Boynton Beach Retreat Banquet Address
Bryn Athyn College
Dr. Kristin King, President
T
hank you for this opportunity to speak to you about Bryn Athyn College.
I want to focus my talk on three areas:
1. Developments at the College
2. The context of higher education in America
3. Mission and the future
As many of you know, the College has been in a growth effort for the past
eight years. After 130 years of focusing on the already-baptized, the College
has widened its reach in the 21st century to include all students who show
genuine interest in the New Church mission and have the capacity to engage
with the academics. We also are developing strategies by which growth
strengthens rather than depletes the financial bottom line. We do not give
away the education any more: a) cannot afford to, and b) do not need to. The
education is worth paying for.
Our financial models are entirely different now than they were even four
years ago. Historically, student revenue covered less than 15% of operations.
By the end of our current strategic plan (2017) student revenue will cover 55%
of operations. We are halfway through our plan, and well over halfway to this
goal.
The financial plan depends not just on student revenue but on other
revenue and broad-based giving. The College has been blessed past and
present by the extraordinary generosity of a relatively small number of
donors, but the future depends on broader support. While I miss the peaceful
days of having an endowment payout that covered 80% of operations, we live
in a new era. If we are to thrive going forward, we will need the financial and
moral support of the many people who have benefited from or value New
Church education.
We have 260 students enrolled, plus eight students in graduate programs.
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