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| Marsden and Bluegrass Tomorrow CEO Rob Rumpke (Custom Photo) |
Marsden's award was based on the school's turnaround since he became president five years ago. "He inherited a college with declining enrollments, cash-flow shortages, budgets in the red and other issues," said a video at the awards breakfast. "In 2015, the institution finalized an agreement regarding the financing of all debt." Under Marsden's predecessor, Wiliam Drake, Midway had lost much money on an ill-fated attempt to start a pharmacy school in Paintsville, Ky.
A university news release about Marsden's award said, "The institution worked to balance its operating budget, improve cash flow, develop a strategic plan, improve community and donor relations, develop new revenue streams with international partnerships and fundraising events, and expand graduate programs. Most importantly, he led the institution through its change to university status, its successful 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation . . . and launch of men's athletics."
The release made that last point only in passing, but it was a function of perhaps the single greatest change in the school's history: welcoming men as resident undergraduates. The change was accelerated by the closing of Saint Catharine College near Springfield; the video says Marsden worked with the college to "absorb some of the men's athletic teams." The release said Marsden has overseen the expansion of athletics from fewer than 100 student-athletes to 340 in the current academic year. In 2018-19, the school will add three more sports, giving it 20 athletic teams.
Fewer than 100 days after the decision to go co-ed, "the university welcomed its largest incoming daytime class in the history of the institution with 432 students, compared to 2015's 261 students," the release said. "In fall 2017, the daytime class grew to 482," making overall enrollment 1,217. The school also has record graduate enrollments, with addition of new MBA areas of concentration (Equine Studies, Health Care Administration, Tourism and Sport Management) and new master's degrees in education and nursing.
Fewer than 100 days after the decision to go co-ed, "the university welcomed its largest incoming daytime class in the history of the institution with 432 students, compared to 2015's 261 students," the release said. "In fall 2017, the daytime class grew to 482," making overall enrollment 1,217. The school also has record graduate enrollments, with addition of new MBA areas of concentration (Equine Studies, Health Care Administration, Tourism and Sport Management) and new master's degrees in education and nursing.
"I am honored to have received this award on behalf of the entire university," Marsden said in the release. "Our board of trustees, ambassadors, faculty and staff have dedicated great time and effort into making Midway University the place it is today. This has truly been a team effort. Difficult and courageous decisions were made to transform Midway University to ensure our relevance and viability and to establish a solid foundation for the future. We are grateful to Bluegrass Tomorrow for acknowledging our progress."
Marsden added, "Our work is not yet done. We have many ongoing projects to make improvements to our campus facilities, create more business partnerships, grow new academic programs and continue our outreach internationally. In 2017 we launched a mini-capital campaign to raise funds for a recreation center as an addition to our existing student center, an on-campus baseball park, and improvements to our existing residence halls. To date $4 million of the $5 million goal has been raised and we hope to break ground this fall on the recreation complex." More information is in the 2017 President's Report.
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