As part of my continuing series of profiling “Servant Leaders” and also as an alumnus of Messiah College, I am proud to continue this series with a profile on Dr. Kim Phipps, President of Messiah College.
Dr. Phipps was named the eighth president of Messiah College in December 2004. Before accepting the position of president, she served as both academic dean and provost of Messiah College.
As President, she is committed to honoring the good work of her predecessors by continuing their legacy. These great individuals believed that Christian higher education was essential and should be transformational. They were willing to make personal sacrifices to ensure that Messiah’s mission was fulfilled. They possessed intellectual, personal, and spiritual maturity as evidenced in their teaching, scholarship, leadership, and personal examples of godly living. They sought to establish a college where intellectual rigor and spiritual understanding were harmoniously integrated, not separated. And this is exactly what Dr. Phipps is doing.
Some significant college initiatives accomplished during her presidency to date include the launch of the College's new core course, "Created and Called for Community," which is an integral part of Messiah's new core curriculum for first-year students. The course serves as a critical introduction to Messiah College's unique heritage, mission, and identity, including an examination of forgiveness, compassion, non-violence, community, and reconciliation.
Dr. Phipps is also responsible for the successful completion of "To Serve & To Lead," the largest comprehensive fundraising campaign in Messiah's history, which raised $50.5 million for student enrichment through new facilities, academic programming, and financial aid.
Another initiative accomplished was the completion of the first phase of a new campus Concept Plan which will guide the College's facilities and land use planning and development through the year 2050.
Prior to becoming president, during her combined tenure as Messiah's academic dean and provost, Dr. Phipps led a successful restructuring of the College. This included, among many other things, co-authoring a $2 million grant from The Lilly Endowment, and serving as project director for that award, which has enabled students and colleagues to pursue programming related to understanding and discovering Christian vocation. She also provided leadership to the Micah Project Committee, which seeks to address campus climate issues related to diversity. Key accomplishments of this particular initiative to date include the design and implementation of a policy and protocol for racial harassment and ongoing anti-racism education for college educators.
“People matter to me and I thrive on campus and community involvement,” says Dr. Phipps. Along with her commitment to Messiah, she is also committed to community, and it shows. Dr. Phipps is an active member of the Central Pennsylvania community and currently serves on such regional boards as the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg, The United Way of the Capital Region, and Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra; statewide on the board of Pennsylvania Campus Compact, Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP), and Keystone Human Services; and, nationally, on the board of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. She is also an active member of Harrisburg Brethren in Christ Church.
Dr. Phipps recognizes that colleges do not exist just to educate students, but to inspire them with a sense of hope and courage that will positively influence everything they do. Recognizing the importance of such vision, she adds that a “Christ-centered education enables students to look beyond the present moment — to live and serve beyond themselves by engaging in [intellectual pursuits and] work that will have a lasting impact on the Church and society.”
Dr. Phipps serves Messiah College and the community, always keeping in mind her favorite verse - “…What does the Lord require of you but to act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
Dr. Kim Phipps is a “Servant Leader”.
.jpg)
.jpg){kind=logo}
Comments