In the News

Hesston College Announces Institutional Shifts

Updated Thursday, Nov. 9.

The Hesston College Board of Directors announced today institutional changes that came out of their recent board meeting including a shift in leadership and academic focus.

The board accepted the resignation of President Joseph A. Manickam effective Dec. 31, 2023. This decision comes after a September faculty vote of no confidence in the president and an independent investigation into the concerns.

“The findings of this investigation, which included interviews with various stakeholders and a comprehensive review of the issues raised, revealed a complex situation with multiple perspectives,” explained Board Chair Ken G. Kabira in a letter to employees. “In light of these findings, Joe chose to resign from his position as president to allow the college to move forward.”

Kabira said this decision reflects Manickam’s dedication to the well-being and unity of Hesston College.

“The board of directors acknowledges and deeply appreciates Joe’s dedicated service and the positive contributions he has made to our college and the broader community,” said Kabira.

In an effort to keep forward momentum, the board also appointed Vice President of Academics Ross Peterson-Veatch to serve as interim president effective Monday, Nov. 13, while a comprehensive search commences for a new president. Manickam will serve as a liaison to the interim president through the end of December to ensure a seamless transition of the college’s operations.

A shift in the college’s academic focus presented by the administrative council was also affirmed at the board meeting. This plan will address financial challenges and press further into Vision 2025. Driven by a commitment to holistic student development, the plan calls for an official shift in direction toward a four-year college model.

Hesston College will now focus primarily on bachelor’s degree offerings in professional fields while still offering associate degrees. Four-year degrees have already been launched in the schools of aviation, management, engineering and nursing. The next goal is to launch additional bachelor’s degree programs within these four schools as soon as possible. The shift to a four-year college also includes extending athletics to a four-year model. Performing arts will continue, but is shifting from an academic program to an activities model. Scholarships will continue to be offered for both athletics and performing arts.

The shift in academics coupled with the college’s financial reality did necessitate the reduction of 13 full- and part-time faculty and staff positions. These decisions were approached with much care and consideration, with the final position eliminations based on the position’s connection to the furthering of Hesston’s mission and new trajectory.

Peterson-Veatch and the forthcoming permanent leadership will inherit Vision 2025 and the expectation to execute it to its full potential.

Aviation Team Members Place at 2023 NIFA Aviation Competition

Hesston College’s aviation team made a strong showing at the 2023 National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON) for Region VI held in St. Louis, Mo.

The seven-member Hesston College aviation team, led by senior and team captain Matthew Manickam, delivered a standout performance in four critical events. Notably, Joshua Fleming secured second place in the Instrument Ground Trainer/flight simulation event, while Manickam took fourth place in the same category. In their debut at the Aircraft Pre-flight Inspection competition, Phoebe Kolb and Pablo Turcios secured impressive rankings of twelfth and fourteenth, respectively.

“I am extremely proud of how our team performed,” remarked Manickam. “We were competing against teams who have aviation programs much larger than our entire school, and we were able to be competitive and represent Hesston well. With the experience gained at this year’s competition, I’m optimistic about our ability to assemble another strong team to compete again next year.”

Toby Yoder, staff flight instructor and a member of the 2021-22 flight team, represented Hesston College as a judge at the event. Looking ahead, the team is gearing up for next year’s Region VI SAFECON event, hosted by the University of Dubuque, with plans to expand their participation and a potential opportunity to host the event in 2026.

Masterworks Remembers Tony Brown with a Tribute Concert

This year’s Masterworks concert presented by the Hesston College music department has a personal significance to the Hesston community. The memory of Hesston College alumnus and former employee Tony Brown will be honored with a concert titled Peacing it Together: A Tribute to Tony Brown. The performance takes place November 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Hesston Mennonite Church. A pre-concert life story sharing will be given by former college employees John Sharp and Dallas Stutzman and current music professor Ken Rodgers at 7 p.m.

The concert will honor Brown’s lifelong pursuit of peace building through music. Masterworks chorus and orchestra, along with soloists Dr. Holly Swartzendruber and Keith Harris, will perform compositions Brown held dear to his heart. Selected works include a scene from “Elijah” by Felix Mendelssohn, “Old American Songs” by Aaron Copland and a wide collection of spirituals and art songs.

Swartzendruber, a professor in the Hesston College music department, has performed numerous operatic roles and has sung soprano solos in Handel’s “Messiah,” the Brahms “Requiem” and Mozart’s “Requiem.” In addition to her work at Hesston, Swartzendruber teaches private voice lessons to area high school students, leads voice performance classes and adjudicates regionally and statewide.

Harris, a close personal friend and colleague of Brown, has an impressive list of credits including performances with the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Israeli Opera, Teatro Comunale Bolzano, Seattle Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Lyrique en Mer France, Opera Tampa, Toledo Opera and is a frequent soloist at Carnegie Hall and the theaters at Lincoln Center. His album Keep on Climbing, a collection of inspirational and religious music, can be found on iTunes and Amazon and his book “The Odds Against: Finding the advantage in your disadvantage,” also available on Amazon, discusses his journey with dyslexia and becoming a professional singer. Harris is a sought-after voice teacher, choral conductor, voice over artist and jingle singer.

A member of the college’s class of 1969, Brown returned to campus in fall 2000 to teach sociology and anthropology and serve as artist in residence at Hesston. In the nearly 20 years Brown spent at Hesston, he touched the lives of so many people in the community and across the globe. Brown died May 22, 2023 after a brief illness.

College Explores International Partnerships Through Workshops in Indonesia

Hesston College took a step toward expanding its international connections by leading workshops at three Indonesian universities this past summer.

The workshops, led by Heidi Hochstetler, Hesston College education and English for Speakers of Other Languages professor, were arranged with help from Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) staff in Indonesia and the Institute for Indonesian Partnerships.

“The vision was to connect with universities in a different part of the world to find ways that we can help each other through academic partnerships,” says Hochstetler.

Through a year of planning, Hesston College organizers and their connections in Indonesia identified three universities that seemed to have the most interesting connections for Hesston to explore. Hochstetler’s week-long workshops at each of the universities focused on English language instruction, education instruction or a combination of the two areas that the institutions identified as providing the most benefit for their faculty and students. The universities Hochstetler visited were Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana in Salatiga, Central Java; Universitas Kristen Wira Wacana Sumba in Waingapu, Sumba; and Universitas Nusa Cendana in Kupang, Timor.

Hochstetler’s workshops were tailored specifically to the needs the university expressed. At the first university in Central Java, she worked with faculty across multiple disciplines to feel more prepared and confident to teach in English.

“They are already experts in their disciplines, and they primarily teach in Indonesian, but the university has future plans to offer more subjects and even complete degree programs in English,” Hochstetler says. “This workshop was to build the faculty’s confidence and abilities to teach their discipline in English.”

At the second workshop on the island of Sumba, the university was interested in having support for faculty to write and publish in English. The final workshop on the island of Timor was presented to junior- and senior-level university students who are studying to teach English as a profession.

All of the workshops included interactive and collaborative work so attendees could practice with and learn from one another as well as from the instruction presented.

“In the U.S., we know that our students represent many cultural backgrounds, but it’s exponentially larger in Indonesia because growing up on a different island can mean speaking a different language,” Hochstetler says. “The Indonesian universities understand how multicultural their student body is, so it was interesting to see how they navigate providing the necessary support for that.”

Hesston College has long placed importance on intercultural engagement as a vital part of the student and human experience. Since the first international students arrived at Hesston in the mid-1940s the college has built a vibrant international student program. In 2022, international students from 21 countries made up 18 percent of total student enrollment.

Hochstetler was encouraged by the summer workshops, and looks forward to the engagement that could develop between Hesston College and its Indonesian counterparts.

“For Hesston College, this trip felt like a good first step in forming mutually beneficial partnerships between our institutions,” adds Hochstetler. “I think there are some really good options, like having students work on projects together or providing study abroad opportunities.”

School of Nursing Sets Record First Time NCLEX Pass Rate

Hesston College School of Nursing Class of 2023

The Hesston College School of Nursing has consistently been among the top programs in the state of Kansas, and the graduating class of 2023 set the bar even higher. Nursing faculty celebrated with the 33 graduates of the class of 2023 over their 97 percent first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination – Registered Nurses or NCLEX.

While the School of Nursing’s first-time pass rates are consistently above the national average, this is the program’s highest first-time pass rate since the first BSN class graduated in 2017. By September, all May graduates had achieved the licensure goal for a 100 percent overall pass rate.

“We celebrate and congratulate our most recent graduates for their great first-time pass rate,” remarked program director Gregg Schroeder. “Their success was not a surprise for us, our students were prepared and worked hard for that success.”

Schroeder and the rest of the faculty spent the year prior adjusting to the new style of NCLEX which was officially rolled out in April 2023.

“We created scenarios, added new test questions and varied techniques to enhance their clinical judgment,” explains Schroeder. “We continue to be committed to the success of our graduates.”

One Generous Donation Meets the Needs of Both Parties

Glenda (Shirk) ’83 Kauffman (second from left) with Hesston College engineering professor Sattar Ali and engineering students Tana Hayworth (Lincoln, Kan.) and Devin Miller (Hesston, Kan.)

A recent request for donations made by the Hesston College engineering department ended up blessing the donor as much as the college.

The engineering department at Hesston College made a request to the community for donations of electric wheelchairs or scooters to be used in student projects, and alumna Glenda (Shirk) ’83 Kauffman was one of the donors who answered the call. After the recent passing of her parents, Kauffman was unsure what she should do with her father’s scooter, but this request made it clear.

“It is really such a blessing,” admits Kauffman. “This is something that has been weighing on my mind for the past 18 months. I just couldn’t in good conscience junk it, but at the same time couldn’t find anyone who needed it or would take it!”

Kauffman attempted to donate the scooter to other causes, but due to liability constraints, the organizations could not accept it.

Program director Johann Reimer and the rest of the engineering department were overwhelmed with the responses they received, including Kauffman’s, and are grateful for how the Hesston College community supports one another.

“The Hesston College School of Engineering is so happy for the support we received from Glenda as well as others who made donations,” says Reimer. “This donation will allow our engineering students to do some hands-on work creating either a remote control lawn mower or some other kind of mobile robotic platform.”

Reimer says the scooter will be taken apart and various parts and components will be stripped off to be used in students’ finished designs as part of the Fundamentals of Mechatronics course, a sophomore-level design course.

New Student Headcount is Up for Fall 2023

Hesston College’s recent release of the 20th-day enrollment numbers shows new student headcount is up for the first time since before the pandemic.

While overall attendance dipped slightly to 308 from 325 last year, the report shows the total number of new students has increased to 151 from 144 in the fall of 2022. This is the first increase Hesston College has experienced since the 2019-20 academic year.

Grant Myers, vice president of enrollment management, is pleased with the uptick in numbers and credits a team effort for the positive shift.

“The enrollment team did a great job contacting students, building relationships and providing guidance through the admissions process,” Myers says. “It was truly a team effort with collaboration between multiple departments that allowed us to take this step in the right direction.”

The number of new students from Kansas rose 17 percent from 57 to 69 this fall while the number of out of state students rose 26 percent from 61 to 82. Hesston also saw an increase in the total number of enrolled students from Kansas reach 134 this fall compared to 122 last year. While the total number of international students did see a decrease from 59 to 50 students this year, Hesston’s retention rate is holding steady at 66 percent.

Steel Magnolias Performance Emphasizes the Importance of Strong Relationships

Hesston College Theatre will highlight the resilience of strong relationships in their fall play production of “Steel Magnolias” from Sept. 28 through Oct. 1. With lessons about patience, understanding and love, it is a show that audience members will find emotionally engaging. Please note: While this show is full of laughter and love, it deals with some heavier themes of illness, loss of a child, breakups and breakdowns which may not be appreciated or understood by younger audience members. Performances will be held in the Keim Center Black Box Theater at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Set in a Louisiana beauty shop, “Steel Magnolias” is the story of six wonderful women who share a fierce loyalty to one another through haircuts and hardships. This comedic drama focuses keenly on M’Lynn and the push/pull she has with Shelby, her headstrong, loving daughter. When their family experiences a tragedy, it’s the friendship of Truvy, Annelle, Clairee and Ouiser that helps M’Lynn embrace the hurt and move forward. An award-winning film, “Steel Magnolias” was first a play by Robert Harling, who wrote this as a remembrance of his sister. The show was adapted to film in 1989 with Harling as a cast member before the 2012 remake with an all African American cast which received critical acclaim.

“I think this show is a strong representation of how we begin relationships in our own lives, letting people see only a small portion.” said Director Rachel Jantzi. “It’s when that friendship deepens that most people feel comfortable enough to let others see their pain. ‘Steel Magnolias’ walks us through an evolution of friendship and trust in less than two hours.”

The cast includes Hesston College students Joy Jones, Alyssa Coonce, Hadassa Friesen, Emma Killingsworth, Desirae Rodriguez and Caroline Miller. The stage managers are Josh Fleming and Christian Ryan.

“This cast and crew of students have helped create a kind and supportive rehearsal environment,” said Jantzi. “The process from auditions to opening night has felt much quicker than past years which could be a stressful situation. Rather than grumbling, they are viewing the show as a way to build up their own relationships – which is helpful as it mirrors this sweet story of deepened friendships.”

Ticket prices are $5 for students and $10 for adults and seniors. Tickets can be purchased in advance through the Hesston College Bookstore or by phone at 620-327-8105.

High school students are invited to a matinee performance during the annual Hesston College TheatreFest on Wednesday, September 27. This day-long event is structured to equip actors and tech crew members with skills necessary in the theatre industry, advance their abilities and have fun. Students will have an opportunity to audition and interview for a theatre scholarship after the performance.

College to Celebrate Campus Traditions at Homecoming

Hesston College is gearing up for its annual Homecoming Weekend September 21 to 24.

Homecoming Weekend 2023 will feature long-standing Hesston College programs and traditions and what they look like in 2023. The weekend’s activities will offer events and entertainment for alumni, supporters, the campus community and the wider community. Visit hesston.edu/homecoming for the full weekend schedule and registration form.

“We are excited to bring alumni and community together for a great weekend of homecoming at Hesston College,” says Jen Lehman, alumni coordinator. “It’s always a joy to see everyone gathering for the events. A lot of effort has gone into making sure there is something for everyone over the weekend.”

A highlight of the weekend will be an alumni and Bel Canto Singers choir in celebration of 40 years of Bel Canto Singers that will culminate in a concert on Saturday, September 23 at 3:30 p.m., in Hesston Mennonite Church. Alumni who would like to be part of the choir should register early so music can be distributed ahead of time.

Events kick off on Thursday, September 21, with a Cultures Fair in the Hesston Mennonite Church community center. The event is come-and-go from 6 to 9 p.m., and will feature students representing the 23 countries and U.S. territories from which they hail through music, dance and food samples.

On Friday, September 22, formation gathering at 11 a.m. will feature 2000 alumnus Jeremy Kempf leading a praise and worship time for the campus community and guests. The Golden Gables Luncheon for alumni celebrating 50 year or greater reunions will include a presentation on the History of Music at Hesston College by music faculty member Ken Rodgers. Registration for the Golden Gables Luncheon is required.

Friday afternoon presentations in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary include “New Faces Rooted in Tradition” at 2 p.m., featuring longtime and new faculty and staff members sharing how Hesston College traditions continue even as new employees join the community. At 3:30 p.m., Bible faculty members Michele Hershberger and Nick Ladd will present “Biblical Literature in a Modern World,” highlighting the impact of the Hesston College staple course on students in today’s world.

An international dinner from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Bontrager Student Center will start the evening’s activities, with a menu featuring campus favorites tikka masala and options for the whole family. Payment will be accepted at the door. Other evening activities will be a Larks volleyball game at 6:30 p.m. in Yost Center and alumni softball game and intrasquad baseball game at 8 p.m.

On Saturday, September 23, activities will include class reunions, a disc golf tournament, Athletic Hall of Fame induction for several athletes, coaches and administrators, and more. In the evening, the annual Homecoming Family Festival will feature food trucks, kids activities and Lark soccer. The day will wrap up with campus worship led by Kempf at 10 p.m. in the Campus Activities Center.

The weekend will culminate on Sunday, September 24, with a 10:30 a.m. service at Hesston Mennonite Church and a softball doubleheader at Bess Mullet Field beginning at 1 p.m.