Christian Church(Disciples of Christ)
Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ)
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org
96a-32
May 3, 1996
ENID, Okla. (DNS) -- Phillips University, a Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ)-related private institution has a new course, a new president at the
helm, and renewed resolve to remain a private school.
"This school is open for business now, and will be open in the fall," said
new Phillips President G. Curtis Jones, Jr. "There are no restrictions on
that. We will be here."
A turbulent fortnight in the life of the 90-year-old school included what
former Phillips President Sheldon Elliott termed a "hostile takeover"
attempt by the Enid Higher Education Program (EHEP), frenetic
11th-hour negotiations, a noisy support rally, and an abrupt change of
course which halted the negotiations and set the stage for watershed
decisions by the Phillips board of trustees.
The board voted April 22 to endorse an ambitious fund-raising plan and
named G. Curtis Jones, Jr., as the 11th president of the university. He
succeeds Elliott, who resigned April 11. Jones was president of the
Disciples Division of Higher Education (DHE), which administers
relations between the church and its affiliated colleges, universities
and seminaries. He resigned as DHE president, effective April 30.
With the knowledge that Phillips University was under tremendous
financial pressures, EHEP, intimating it had aligned the influence of
state and local government and higher education officials, proposed
to buy the Phillips campus. According to The Daily Oklahoman, EHEP
had approximately $2.6 million in its account for higher education. The
Oklahoman reported that the EHEP board planned to use that
money to purchase the Phillips buildings and grounds for use as a
four-year public institution -- an Enid campus of Northwestern Oklahoma
State University.
Former President Elliott, in an April 11 resignation statement, repudiated
the $2.6 million offer, claiming that certified appraisals show the fair market
value of Phillips' physical assets to be "worth well in excess of $12 million."
The statement denounced what Elliott termed an attempted "hostile
takeover" of the university. "Because I could not agree to the death of Phillips
under such circumstances," Elliott said, he resigned both as PU president
and as a member of the school's board of trustees.
Following Elliott's resignation, the board announced it was looking at all
options for the future of the school, including negotiations with EHEP
concerning the sale of all or part of the campus. The growing possibility
that the university might be sold inspired the alumni association,
students, faculty and a variety of Phillips patrons to rally around the cause
of preserving the university's independence. Phillips supporters
employed telephones, electronic mail, and the university's World Wide
Web pages to disseminate information and encourage financial support
and prayers.
Jones, serving as DHE president, traveled to Enid and entered the
discussions on Monday, April 15. On Thursday of the same week,
the university board decisively rejected the EHEP overture and halted
negotiations concerning the sale of the campus.
Monday, April 22, the board called Jones to the presidency, and endorsed
a herculean fund-raising plan to right the school's listing financial position.
The board stepped off on its optimistic course after USA Group Noel-Levitz,
an Indianapolis-based higher education consulting firm, "gave us a report
that Phillips can be turned around," according to Jones. Noel-Levitz
specializes in student recruitment and retention, financial aid, quality
service and strategic planning for institutions of higher learning.
The challenges of short-term survival and long-term stability of the
university hinge on a dizzying fund raising agenda. Conditions require
that the school raise $5 million dollars in gifts by June 1, 1996, to cover
immediate needs, and an additional $3.5 million by year's end to ensure
operations for the 1996-97 school year. Longer range plans call for raising
a million dollars in gifts per year to stabilize the university's financial
position. May 1, the university announced that supporters had already
donated nearly $500,000. The majority of those gifts range in size from $100
to $10,000, according to Michael Sohn, director of public relations and
alumni affairs.
Jones says Phillips hopes to raise at least 20 percent of the needed funds
within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Such funding would be
entirely separate from Phillips' annual allocation of Basic Mission Finance
funds. The school received approximately $145,000 from BMF and other
identifiable general church resources in 1995. All church-related institutions
abide by covenants that define the circumstances under which the institutions
may approach congregations or individuals for capital or special needs
operating funds. University and church officials are reviewing how the
covenants affect Phillips' options for fund raising within the church.
The magnitude of the fund raising task fills Jones' plate in his early days
as Phillips' new president. But he is also aware that the struggle over the
university's future has put a strain on the school's relationship with the
city of Enid. "I'm building as many bridges as I can in the local
community," Jones observed.
Once the institution regains its financial footing, Jones will focus more
directly on the critical issues of new student recruitment and the retention
of present students, faculty and staff. "This will be the ultimate management
test," he observed. He also hopes to build broader awareness of and
support for the school in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The
school has a sound foundation with the church. Twenty-six percent of
its students are Disciples -- the highest rate of Disciples enrollment of
any of the denomination's related colleges and universities.
Jones approaches his formidable challenge with optimism born of his
contacts to-date with the university community. At the height of Phillips'
ordeal, Jones addressed an emotionally-charged rally of students, faculty,
staff and other supporters who shouted, "We're not done yet!"
"People love that place, and they've put up with a lot, so they're ready to
do what it takes to make it happen," said the new president.
Phillips University's 89th Baccalaureate and Commencement is scheduled
for May 11-12. Two-hundred and five degrees are to be granted this year.
Meanwhile, Phillips Theological Seminary was "in no way part of the
negotiations," said seminary President William Tabbernee. "Phillips
Theological Seminary is a separate institution from Phillips University
and has been such for the past 10 years."
The seminary leases the Marshall building on the PU campus, but the
institutions have separate boards, presidents and administrative structures.
Tabbernee emphasized that the seminary is well and conducting
business as usual on both its Enid and Tulsa campuses. "No matter
what the future holds for Phillips University, Phillips Theological Seminary
will continue its long-standing mission of preparing men and women for
the varied ministries of the church," the seminary president stated.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: Please note tenses in third from last paragraph. They
may need to be adjusted depending on your publication date.)
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