{"id":59664,"date":"2025-09-26T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=59664"},"modified":"2025-09-23T09:32:51","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T13:32:51","slug":"reimagining-emu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2025\/reimagining-emu\/","title":{"rendered":"Reimagining EMU: University adapts to meet new challenges\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SMALL PRIVATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES <\/strong>face daunting challenges in today\u2019s ever-evolving world of higher education. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The demographic cliff\u2014a drop-off in the number of high school seniors\u2014is resulting in fewer applicants and lower enrollments. Rising costs, coupled with shrinking revenues from those lower enrollments and modest endowment sizes, are forcing many schools to close their doors. And a growing skepticism about the return on investment of a private college education is leading more prospective students to turn elsewhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of those students are flocking to alternatives to the traditional four-year college degree, opting instead for trade schools\u2014where enrollment has surged since the pandemic\u2014or on-the-job training programs right out of high school. Others are taking advantage of the flexibility and accessibility offered through online programs and earning a degree without stepping foot on a campus. Still, many prospective students are forgoing higher education altogether, and in droves. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the proportion of high school graduates going straight to college has fallen from a peak of 70% in 2016 to 62% in 2022 (the most recent year on file). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For students still planning to go to college, the larger and more popular schools offer a sense of security\u2014a promise that their investment will pay off. In a crowded and hypercompetitive market, it\u2019s often the name on the diploma that speaks the loudest. \u201cAs a result, every private college needs to adapt, not just to survive, but to better serve the needs of its students and society,\u201d said Braydon Hoover ’11, MAOL ’21, <\/strong>vice president for enrollment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to these looming existential threats, EMU is taking bold steps to ensure its mission and community thrive for generations to come. University leaders have spent the past year strategically planning a path forward, known as Reimagining EMU, that directly addresses these challenges and sets a vision for the future. That plan includes steps to optimize the school\u2019s resources, reconfigure its academic structure, increase brand awareness, and invest in innovative solutions that differentiate the university and its students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A curriculum that counts <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most exciting developments to emerge from the Reimagining EMU process is the new pathways curriculum projected to roll out beginning in the Fall 2026 semester. This innovative, interdisciplinary framework repackages EMU\u2019s general education\/core curriculum into four focused pathways, each aligned with university values. These pathways are both transcriptable and translatable, designed to clearly communicate relevant skills to employers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pathways curriculum promotes the university\u2019s strengths and values while helping students develop in-demand soft skills that enhance their career readiness in a competitive job market. Students will likely select a pathway in the second semester of their first year, with guidance provided to help them choose the option that best fits their goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis new model can be tailored to each student\u2019s unique abilities and interests, adapts to a variety of careers, and ensures their general education credits truly count, all at no additional time or cost to them,\u201d said Dr. Tynisha Willingham, <\/strong>provost and vice president of academic affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Divisions and deans <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another way that EMU is positioning itself to better serve its students and fulfill its mission is by reconfiguring its academic structure from three schools to two divisions. The new leadership structure will help the university work more efficiently and encourage greater integration and collaboration across academic programs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two deans with extensive leadership and grant management experience have been appointed to lead the academic divisions, with both officially beginning their roles on July 1, 2025. The Rev. Dr. Sarah Ann Bixler ’02, <\/strong>former associate dean of Eastern Mennonite Seminary, serves as dean for the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences division. Dr. Michael Horst ’12, MAC ’14, <\/strong>former interim associate dean, former director of EMU\u2019s counseling program, and current director of its psychology program, serves as dean for the Health, Behavioral, and Natural Sciences division. The two divisional deans work closely with Dr. Tara Kishbaugh, <\/strong>inaugural dean of faculty and student success, and Jonathan Swartz MA ’14 (conflict transformation and MDiv), <\/strong>dean of students, while reporting to the provost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese appointments mark an important step in EMU\u2019s reorganization and will help the university better serve students and live out its mission,\u201d said Willingham. \u201cWe feel invigorated by having leaders of this caliber stepping into these roles. Each brings a deep commitment to student success, faculty development, and collaborative leadership as we fully embrace and live into this new structure.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Meet the new divisional deans<\/a><\/blockquote>