests include religion and politics, women in politics, fostering civil dialogue, the U.S. presidency and Congress. In 2000-2001, she served as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow, working in the office of Representative Melissa A. Hart (PA-04). Most recently, she and Michael Wear co-authored the report “Christianity, Pluralism, and Public Life in the United States: Insights from Christian Leaders,” published by the Trinity Forum. Read more.

Enrollment snapshot

 Spring 2024: Spring snapshot report was taken on Jan. 30. With a strong fall-to-spring full-time retention rate of 92 percent and the arrival of more than 40 new and transfer students, both undergraduate and graduate enrollment is consistent with last year and on track to meet enrollment targets. See the details below:

  • Undergraduate Student Enrollment Spring Comparison (comparing where we are versus our spring goals):
    • 13 new, first-time students versus goal of 3 (+10)
    • 28 transfer students versus goal of 36 (-8)
  • Undergraduate Student Enrollment Annualized Comparison (comparing where we are versus our annualized goals):
    • 590 annualized new, first-time students versus revised budget goal of 577 (+13)
    • 75 annualized transfer students versus revised budget goal of 80 (-5)
    • 2,216 annualized FFTE versus revised budget goal of 2,211 (+5)
  • Graduate Student Enrollment Comparison (comparing where we are this year to where we were on snapshot day last year):
    • 264 new students (75 percent to goal) this year compared to 256 (75 percent to goal) last year
    • 857 unduplicated students (93 percent to goal) this year compared to 856 (94 percent to goal) last year
    • 12,939.5 credit hours (84 percent to goal) this year compared to 12,656.5 (86 percent to goal) last year

Fall 2024 undergraduate enrollment: Admissions activity has been tracking slightly ahead of last year. We are pleased to be ahead in applications (+87), admits (+ 125) and deposits (+11) as we enter scholarship and financial aid season. It’s exciting to note that 26 percent of applications and 14 percent of early deposits come from students of underrepresented ethnic and cultural populations as we are welcoming many of these applicants to campus for the first time when they participate in multicultural scholarship days. Here is the undergraduate enrollment report as of Feb. 5:

As of Feb. 5
Fall 2024 % to goal Goal Fall 2023 3-year average

First-year Students
Applications 2,192 91% 2,400 2,105 2,123
Acceptances 1,733 91% 1,900 1,608 1,645
Active Deposits 243 42% 580 232 227

Transfer Students
Applications 108 40% 270 114 111
Acceptances 60 36% 169 54 39
Active Deposits 12 15% 80 8 13

Dual enrollment: For the fall 2023 semester, 252 students participated in dual enrollment vs. 140 in fall 2022 (an increase of 80%). As of Jan. 16, a total of 217 dual enrollment students have registered for at least one course in spring 2024. This compares favorably to spring 2023, when 132 students participated in Messiah’s dual enrollment program. Pathway Partner schools have contributed significantly to the growth in dual enrollment; approximately one-third of dual enrollment students for spring 2024 attend one of these institutions.

Financial aid updates: The rollout of the FAFSA Simplification Act from the Department of Education has brought a number of challenges to all universities. While we normally receive federal student data in December, it is now likely that we will not receive any of that data until mid-March. This means that students will not receive financial aid packages from Messiah (or any other institution) until early April at best. The admissions and financial aid teams will be working diligently to maintain communication with our admitted and deposited students throughout the spring. Financial aid packages will be released as soon as possible so that students and their families are able to make timely decisions.

FAFSA Simplification will also affect our current student population. The financial aid and student financial services offices are committed to working with students throughout the spring to ensure they are prepared for the delays and changes. Updates are available at: https://www.messiah.edu/homepage/5160/2024-25_fafsa_changes

Giving update

 FY24 giving:  I am pleased to share that our giving numbers reflect budgeted projections thanks to the alumni, parents and friends who generously give to support Messiah University’s mission.

  • Total giving: $4,951,258 (83% of June 30, 2024 goal)
  • Messiah Fund/operating: $528,817 (41% of June 30, 2024 goal)
  • Total giving and new pledges: $5,790,925 (48% of June 30, 2024 goal)

We are very grateful for the faithful support of donors – both renewing and new supporters – who have propelled us towards nearly $5 million in giving so far this year, which puts us in a strong position to reach our $6 million goal by June 30. The Messiah Fund should receive an important boost through our annual Giving Day, which will be held on April 2.

Current projects: In terms of new pledges, we are working in the following areas in order to secure gifts for priority projects:

  • Warmer Welcome Campaign for Messiah Athletics: With more than $4.8 million raised for Phase I (91% of $5.3 million goal), we look forward to the construction of the East Building and lacrosse stadium seating later this spring. Because of the generosity of Messiah donor families, the East Building will be named Sawyer Pavilion, and the lacrosse stadium will be named the Witmer Family Lacrosse Stadium. Softball/baseball enhancements (dugouts, softball stands and press boxes) and a plaza will be launched as a second phase of the overall project when the remaining dollars are raised (a combined total goal of $7.3 million).
  • Science equipment and space: We continue to explore needs in both science equipment and space, including a fundraising effort surrounding the upcoming 40th anniversary of Messiah’s nursing program. As noted in previous updates, specific fundraising goals have not yet been established, but we believe there is an opportunity to engage donors in the fields of science, health and allied health as we seek to implement facility and equipment upgrades for these fields.
  • Scholarship endowment: We also continue to raise scholarship endowment dollars as part of our Endowment Matching Challenge #10. We have raised over $940,000 in new endowment dollars, which is 63% of the $1.5 million challenge goal. In the past 10 years, over $12 million in new and matching dollars has been raised for student scholarships and program support.

In addition to these fundraising efforts, we are very thankful to the Taishoff Family Foundation for a recent $200,000 gift to help us launch a planned certificate program for students with intellectual disabilities. During these challenging times for the higher education arena, it is gratifying to know that we have a wide base of support among our trustees, alumni, parents, employees and friends who remain steadfast in their support of Messiah’s mission.

Good news about Messiah

Here are 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 and the Bridge magazine (the source sites for many of the below news items).

  • As I referenced earlier, I recently had the opportunity to be interviewed for the Christian Scholar’s Review podcast, “Saturdays at Seven.” (Feb. 3 episode). In my interview with publisher Todd Ream, I was able to share my perspectives on the contemporary Christian higher educational landscape, my vocational calling and the privileges of serving in leadership at a place like Messiah where our distinctive theological streams influence our unique integration of faith and learning in our curricular and co-curricular spaces. Listen to the podcast.
  • Messiah University’s cybersecurity education program is pleased to announce its recent designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (NCAE-CD). This designation is awarded to regionally accredited academic institutions offering cybersecurity-related degrees including majors, minors and/or certificates at the associate’s, bachelor’s and graduate degree levels. To qualify for this designation, Messiah University met high academic standards for cybersecurity curriculum, demonstrated significant community outreach and integration of cybersecurity practice across academic disciplines, established a dedicated center for cybersecurity, and actively engaged in finding solutions to current cybersecurity challenges. Congratulations to Messiah’s cybersecurity faculty and staff who have dedicated over two years of their collective effort to gather the evidence necessary to achieve this designation! Read more.
  • The Messiah/ NAIOMT University Orthopedic Residency Program has been granted initial accreditation by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE) for a full five-year term, through January of 2029. This residency program helps licensed physical therapists build a knowledge base in the specialty practice of orthopedics and the technical skills required to treat a general orthopedic population at a mastery level and prepare students to sit for board certification exams. Congratulations to the educator and staff team from both NAOIMT and Messiah who worked diligently to earn this important accreditation and quality indicator for our orthopedic residency program, including Karl Bergmann, director of the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program, and Michael Lehr, associate professor, DPT program.
  • Messiah University has recently entered into several new partnerships through the collaborative work of the Bridge Center for Continuing Education, led by Rob Pepper, executive director and assistant to the president for innovation and university partnerships:
    • A new educational partnership with Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning (CHS), a non-residential, weekday, early childhood education program and subsidiary of Milton Hershey School. The partnership includes educational and professional components such as internships for Messiah students, training and development programs, and employment and mentorship opportunities. Messiah and CHS expect to create real world experiences for students, while also expanding the existing knowledge of CHS teachers and staff through professional development facilitated by Messiah educators and staff.
    • Messiah University and Ripple of Light Bereavement Resource Center, LLC have joined together to offer eight, 3-credit NASW-PA approved CE courses for licensed social workers, and those holding a master’s or doctorate degree in the profession. Attendees can complete each course as a stand-alone offering or participate in all eight courses by the end of 2024 to earn an Advance Practice Certificate in Holistic Bereavement Care from The Bridge Center and Ripple of Light.
    • Messiah and Rising Sun Consultants have partnered to offer a non-credit bearing Certificate in Influential Leadership through the Bridge Center for Continuing Education. The certificate has been designed from a biblical perspective for leaders who desire to have significant influence and impact in people’s lives. Participants will engage in a series of six sessions designed to not only broaden and expand the influence leaders have but also to strengthen the positive impact through their influence.
  • Director of Residence Life Lyndsay Grimm was interviewed as part of Christianity Today’s Creative Studio online article (posted Nov. 2, 2023), “Feels Like Home to Me: Christian Colleges Emphasize Residential Life,” in which she shared the importance of residential life in relationship and community building at Messiah and in Christian higher education. Read the article.
  • Two of our Messiah University Department of Business alums recently made the Harrisburg Young Professionals 20 in their 20’s list. William Dean Carver is an associate and finance analyst at 2R Consulting Group, and he founded a nonprofit clothing brand called Grace Alliance. Christina Muchmore is a solution analyst at Deloitte Consulting and is a mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Beyond School Walls program. Read more.

 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.

  • On Feb. 2, the Messiah Athletics Department inducted seven new members into the Messiah Hall of Honor as part of the Class of 2024. The seven-member class included: Dóri (Gyori) Komáromi ’13 (women’s basketball); Jansen Hein ’10 (men’s tennis); Dave Henninger ’05 (baseball/men’s basketball); Wendy Barrett Long ’94 (softball); Jessica (Rhoads) Morret ’12 (softball); Geoff Pezon ’11 (men’s soccer); and Jack Cole (administration).
  • Women’s and men’s swimming wrapped up the regular season this past weekend and will turn their attention to the MAC Championships that take place in York, Pa. from Feb. 15-18. The women’s team will be looking for their 10th conference championship in the last 11 years.
  • Women’s basketball remains undefeated in the MAC Commonwealth and are just one win away from locking up the top seed in the upcoming Conference Tournament. The Falcons will be looking to claim their eighth-straight conference championship.
  • The wrestling team is closing out their regular season in the next two weeks. The Falcons will head to regionals on March 1-2 as they look to qualify for the national championships in La Crosse, Wis., on March 15-16.
  • Men’s and women’s track and field will compete in the MAC Championships at Alvernia University on Feb. 23-24. The men claimed the conference title a year ago, their third in program history.
  • Spring sports are already underway with the men’s volleyball season up and running. The rest of spring sports will get started in the coming weeks and recently the preseason coaches’ polls were released by the conference. Highlighting those preseason polls were second-place finishes for baseball, women’s lacrosse, softball, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and men’s volleyball.

In closing

Thank you for providing such a promising start to the semester. I appreciate your excellent service to Messiah.

 Warm regards,

 Kim S. Phipps, president