President's Office Archives

Posted On: March 2, 2020
By: MC Admin

President Michael Schneider is pleased to announce Chandler Short as the new director of athletics at McPherson College. Short, who is currently serving as interim director of athletics, will be the first woman to serve as the full-time athletic director in the history of McPherson College.

“Chandler has been key to recent successes in our athletic department,” President Schneider said. “She will serve our coaches and students well as the department focuses on consistently competing to win the KCAC Commissioner’s Cup, while embracing core values related to our mission of developing whole persons.”

Short began her career at McPherson College in 2017 and was quickly promoted to assistant director of athletics and senior woman administrator in 2018. In addition to a number of administrative activities, Short also supervised all game day operations for Bulldog teams and led many external relations activities including the creation of the Bulldog Athletic Banquet fundraiser. She has been part of an athletic department at McPherson College that has experienced all-time highs in enrollment, fundraising and academic success. In addition, she played a vital role in the creation of the athletic department’s first strategic plan. She replaces Andrew Ehling who resigned in December to accept the position of athletic director at New Mexico Highlands University.

“I would like to thank President Schneider for the continued opportunity to lead McPherson College Athletics,” Short said. “These are exciting times to be working with the talented athletic department staff, coaches, and student-athletes. McPherson is a special place where I started my college career and I am excited to serve the student-athletes and staff of McPherson College Athletics and support this campus community.”

She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education and Health from McPherson College in 2015 and a Master’s Degree in Adult and Higher Education with an emphasis in Intercollegiate Athletic Administration from the University of Oklahoma in 2017. Short served as a graduate assistant in the OU Athletic Department Student-Athlete Support Services & Student-Athlete Development Office. She spent time working with the sports psychologist and psychological resources for the student athletes office at OU, and served on the Intercollegiate Athletic Administration Student Association Executive Board as alumni relations coordinator. She was also part of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament staff in Oklahoma City.

As a student-athlete at McPherson College, she was a member of the women’s basketball team from 2012-2014 and the tennis team that won back-to-back KCAC championships in 2014 and 2015.

Posted On: February 22, 2020
By: MC Admin

By Michael Schneider, President
McPherson College

Jake Curtis and his twin brother, Jared, had big dreams of college—coupled with fears those dreams could be crippled by years of student debt. For the Curtis family, the financial burden of having four kids in college within a five-year span could have derailed the twins’ plans—until they came to McPherson College to participate in the Student Debt Project. As sophomores this year, Jake and Jared are balancing hectic class and co-curricular schedules with part-time work. They haven’t taken out any student loans—and don’t plan to—because each expects to graduate with zero student debt.

College-ready families I talk with have serious angst about student loan debt. They’re worried about paying for college, and worried they—or their kids—will still be paying off that debt years after the diploma is earned. That’s why we’ve made debt reduction an overarching mission for McPherson College. We’ve found a way to make college affordable by combining financial literacy education, jobs, mentorships and matching dollars to create a track for students to graduate with little or no debt.

The need couldn’t be more urgent. Nationwide, student loan debt is at an all-time high of nearly $1.6 trillion—second only to mortgage debt. Some 371,000 Kansans collectively owe more than $11.5 billion in federal student loans. In fact, among all Kansas graduates in the class of 2018, nearly 60 percent of them graduated with debt.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Debt-Free Independence
With job placement assistance provided by the college, those in our Student Debt Project are working part-time jobs and paying down their debt before they graduate. McPherson College matches a percentage of every dollar students contribute to their education.

Dedicated community mentors support our students as they balance work, education and life during their college years. Every student manages a custom budget and works through paying for their education while they are in school by honing their financial management skills. The Student Debt Project is instilling a sense of financial independence that will impact a student for life.

Freshman Zaya Carson of Des Moines hopes to become a doctor and genetic research scientist. She knows it means years of education ahead of her—and could mean staggering student debt. Zaya applied to much larger schools before deciding on McPherson College. She recognized the monthly mentoring provided personalized support she wouldn’t receive at a larger school. For Zaya, the program has been far more than a debt-free way to earn her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. It’s also been a significant confidence builder as she prepares to start her career in a very competitive job market.

The Future Track
There’s a myth that students who attend private colleges accrue more debt than their public university peers. But it’s not true nationally, and especially not true here in Kansas. In fact, McPherson College students graduate with no more debt than students from Kansas’ public universities. And that average debt is less than the price of a Honda Accord.

Further, over 80 percent of McPherson College students finish their degree in four years, compared to only 66 percent of Kansas’ public university students. That means our graduates are already out in the workforce earning a living, while their friends at public universities are still working on their degrees.

Kylee Martin of Goodland was one of the first to participate in the Student Debt Project. She had looked at larger schools and had qualified for more than $40,000 in student loans. Though tempted to take the money, she didn’t want to be saddled with that debt. She had her sights set on owning a home and one day starting her own business.

Kylee put herself on the debt-free track to achieve her goals. In May, she’ll complete her bachelor’s degree—and graduate with significantly less student debt than she expected. And by applying the principles she learned and practiced while in the Student Debt Project, Kylee is on track to achieving her future goals.

Without the burden of student debt, I can’t wait to see what Kylee – and the rest of our Student Debt Project graduates – will accomplish next.

As the president of a small college that competes with state-run and for-profit schools, I’m often asked the question: Should small colleges exist? My answer is, absolutely! The Student Debt Project is just one of the many reasons why.

McPherson College developed the Student Debt Project because it’s good for families, good for Kansas, and good for the nation’s economy. If colleges really want to prepare students to achieve their best lives after graduation, they should start by putting students on the right track for future financial independence.

For McPherson College, that starts by helping students graduate with little – to zero – student debt.

Posted On: February 18, 2020
By: MC Admin

Michael Schneider, president of McPherson College, was elected to a three-year term to the Board of Directors for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU). He will represent Region VII, which includes Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. President Schneider was elected at the close of the 2020 NAICU Annual Meeting and Advocacy Day held in Washington, D.C. last week.

“NAICU does extraordinary work for private colleges and I am honored to serve,” said Schneider. “I am excited to advocate for the hundreds of mission driven colleges and universities that educate many of our nation’s best students.”

President Schneider has served McPherson College in a number of key positions since 2002 helping spearhead increased giving to the college and enrollment numbers. The college appointed him president in 2009, at the time he was the youngest college president in the United States. He is a graduate of McPherson College and earned an MBA from the University of Denver and a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to returning to McPherson College, he ran a publishing company and supported a range of start-ups from information technology to green energy.

Today, he is passionate about lifting up liberal arts through an entrepreneurial mindset that sparks the interest and imagination of the entire campus. The college’s strategic plan, Community by Design, changed the way the campus plans for the future. The plan, created by the entire campus, focuses on creative initiatives like The Student Debt Project, which partners with students to eliminate student loan debt. Under his leadership, McPherson College has been named in the Chronicle of Higher Education on the list of “Great Colleges to Work For” for the past five years.

As a NAICU board member, President Schneider will help set the association’s agenda on federal higher education policy, actively encourage support for the association’s priorities and initiatives, and oversee the organization’s financial administration. As part of his service, President Schneider will be a member of the board’s student aid committee, which is spearheading work to enhance the federal Pell Grant program.

With more than 1,000 colleges, universities, and associations as members, NAICU serves as the unified national voice of independent higher education and reflects the diversity of private, nonprofit higher education in the United States. Member institutions include major research universities, church-related colleges, historically black colleges, art and design colleges, traditional liberal arts and science institutions, women’s colleges, two-year colleges, and schools of law, medicine, engineering, business and other professions.

Posted On: December 9, 2019
By: MC Admin

Since 2010, McPherson College has been encouraging the entrepreneurial ideas of its students by awarding mini-grants that help students develop innovative solutions to common problems. With nearly 300 grants awarded, the college recently announced the latest recipients of the Horizon Fund Grants.

This fall, the Horizon Fund is providing grants to eight students with ideas ranging from podcast development to custom-made briefcases and luggage. The individual grants range from $100 to $500, and students have the option to reapply for continued funding of existing Horizon Fund grant projects.

Abbey Archer-Rierson, chief of staff and head of the entrepreneurship program at McPherson College, said, “The Horizon Fund grant is just one of many ways McPherson College demonstrates its commitment to entrepreneurship and supporting entrepreneurial students on our campus. The grants have supported a variety of wildly creative ideas and this most recent round of funding is no exception.”

Recipients of the fall 2019 Horizon Fund grants are:

Mason Duffey, junior, technology: automotive communication, Bellbrook, Ohio – photography – “Eventually, I would like to make a book highlighting the different subcultures of the automotive scene.”
Jeremiah Greene, senior, technology: restoration technology, Farragut, Iowa – custom leather goods – “People love having custom things made just for them that are one of a kind.”
Parker Hull, sophomore, communications, Wylie, Texas – clothing brand that donates 10 percent to charity – “We truly believe that this brand is the beginning of a vast, inspiring, and motivational movement that will encourage people to make a positive difference in our world.”
Peyton Lindsey, freshman, sociology: criminal justice, and psychology: health and human services, Prairie Village, Kansas – Podcast focusing on mental health – “We want to voice what we know as college students through our experiences in life so far.”
Wyatt Miceli, sophomore, technology: restoration technology, Woodacre, California– hand-crafted briefcases and luggage – “We hope to create a niche market for those who desire handmade goods for a competitive price.”
Francisco Montoya, sophomore, technology: restoration technology, Wasco, California – after-market bash bar for cars – “What makes my bash bars unique is they provide safety for all types of cars, not only drifters, track or rally racers.”
Anthony Powell, sophomore, digital media: visual design, Leavenworth, Kansas – photography – “My focus is to help capture moments for people and have them showcase events or brands to help promote themselves and their company.”
Sean Robinson, sophomore, technology: restoration technology, La Grange, Illinois – photography – “My videography business focuses on the automotive restoration program and features restoration updates, shop videos, and interviews that are used to inform future students or donors.”

Posted On: November 13, 2019
By: MC Admin

Equity Bank is partnering with McPherson College to host Family Financial Health Day on November 21 from 4 to 7 p.m. in Liberal, Kansas. Experts will be on hand to discuss a variety of financial milestones including paying for college.

Along with financial health information, the college and bank will give away three $1,000 scholarships, for any college, throughout the evening. Those who attend can enter for other prizes, and food from Big Bites will be provided.

President Michael Schneider of McPherson College will speak at 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. about affording college, and financial aid counselors will be available throughout the event to meet one-on-one to answer questions about FAFSA, applying for college, saving for college, veteran’s benefits, DACA, and more.

Seward County Community College will be available to talk about two-year college and transfer options.

Equity Bank will also have Kieran Windholz, mortgage loan originator, and Gaylyn McGregor, director of trust & wealth management, on hand to meet with families and answer questions about planning for the future.

Windholz joined Equity Bank in 2017 and serves mortgage loan customers in western Kansas, based out of Equity Bank’s Hays office. McGregor joined Equity Trust & Wealth Management in early 2019, leading the company’s trust division and helping families and businesses with financial planning needs.

The Family Financial Health Day will take place in the community room at Equity Bank, 1700 N. Lincoln, Liberal, Kansas.

Posted On: October 25, 2019
By: MC Admin

By Michael Schneider, President
McPherson College

Learn more about the Teacher Education department and the combined B.S./M.Ed. program at McPherson College.

Katie Grose is a second-generation band teacher from Jefferson West High School in northeast Kansas. I heard her story last spring when she was at McPherson College supporting our band program. Her dad was a band teacher and so is her brother. A few years ago, Katie had reservations when her daughter wanted to carry on the family tradition and go into teaching.

The sad fact is, nobody wants to be a teacher anymore. It’s especially true for young people trying to figure out what they want to be when they grow up. Becoming a teacher isn’t even on their list. It’s not on their parents’ list, either. When polled in 2018, 54 percent of parents nationwide said they did not want their child to become a teacher. Even educators themselves have been advising young people not to enter the profession.

As students headed back to school this fall, Kansas school districts continued to face a teacher shortage of epic proportion. Multiple school districts started classes without the full complement of teachers they needed, and some districts had literally no applicants for open positions this year—particularly in elementary and special education.

From Hutchinson to Meade to the suburbs of Topeka and Kansas City, district superintendents contend that teacher recruitment is more challenging today than at any time in the last two decades. And the recent report on teacher openings by the Kansas State Board of Education confirmed that teaching vacancies are up 27 percent over last year. The Kansas school year started with 815 open teaching positions. Considering the last 20 years of political hostility toward teachers, it’s not hard to figure out why.

It doesn’t get much clearer—kids in Kansas don’t want to be teachers. We have to change that.

Two years ago, with the teacher shortage making headlines and the number of teacher education graduates remaining flat, McPherson College developed solutions to address the problem. We started with the launch of an accelerated teacher education program, which includes an innovative curriculum that gets teacher education graduates into school districts faster and at a higher rate of pay.

Under our program, students can earn a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree in just four years. In addition, our program has endorsements in special education and English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), which are both important needs in Kansas schools. This program saves students thousands of dollars. And—because teacher salaries are generally based on the highest level of education obtained—first-year teachers from our accelerated program typically earn a higher starting salary than first-year teachers with only a bachelor’s degree.

We’ve also launched EdChat, an annual event for high school students interested in becoming teachers. In the last two years over 100 students participated in workshops on the latest trends in elementary and secondary education, gaining insights from national and state experts.

The feedback from our EdChat events is encouraging. Participants tell us they’ve gone home fueled with new ideas and eager to earn their education degree. They look forward to having classrooms of their own one day and can’t wait to start their careers.

These steps by McPherson College are just the beginning. There’s a lot more we can do as a college (and collectively) to get kids excited about becoming teachers. Twenty years of political squabbling forced an entire generation of Kansas students to grow up thinking that becoming a teacher was a bad idea. Thankfully, the battles over school funding are civil these days, and now maybe we all can move forward with respect and appreciation for teachers so they can focus on learning in their classrooms rather than defending their life’s work.

At McPherson College, we’re changing the conversation about teachers and promoting the idea that teaching is a rewarding career path. We hope you’ll add your voice to this conversation.

Luckily, Katie Grose’s daughter decided to become a teacher and is the third generation of her family to direct bands in the state of Kansas. Let’s do more so that Katie’s grandkids will want to be teachers too—because when kids don’t want to become teachers, it’s the adults who have failed. We can’t afford to fail.

Learn more about the Teacher Education department and the combined B.S./M.Ed. program at McPherson College.

Posted On: October 22, 2019
By: MC Admin

McPherson College announces Erik Vogel will lead the Office of Advancement as its new vice president. Vogel brings with him a great deal of higher education fundraising experience and a strong connection to McPherson College that will make a swift transition into his new role, according to President Michael Schneider.

“The McPherson College Building Community Campaign will shape the future of the college, and I am pleased that Erik will lead our team in that effort,” President Schneider said. “His experience and his knowledge of the college are assets that will complement the work we are doing.”

McPherson College recently launched the comprehensive fundraising campaign, Building Community, with an announcement at Homecoming that the college has raised $10.5 million. Starting the campaign with more than 50 percent of the goal raised is unprecedented in the college’s campaign history. The centerpiece of the $20 million campaign is a proposed new student center.

Vogel earned a degree in accounting and business management from McPherson College in 1998 and for the past six years has served as director of annual giving at Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) in Marshall, Minnesota. While at SMSU, Vogel exceeded annual fundraising goals, achieved the highest alumni giving percentage among Minnesota state system universities, and launched a successful employee giving program.

“McPherson College is a very special place to me. I am excited and honored to begin this next chapter of my life with McPherson College,” Vogel said. “We have visionary leadership and an excellent advancement team in place at McPherson College. In partnership with dedicated alumni, employees, community members, and other supporters, we can create even greater opportunities for McPherson College students.”

Along with other sales and accounting experience, Vogel also served as director of development at McPherson College from 2003 to 2007. During his time at McPherson College, annual giving income grew from $350,000 to nearly $1 million in three years.

He will begin his new role at the college on November 11.

Posted On: October 17, 2019
By: MC Admin

President Michael Schneider announces the campaign launch

McPherson College has raised $10.5 million toward its Building Community Campaign, a comprehensive funding campaign that launched during Homecoming on October 12. The centerpiece of the $20 million campaign is a proposed new student center. Starting the campaign with more than 50 percent of the goal raised is unprecedented in the college’s campaign history.

As part of the campaign’s launch, the college also announced receiving an anonymous gift of $1 million to fund the community health care initiative, which the college introduced last month in partnership with the McPherson Hospital.

This most recent gift follows another $1 million gift given to the college’s automotive restoration program by Richard and Melanie Lundquist, Californian philanthropists. It was the largest single gift in the history of the program.

The Building Community Campaign focuses on three funding areas: $13 million for capital projects including a new student center and athletic development center, along with updates to residence halls, $3.5 million for restricted gifts, and $3.5 million for the annual fund.

“The steady enrollment growth trend over the past 20 years is a remarkable accomplishment for our college,” McPherson College President Michael Schneider said. “However, that growth requires us to focus on how we develop, maintain, and utilize campus facilities to sustain a growing and thriving community.”

Additional campaign milestones include progress toward the college’s long-term goal of building a $1 billion endowment and cultivating the next generation of support by adding 2,500 new donors.

“McPherson College has a legacy of giving that is unmatched by any of our Kansas colleagues,” President Schneider said. “The work done by our campus recently on our strategic plan, Community by Design, made it clear to us what needed to be done to meet the challenges of higher education. This campaign will help us achieve what we set out to do in that plan.”

The last comprehensive campaign, Power the Future, surpassed its $14 million goal in 2017 and was the third campaign completed since 2004, raising a total of $36 million.

Other gifts announced during the Building Community Campaign launch included:

The Gerald J. Holman Tennis Courts funding for the expansion of the tennis facilities by adding three new courts. The new courts will allow the college to host men’s and women’s tennis competitions on campus.
The Paul Family Football Field. A gift from the families of Brent and Steven Paul of Bakersfield, California, in support of students and athletics at McPherson College. The college announced the new name of the field during halftime of the Homecoming football game with a sign added to the scoreboard.

For information about the Building Community Campaign, go to www.mcpherson.edu/buildingcommunity.

Posted On: October 14, 2019
By: MC Admin

A $1 million gift will help McPherson College fund a new community health care initiative, including ten $25,000 scholarships for students committed to community health. Introduced last month in partnership with McPherson Hospital, the initiative features a new enhanced health science degree at the college paired with a wide variety of hands-on educational opportunities developed through the hospital and opportunities for community outreach programs.

“This is an ambitious project with a goal of improving health in our community and becoming a new model for rural health across the state,” McPherson College President Michael Schneider said. “The gift enables us to move forward with the academic aspects of the initiative as well as community outreach opportunities that will provide hands-on experience for student discernment and much-needed services for our community. Although the donor wishes to remain anonymous, the donor is a long-time supporter of McPherson College and advocate of health care initiatives that support our youth, older adults and those who struggle with mental health challenges.”

The new health care programs are focused on creating health-related career pathways for students while engaging them in the community. Every student will participate in multiple field experiences or rotations, and McPherson Health Science Scholars will be matched with signature outreach being developed to solve issues in the community. In addition, a needs capacity survey of all the health-related opportunities available for students will be distributed to understand the broad health care needs in McPherson and the surrounding area.

“Having practiced medicine in a rural community for more than 25 years, I am excited for the opportunities this program will afford not only the students but the communities impacted by their service,” U.S. Congressman Roger Marshall said. “I applaud McPherson College, and its supporters, for identifying and reacting to the need for qualified health care professionals.”

Kansas is among states with the highest numbers of rural hospitals and greatest shortage of health care professionals of all types, according to the National Rural Health Association. Additionally, according to the Kansas Hospital Association, more than 25 percent of the state’s population lives in rural areas.

“We are looking at this from a holistic approach to health care in rural communities,” President Schneider said. “This initiative is considering everything from mentoring youth to supporting our elderly citizens. It also includes solving our challenges to provide good mental health support and treatment for all. It puts our students in the community working with support from McPherson Hospital to solve our biggest challenges.”

The curriculum for the new degree will begin in the fall of 2020. The degree is designed for students who want to study in the field of health science (allied health) and healthcare management with tracks in community and public health, and social and behavioral science while participating in outstanding field experiences, which allow them to give back to the community. For more information about the community health degree, please contact McPherson College admissions at [email protected].

Posted On: October 7, 2019
By: MC Admin

McPherson College makes it easy for its students to access health care and counseling services on campus at its new Campus Student Health Center. The new building, located on Gordon Street across from Metzler Hall, is a dedicated student and campus health facility. It will be open for the public to tour during McPherson College Homecoming, October 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The college recognized that navigating the complexities of health care is confusing; particularly for college students who may be dealing with a health crisis alone for the first time. Having a dedicated building on campus for health care services was the college’s response to student surveys that consistently rated access to health and counseling services on campus as a top priority. The new facility opened when classes began this fall.

“Often cost, convenience, and office hours prevent students from seeking medical attention off campus,” President Michael Schneider said. “We offer our students the most comprehensive health and counseling services among colleges our size in the state. The new clinic allows for greater access to high quality wellness resources on campus.”

McPherson College will continue to partner with Partners In Family Care and with Client Centered Counseling to provide health and counseling services respectively. Partners In Family Care, based in Moundridge, Kansas, is a practice run in part by Drs. Paul and Marla Ullom-Minnich, both alumni of McPherson College. Linda Helmer, also a McPherson College alumna, operates Client Centered Counseling and provides services in the new clinic and at the downtown location.

Health and counseling services at the college are highly utilized by students and staff members, according to the clinic records. Student fees include unlimited health care office visits for full-time students, as well as 10 visits with the counseling office at no charge. Clinical services, like laboratory work, are also available but are submitted to insurances.

Quicklinks

Category: President’s Office

McPherson College Names New Director of Athletics

Graduating With Zero Student Debt Impacts Your Track For Life

McPherson College President Elected to National Board

McPherson College Announces Fall 19 Horizon Fund Grant Recipients

Equity Bank Teams with McPherson College to Host Family Financial Health Day

Nobody wants to be a teacher today. We have to change that.

McPherson College Announces New Vice President

McPherson College Launches Campaign with $10.5 Million

McPherson College Receives $1 Million For New Rural Health Program

New Student Health Center Opens on McPherson College Campus