LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY
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PRESIDENT’S REPORT
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LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
Be A Light FOREWARD
I began the fall 2023 school year considering the idea of searching. This could be because hundreds of new people arrive on campus each August searching for dorm rooms, classrooms and offices as they make Lipscomb their new home. But, of course, searching is a concept that captures so much more. Our students arrive each year also searching in other ways: seeking a vision of themselves, striving to find their identity, looking for what makes sense. To successfully complete any search, a seeker needs light. This past summer, at a board retreat in Oxford featuring author and leading Christian scholar Alister McGrath, I was reminded that Christianity is a lens through which to see the rest of the world. McGrath, as he shared his own story of studying under C.S. Lewis before becoming a Christian, stressed that Christianity is the only light that truly illumines all others areas of thought and allows everything to finally make sense. This is the light we hold up at Lipscomb. 2023 was filled with new accolades and recognitions, new opportunities to better our world, new endeavors, questions, challenges and insights, and Lipscomb met each by shining our Christian light through these eight core values. LOVE GOD
PURSUE JOY
DELIVER OUR BEST
SERVE OTHERS
SEEK TO LEARN
CREATE SOLUTIONS
RESPECT ALL
EMBRACE COLLABORATION
You will also read how our light is making historic impact. Lipscomb provided top-tier education and services to more traditional, first-time freshmen and graduate students than ever before. The university named passionate new board members including a new dynamic chair. Academic leaders established an inaugural structure for health science education and dozens of faculty shared new scientific knowledge with the world. The entire community took steps to nurture a campus culture of belonging and our new students and alumni were celebrated in novel ways. I hope this report will be an encouragement for so many reasons. We all search for answers to some of the big questions our students arrive with and it is a blessing to know that Christ’s light points us to the path that helps us search successfully. That is what we stand for at Lipscomb. And, it is within this mission that we are growing and thriving.
DR. CANDICE McQUEEN, Lipscomb University President
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
In addition to leaning into our core values, the light of the Lipscomb community continued to be focused this past year by the Impact 360 strategic plan, a guiding vision that fueled many of the meaningful outcomes you will read about in this report. In its first year of deployment, Impact 360 has brought the first steps of sustainable change to the academic curriculum, student success and the student experience, alumni relationships, proactive risk management and on-campus quality assurance.
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we value We at Lipscomb strive to be the light of Jesus, and that means delivering our best to keep our lamps tended and ready to show the way. Just as the wise bridesmaids brought enough oil to keep their lamps burning, at Lipscomb we strive to keep our light shining by delivering our best each day. When you deliver your best each day, people
the largest amount of public and private
notice. That was certainly the case this year
grants received in a single fiscal year. Almost
as Lipscomb racked up endorsements and
$12 million will be used to educate school
honors from those we partner with, those we
counselors, teachers and mental health
serve and those we educate.
counselors; to equip engineering students; fund
More prospective students than ever before noticed as well, choosing to apply to or attend Lipscomb in the fall of 2023. The university
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
set a new enrollment record for the number
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pharmaceutical research; spread the Christian worldview; and prepare at-risk high school students for in-demand careers, among other positive and society-shaping endeavors.
of first-time freshman (705) and enjoyed
And then there is the Bison Herd of current
its largest freshman applicant pool ever
students who gave Lipscomb high marks this
(4,200). The university also enjoyed strong undergraduate enrollment (3,012), graduate enrollment (1,755) and in the student body overall (4,767). A new record was set with the most military-connected students (407) ever enrolled, and more students chose to stay as well, boosting the university’s fiscal year 2023 freshman-to-sophomore retention rate to the highest ever recorded (86.7%).
year on the annual Student Satisfaction Inventory. In fact, students gave the university its highest marks earned in eight years on seven of the survey indicators: feeling welcome, easy involvement, adequate services, the “run-around” is rare, awareness of institutional caring, commitment to racial harmony and tuition is a worthwhile investment. In addition, 12 questions showed
Our partners also recognized Lipscomb’s
we have closed the gap between expectations
ability to strive for the best, evidenced by
and reality.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart.”
Lipscomb’s own
1,000 POINTS OF LIGHT Spirit of Lipscomb Award Winners
In 2023 Lipscomb recognized the students,
Honored so far in 2023 were: Julie Dale (LA ’87, A ’89), Registered Nurse, University Health Services
faculty and staff who reflect the university’s
David Elrod (BS, ’77), Dean, Raymond B.
core values in an exceptional way with the
Jones College of Engineering
Spirit of Lipscomb Award. Honorees are nominated by students, faculty and staff, and one is selected for recognition biweekly.
Kimberly McCall, Associate Dean of the College of Leadership & Public Service and director of the Fred D. Gray Institute for Law, Justice & Society
Grace Ann Miller, Associate Athletic Director for Student Success and Senior Women’s Administrator, Lipscomb Athletics
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
—Colossians 3:23A
Laura Sears (LA ’88, BA ’92), Assistant Director of Alumni Communities and Events, Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement Emily Medlock, Associate Professor and Program Director for undergraduate student teaching, College of Education 3
RANKINGS
#12
Christian College Niche ranking for the U.S.
#1
(Left to right) David Solomon (BS ’81), Candice McQueen (BS ’96) and Dick Cowart.
Dick Cowart elected as new Board of Trustees chair
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
Richard G. Cowart, one of the leading health care attorneys in the nation and chair of the health law and public policy department at Baker Donelson, was elected as the new chair of Lipscomb University’s Board of Trustees. Cowart, who has served on the board since 2011, was officially seated as the new board chair April 29 and will serve a two-year term with the possibility of serving up to two additional terms.
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Since 1995, Cowart has led the health law and public policy department at Baker Donelson, which is regarded as one of the premier health law practices in the country. He has received numerous recognitions and awards for his civic and community service, including the National Association for Community Service’s Distinguished Community Leadership Award. Cowart succeeds David Solomon, co-founder and managing director of Meritage Funds, who concluded a sixyear tenure as board chair.
Shining Light Award In 2023, Lipscomb recognized alumna Susan Hernandez (BS ’90) (below), of the Dallas area, for delivering her best for the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Hernandez, health system chief nurse executive, leads more than 5,000 clinical care team members, including the nursing practice for approximately 3,500 nurses throughout two university hospitals and over 60 ambulatory clinics in the UT Southwestern Medical Center system.
Business College Niche ranking for Tennessee
#2 in Tennessee
Forbes ranking for private research universities
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rankings in
U.S. News and World Report
Best National Universities Best Value Schools Best Colleges for Veterans Top Performers on Social Mobility Business Schools Part-time MBA Engineering Education Graduate Nursing Pharmacy
Enrollment
6,186 3,012 1,755 1,419 UNDERGRADUATE
4,910
FALL 2023 APPLICANTS (Largest applicant pool in university history.)
Employ ees
796
FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES
Academics 23
Accredited Programs with 1 new accreditations in cardiovascular perfusion
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ASUN All-Academic Trophy wins including 2023
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AVERAGE ACT SCORE
ACADEMY
STUDENTS FROM
48 46 STATES
1,250
AVERAGE SAT SCORE
NATIONS
499
200+
297
96%
FULL-TIME STAFF
FULL-TIME FACULTY
1,592
Degrees and Certificates awarded in 2022-23
78
Research degrees awarded in 2022-23
AREAS OF STUDY
JOB PLACEMENT RATE
$11.9 M GRANTS RECEIVED IN 2022-23
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Admissions
GRADUATE
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“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” —Hebrews 12:1B
At Lipscomb Athletics, we like to talk about “Highest level. Higher calling,” because while outstanding athletic performance brings a lot of earthly gold, Lipscomb student athletes strive beyond earthly honors to run the race God has marked out for them in life as well. So while Lipscomb chalked up two Coach of the Year Awards for the 2023 calendar year, it is the coaches’ impact on students’ lives, as well as scores, that makes these leaders stand out. Shannon O’Brien (MDiv ’20), women’s golf head coach, coached her team to its first ASUN championship and first appearance in the NCAA regional tournament, but the former athletics director of women’s spiritual formation is also known for guiding her players spiritually beyond the game. Baseball Coach Jeff Forehand led his team to be 2023 regular season and ASUN tournament champions. Throughout his 15 years as coach, Forehand has racked up over 600 collegiate wins and sits as the winningest coach in the program’s NCAA era with a 458-469 record.
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
The 2023 calendar year so far had three teams or individuals earn ASUN championships and NCAA bids.
Lydia Miller, junior
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The women’s golf team was crowned the ASUN champions for the first time in program history and competed in May at the NCAA Westfield Regional, earning a 12th place finish.
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The Bison baseball team claimed the ASUN tournament championship for the third time and advanced the team to the 2023 NCAA baseball regionals to compete for the national title within a field of 64 teams.
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Lipscomb’s track and field team sent an athlete to the national stage for the third time, with Lydia Miller, a junior from Ohio, earning an Honorable Mention All-American distinction at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The men’s and women’s track teams combined to send the highest number of athletes the Bisons have ever sent to the NCAA preliminaries.
ASUN champion women’s golf team
Women’s basketball had a historic season with fourth-year head coach Lauren Sumski leading the team to tie the program record for single season wins (20), doubling its total from the previous season and winning the most regular-season games in program history. The team earned the third seed in this year’s ASUN championships, their highest regular season finish since 2003-04, and reached the tournament’s semifinals rounds. Recognizing that winning is about more than on-field performance only, the ASUN conference presents annual
Winners for Life awards, honoring a campus citizen who demonstrates the ASUN core values. Three Lipscomb Bisons snagged the recognition in the 2022-23 athletic season: •
Noah Gulden (BBA ’22, MBA ’23) The ASUN men’s soccer first and only five-time First Team AllConference selection and threetime Scholar-Athlete of the Year had a 4.0 GPA, helped lead the team as captain and logged many community service hours at local organizations.
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Jalyn Holcomb (BS ’23) The sports management major held down a 3.61 GPA while surpassing the 1,000-point mark during her Lipscomb career and serving on the Lipscomb Athletics Leadership Summit, at the Sports Fun Club after-school program and Project 658.
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Logan Van Treeck This ASUN Pitcher of the Year and First Team All Conference also helped lead the Sports Fun Club at a local elementary school and has volunteered for Project 658 and Intercity Youth Ministries. He was drafted as a junior by the Cincinnati Reds.
40 Tournament
appearances in NCAA national championships
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
ASUN champion baseball team
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we value Nothing glows brighter than the light of love, for God first and then for each other. Loving God through worship, study, self-discovery and service to others, shines the light of love throughout campus, our community and God’s world. With focus on our vision and mission, university leaders enhanced spiritual offerings for students and employees throughout the year.
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In March, the second annual campuswide Beautiful Day service project featured a partnership with a local supporter, Snider Fleet Solutions, for the first time. Snider sponsored a Pack Shack “Feed the Funnel” party. Hundreds of students showed up at Allen Arena to pack a nutritious, easy-to-cook meal of red beans, white rice, bell peppers and seasonings for those in need around the world.
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Students also showed up in-person around the world, as Lipscomb Missions saw student participation continue to grow toward pre- pandemic numbers. Missions formed 29 teams with nearly 450 participants. For the first time since 2019, teams were able to return to long-standing partners in Mexico, Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Australia. In addition, new teams were launched in Scotland and Mongolia. Athletics launched six mission trips of its own to Mexico, El Salvador, Scotland and
in Nashville, accounting for 89 of the 2023 participants on mission teams. The Peugeot Center for Engineering Service in Developing Communities sent teams to Guatemala to work on a water distribution system, to Ghana to work on a wastewater sanitation system and to Honduras to work on a solar power installation, a bridge and water system maintenance, among other projects during the year. Also this year, the Vultee Charitable Foundation, founded by the former Vultee Church of Christ which closed its doors in 2022, seeded the Vultee Student Missions Endowment Fund with a $200,000 donation. The fund will honor the legacy of the ongoing relationship between the Vultee congregation and Lipscomb in supporting participation with local and global ministries by removing financial barriers for students who want to join short-term mission teams. Employee worship and prayer opportunities increased with three faculty/staff chapels held throughout the year and printed Bible study bookmarks provided a long-term focus on the university’s mission, vision, values and faith
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.”
Lipscomb’s own
1,000 POINTS OF LIGHT Freshman Engineers
Every fall brings a new group of freshmen in the Introduction to Engineering course, and every year the freshmen do a lot more in their very first course than simply crack textbooks in the classroom to learn the fundamentals of engineering design. In the fall of 2022, 14 students in one mechanical engineering section built a microhome, a tiny
12-foot by 7-foot structure that is now in use by Second Chance Ministries in Hurricane Mills, to temporarily house displaced people or those in short-term crisis. The students spent their weekly lab time throughout the semester constructing the tiny home that can be powered by either the utility grid or by solar power.
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
—Matthew 22:37B-38
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heritage. The Office of Spiritual Formation’s The Herd in Prayer calendar provided employees with daily prompts to cover the university in specific prayers. Spiritual opportunities were also enhanced for students, as the Office of Spiritual Formation continued Freshman Chapel, increased student engagement in The Gathering, and facilitated numerous events and small groups. In response to the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, the office hosted a prayer gathering in Bison Square on the evening of the event to pray for our neighbors and to be reminded of God’s presence even in tragedy.
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
The Center for Vocational Discovery completed its first successful year of operation, offering students workshops and consultations focused on Gallup’s CliftonStrengths assessment, a framework for discovering one’s natural ways of thinking, feeling and behaving, so that students can invest in their talents and nurture them into strengths. A pilot listening retreat proved to be popular among students, and CVD workshops were held for freshmen and upper division students, graduate students and specific colleges. By 2024, CVD coordinators expect to be ready to begin vocation-focused programming tailored to the various academic colleges. Vocation, often
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referred to in Christian circles as “calling,” is the third step in students’ four-year journey of life discovery guided by the CVD.
Below: The Center for Vocational Discovery completed its first successful year of operation.
The College of Business debuted a new approach to instilling the values and virtues of Jesus into every Lipscomb business graduate and the business world of tomorrow during 2023. The
Right: The Office of Spiritual Formation coordinated a collaborative project for students to create a cross mural during Holy Week at Easter time.
Left: Lipscomb’s 2023 freshmen enjoy Freshman Chapel, a highly popular new worship opportunity piloted in 2022. Right: New students at Lipscomb’s QuestWeek begin their college career with service at Habitat for Humanity’s Restore. Below: This engineering mission trip in May is one of 29 international missions opportunities including nearly 450 participants in 2023.
The College of Bible & Ministry added Orpheus J. Heyward, noted expert in biblical exposition and senior minister of the Renaissance Church of Christ in Fulton, Georgia, to its faculty. Heyward serves as affiliate professor for expository preaching and Christian leadership, teaching expository preaching courses, including a new first-of-its-kind preaching course offered at the graduate level through the Hazelip School of Theology. As part of the Impact 360 year one strategies, a spiritual advisory council was formed in 2022 and met regularly through 2023 to discuss items related to Lipscomb’s Christian mission. A key strategy of the plan for 2024 is to identify a measurement tool focused on spiritual formation and faith integration and to use that data to inform campus practices in regards to spiritual growth.
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
Initiative for Purposeful Business (IPB) will work on two tracks: one to fuel the business profession transforming society through external initiatives such as thought leadership and partnering with stakeholders and one track aimed toward academics transforming the profession by advancing IBP within their classrooms, scholarly efforts and community engagement.
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we value At Lipscomb we do not just provide learning. We must first actively seek learning ourselves, and that search starts with listening. Listening soon impacts behavior, and behavior leads to action, which leads to positive change.
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
This year was a time of transition at Lipscomb as listening began to evolve into action intended to bring beneficial change for our entire community on- and off-campus.
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Already those programs are beginning to expand and enhance learning capabilities.
Among the university’s principal actions of 2023 was establishment of the Lipscomb University Health Sciences Center (LUHSC) with a goal to further expand health sciences programs to meet the needs of a growing industry that provides a $67 billion economic benefit to Nashville.
In March, the newest health science program, cardiovascular perfusion, launched in fall 2021, was awarded initial accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), to be in effect through 2028. In addition, its first cohort of 14 students graduated in May. They will go on to play a vital role on cardiac surgical teams throughout the nation.
Allowing for more focused programming and resources, the center serves as an umbrella management structure for two stand-alone entities: the existing College of Pharmacy, led by Dean Dr. Tom Campbell, and the newly elevated College of Health Sciences, to be led by Dean Lynette Austin as of Dec. 15. Austin previously served as professor and chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Abilene Christian University.
Also this past spring, the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant Inc. (ARC-PA) reaffirmed the School of Physician Assistant Studies’ accreditation status to be in effect through March 2033, and the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) awarded continuing accreditation to both the Dietetic Internship Program and the undergraduate dietetics major to be in effect until 2030.
The new center is built on the foundation of 14 highly successful health sciences undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs now serving more than 650 students.
Lipscomb’s School of Nursing achieved record-setting success in August as 100% of the May 2023 cohort achieved a 100% first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure
Above: The May 2023 nursing cohort achieved a 100% firsttime pass rate on its licensure exam.
“Let the wise listen and add to their learning.”
Lipscomb’s own
1,000 POINTS OF LIGHT Anna Adams
Anna Adams (BA ’23) of Rogersville, Tennessee, left in August to spend a year in Japan serving as a cultural ambassador and exploring the connections among language, literature and culture. Adams was accepted into the Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program USA, a highly selective exchange program managed by the government
of Japan. Adams will be assigned to a school to work with a Japanese English teacher and serve as a language model for students. “I am interested in seeing life from different perspectives, and not just seeing it, but really experiencing that difference,” said the first-generation college student who graduated summa cum laude in May.
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
—Proverbs 1:5
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Examination (NCLEX). This success was reached despite 2023 being the first year nursing graduates were required to sit for a revised, more comprehensive version of the NCLEX designed to better test critical thinking and clinical judgment. The school implemented evidence-based teaching-learning strategies for the past two years to prepare students for the more intensive NCLEX exam.
Lifelong Learning Program Lipscomb’s Lifelong Learning program, a non-credit special topics program for people of retirement and semi-retirement age, sponsored by the Office of Alumni Engagement, is regaining its in-person attendance foothold post-Covid and entered the fall school year with new expanded programming intended to boost enrollment. Popular class options this year included a cooking class, Civil War history, local author features and a monthly book club. The Alumni & Friends Travel Learning program returned to action with a trip to Israel in the spring and a holiday season trip to Natchez, Mississippi is on tap for November.
Tennessee Guard cohort in leadership In December, the first 13 students in the Tennessee National Guard special cohort of the leadership and public service program will graduate with their master’s degrees. During development of the leadership and public service degree, the College of Leadership & Public Service developed an instructional delivery format unique to the needs of Tennessee Guard leaders, who may be attending from Korea, Croatia and other international locations. Tennessee Rep. Mark White (MA ’18), director of Lipscomb’s master’s program and chair of the legislature’s House Education Subcommittee, coordinated the legislature’s extension of the Strong Act, the state’s program to provide tuition to eligible Guard members, to include a master’s degree. The master’s degree is not only valuable to Guard leadership in their current positions, but also sets military students up to be successful when they retire. Top: The Alumni & Friends Travel Learning program returned to action with a trip to Israel in the spring. Middle: The School of Computing completed its first year of operation in 2023. Bottom: In December, the first 13 students in the Tennessee National Guard master’s cohort will graduate.
Right: In March cardiovascular perfusion was awarded initial accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. Below: The School of Music had a new academic director, Jenny Snodgrass (left) in 2023.
TCU Values & Ventures® Competitors, among only 38 schools nationally Aidan Miller (BBA ’23) Natalie Blickensderfer (junior)
College of Business Poets & Quants for Undergrads’ Best Undergrad Business Schools (7th consecutive year)
Institute for Sustainable Practice President’s Award from the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council
Student Honors
Operation Immunization, national first place winner American Pharmacists AssociationAcademy of Student Pharmacists
College of Education National Council on Teacher Quality awarded an A grade for requirements in reading (New)
Edward R. Murrow Award Shawna Mann (BA ’23), Spencer Barnabee (BA ’22), Emma Shanahan (BA ’23), Kahwit Tela (BA ’22) (one of only eight nationwide)
2022 Teacher Preparation Report Card, noted the teachers preparation program as one of the most effective in the state (11th consecutive year)
Poets & Quants for Undergrads Class of 2023 Best & Brightest Julia Carvalho Correa (BBA ’23) Gregor McKenzie (BBA ’23)
English Honor Society Sigma Tau Delta National Convention 17 English majors accepted (a new record)
Master of Health Care Informatics No. 2 national ranking by Intelligent. com and noted for “The Most Flexible Schedule” (New)
U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2023 Tennessee Small Business Person of the Year Dr. Scott Huitink (MBA ’23)
Southeastern Journalism Conference’s (SEJC) Best of South Awards 12 communications majors awarded (four first place awards)
American Society of Civil Engineers’ Mid-South Student Symposium, first place winner Concrete Canoe Student Team
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
Academic Program Awards
Outstanding Professional Development Project Award, among only 25 groups nationally Student Chapter of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacy
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we value It’s easy to look around our world today and focus only on the problems. The journey to creating solutions is much harder, longer and unknowable. Even so, Lipscomb’s scholars today, and those of tomorrow, strive to shine a light on the path to a better future for all. The year 2023 was marked by greater
The Office of Research & Grants also
investment than ever before in Lipscomb’s on-
spearheaded creation of a new Doctorate
campus research and in community initiatives
of Philosophy in Leadership and Policy
to reach the potential of untapped Middle
Studies, announced in February. This three-
Tennesseans to solve the region’s challenges.
year, interdisciplinary program will prepare
The Office of Research and Grants documented $1.25 million in institutional spending devoted to research in fiscal year 2022-23, including master’s and dissertation
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
projects; pharmaceutical sciences research
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students for high-level careers in leadership and service across a range of sectors. The education-focused Ph.D. began enrolling in the fall, the public service track will begin in fall 2024 and a health care track is in consideration.
including subgrants from Vanderbilt University
In addition, Faculty Research Day, which
and a partnership with Northwestern University;
debuted in 2022, became an annual event
excavation trips to archeological sites; grants
in 2023, featuring 31 faculty presenting their
and sabbaticals for book authorship; and
research, scholarship and creative pursuits in
summer student-focused fellowships.
order to promote interaction between faculty
A new University Research Council was created to consolidate key stakeholders and highlight research strengths across disciplines.
across campus and to provide students an opportunity to directly hear from faculty on their scholarly endeavors.
Council members represent each college
In addition, three federal and state grants
on campus with rotating three-year terms
awarded in 2023 provided almost $12 million
and advise the provost’s office on all matters
toward recruiting and preparing local Middle
pertaining to research including promotion and
Tennesseans to combat the region’s pervasive
growth, improving competitiveness for external
education and mental health challenges in the
funding, policies and procedures.
wake of the pandemic. The three grants will
Above: In 2023 Lipscomb’s Pharmaceutical Science Research Center carried out research through six subgrants from Vanderbilt Medical Center and one from Cumberland Pharmaceuticals.
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
Lipscomb’s own
1,000 POINTS OF LIGHT Dr. Zachary Cox
Dr. Zachary Cox, Lipscomb professor of pharmacy and inpatient clinical pharmacist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, presented the results of his latest clinical drug trial at the largest cardiology congress in the world, the European Society of Cardiology Congress, held in Amsterdam, in
August. His presentation was one of only eight special “hotline” sessions at an annual gathering of more than 30,000 active participants, mainly cardiologists. The “practice-changing” results of the $1.8 million, AstraZeneca-funded trial demonstrated the efficacy and safety of the drug dapagliflozin in acute heart failure.
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
—Jeremiah 33:3
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fund licensure and graduate education for 290 students to become licensed teachers, school counselors and mental health professionals addressing substance abuse disorders over the next five years. In January, the Tennessee Department of Education awarded Vanessa Garcia, assistant professor and senior program director of instructional practice, funds through the University of Tennessee-Knoxville’s Grow Your Own Center to continue Lipscomb’s educator preparation pathway through the Tennessee Teacher Apprenticeship program. By summer 2024, the grant is expected to fund tuition for 160 people who already have undergraduate degrees but who face financial barriers to seeking teacher licensure. In April, the U.S. Department of Education awarded Lisa Davies, lead faculty for the school counseling program in the College of Education, Lipscomb’s largest one-time grant to provide master’s degrees for 80 students over five years to work as mental health professionals in Middle Tennessee’s high-need education facilities. In June, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, awarded DeAndrea N. Witherspoon Nash,
director of the mental health counseling program and lead faculty for the addiction specialization, a $1.65 million grant to equip 50 behavioral health and health care professionals over five years to complete a graduate certificate in substance use disorder treatment.
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
Carolyn Wilson Digital Collections
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This past spring, the Beaman Library established the Carolyn Wilson Digital Collections (digitalcollections.lipscomb.edu), a digital repository capable of housing the scholarly work product of all Lipscomb researchers. Powered by the Digital Commons platform, this database is intended to serve as a centralized digital space to hold all of Lipscomb’s published research outcomes: doctoral and masters’ students’ dissertations and theses; Student Scholars Symposium abstracts; faculty’s scholarly publications, conference presentations and data sets;
Top and Left: Students play a primary role in research at Lipscomb through in-classroom projects, fellowship and internship programs and faculty mentorships. Above: DeAndrea N. Witherspoon Nash, director of mental health counseling, won a $1.65 million grant to equip 50 behavioral health professionals through a substance use disorder graduate certificate. Top Right: The annual Faculty Research Day featured 31 faculty presenting their research, scholarship and creative pursuits.
Faculty Honors Ben Blasko, Assistant Professor and Director of Instrumental Studies Quarterfinalist for the 2024 GRAMMY Foundation Music Educator Award Beth Breeden, Associate Professor and Chair of Health Care Informatics Only pharmacy faculty member among the inaugural class of 96 professionals to earn the American Medical Informatics Association’s credential of AMIA Certified Health Informatics Professional
Lindsay Dillingham (BA ’05), Associate Professor of Marketing 2023 International Award for Excellence from the Journal of Communication and Media Studies Vanessa Garcia, Senior Program Director, Instructional Practice Ally Hauptman, Associate Professor and Lead Faculty, Instructional Practice Association for Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education Award for Community Partnerships DeAndrea Witherspoon Nash, Director of Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Assistant Professor and Lead Faculty for the Addictions Specialization Partner of Hope Award from the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Perry Moore (BS ’81), Director and Charles E. Frasier Professor of Accountancy Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants’ 2023 TSCPApex Special Recognition Award
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
selected items from the Robert E. Hooper Archives and the open-access publication, the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy. Such a centralized clearinghouse enhances the ability to find Lipscomb’s research through Internet search engines and is an important step in garnering recognition from the scholarly community.
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we value The light of God does not fall on a certain few; it shines down on everyone, regardless of human differences. To let our light shine in today’s world, Lipscomb welcomes all to stand within its warmth. Lipscomb started the 2023 academic year in August with two milestones on its journey to create an all-encompassing campus culture of diversity, equity and belonging. First, the university enrolled the most diverse incoming freshman class in its history, for the second year in a row.
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
Secondly, the campus began the school year with the debut of a new university statement on diversity and belonging, developed by the Diversity Task Force along with feedback from academic leaders, administrative leaders, student groups and the Board of Trustees as part of the Lipscomb Impact 360 strategic plan.
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A Statement of our Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, Justice and Unity As a Christ-centered university, we are committed to treating all individuals as equal image bearers of God. We affirm racial and ethnic diversity as God’s eternal design for humanity and are committed to diversity, inclusion, belonging, justice and unity as central to fulfilling our Lipscomb mission,
the Great Commission and Jesus Christ’s commandments to love God and our neighbors. We strive to cultivate a grace-filled, Christcentered academic community and to foster a culture of belonging where all individuals are loved and their contributions are valued. We fully commit to living out this vision at Lipscomb. As part of efforts to enhance a welcoming environment among the academic ranks, the President’s and Provost’s offices coordinated regular mentoring and fellowship luncheons for faculty of color throughout 2023. The affinity group meets to recognize accomplishments, gain insight through guest speakers and to support one another in specific academic hurdles unique to them. Fulfilling another strategy of the Impact 360 strategic plan, the Next Generation Faculty Scholarship program was launched with the selection of its first candidate: Thabile Brown (see page 21). Next Generation works to foster a more robust representation of faculty and administration from underrepresented groups at Lipscomb. Selected candidates are
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Lipscomb’s own
1,000 POINTS OF LIGHT Thabile Brown
Thabile Brown (BA ’19, MBA ’20), a native of Harare, Zimbabwe, came to Lipscomb in 2015 to play tennis, stayed at Lipscomb to earn her graduate degree and now plans to
Program, a scholarship intended to foster a more robust ethnic representation of faculty and administration. “I have personally seen how education can transform lives and communities,” said Brown. “I
return to Lipscomb again as the university’s
feel faculty and staff play such important roles
first candidate in the Next Generation Faculty
in students’ lives.”
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
—Matthew 22: 39B
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drawn from Lipscomb’s faith heritage to receive full tuition to complete their doctoral studies in an area of academic need at Lipscomb. They can complete their studies at either Lipscomb or another university and then commit to return to Lipscomb to serve in a faculty role for at least five years. To enhance its services to students, the office for student academic support was restructured in 2023 to become the Office of Accessibility and Learning Supports, offering focused programs in four areas: services for learners who need academic accommodations; education and workplace training for students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities; supervision of the Solly School, Lipscomb Academy’s special needs program; and the new BEST program for students who only need one-on-one or small group support to deal with social issues, time management or organization. The December and May commencement ceremonies featured the university’s inaugural First Generation Pinning Ceremonies for 25 students who were the first in their families to graduate from college. The family-focused ceremonies signaled Lipscomb’s commitment to supporting first generation students from the beginning to the end of their college journeys.
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Five members of the Board of Trustees including new members Jeff McGruder (A ’98) (last on left) and Sue Nokes (third from the right).
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In addition, the December 2022 commencement festivities included the fifth LIFE (Lipscomb Initiative For Education) ceremony held at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation
Center, awarding eight Masters of Arts in Christian Ministry degrees to women who reside in the prison. Four of the master’s holders have studied for 15 years in the LIFE program.
New Trustees The Board of Trustees was expanded this year with the appointment of four new members. This past summer Jeff McGruder, Sue Nokes, Tony Giarratana and Dr. Ronnie Hunter (LA ’67, BA ’71) became Lipscomb trustees. McGruder, one of the 2019 Lipscomb Honors awardees, serves as chief relationship officer at Citizens Savings Bank and Trust Company, the oldest continuously operating, minority-owned and operated bank in the U.S. Nokes is a retired senior executive at Asurion, T-Mobile, AT&T and Walmart.com among others. She specialized in customer service during her career and is an active executive-in-residence for the Lipscomb College of Business. Giarratana is president of Giarratana LLC, the real estate company best known for pioneering urban living in downtown Nashville by developing skyscrapers such as 505, Sobro and Viridian. Hunter, a native Nashvillian, owns a dental practice in Brentwood, and for the past 25 years he has annually participated in medical mission trips to Central America.
Lipscomb’s annual intercultural events for students offered special experiences this year, with Black History Month in February featuring a performance by the world-renowned Fisk Jubilee Singers in The Gathering. This year’s Hispanic Heritage Month kicked off on Sept. 11 with a guest lecture by Mexico City artist Abraham Cruzvillegas. On Sept. 14, the Fall Fiesta celebration featured live music by Sol Azteca and traditional dance by Ballet Folklorico Sol de Mexico. In early October, WOW Week (Welcome to our World), introduced students to cultures around the globe with international games, a salsa lesson in the square, an international fashion show, food trucks serving food from various nations and, new in 2023, a free opportunity to see the Nashville Soccer Club play.
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
WOW Week and Fashion Show
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we value An individual can achieve success alone; but a group of souls can achieve success—and even sustainable change—together. It is the fruit of the Spirit that makes such collaboration among our varied human personalities possible, effective and empowering.
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Collaboration was evident on campus in 2023 with groups of students, parents, alumni and employees all joining hands for the benefit of the university. Using new outreach strategies among all university populations, the Office of Advancement saw an increase in two key categories in FY 2023: new funds committed to Lipscomb increased to nearly $15 million and 6,541 people committed to contribute to Lipscomb for the first time.
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The Lipscomb Board of Trustees modeled a new level of cooperation with 100% of the trustees agreeing to contribute to the Trustees Scholarship, providing $368,000 to the benefit of students. Faculty and staff made a powerful statement of mission-commitment, with 95% giving through the Employee Impact Campaign and raising more than $148,000, with 65 departments boasting 100% employee participation in the campaign. Reflecting an enhanced focus on parental involvement, a director of parent engagement was hired and immediately began work organizing a parent program that launched a Parent Leadership Council, revitalized the
Legacy Family program, offered specific sessions for parents during Bisons Weekend and ramped up parent communication. The Alumni Relations team also coordinated “Breakfasts with the President” for more than 200 alumni participants. Through a Veteran Reconnect grant from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, the Office of Veterans Services collaborated with doctoral researchers in Lipscomb’s College of Education to assess the impact of its services on veteran students’ academic success over the past 13 years. Looking at enrollment, retention, grade point averages, graduation rates and qualitative surveys, focus groups and interviews, the study will complete this year and offer new insight on the most effective resources the university can provide veteran students in the future.
Spirit of Lipscomb Awards for collaboration The Spirit of Lipscomb Award was presented to two groups who showed stellar collaboration skills in 2023. The 60th anniversary production
Above: For the first time, the George Shinn College of Entertainment & the Arts partnered with the Office of Student Life in 2023 to bring a burst of creativity to Singarama.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
Lipscomb’s own
1,000 POINTS OF LIGHT Bobbie Solley
Bobbie Solley (BS ’79), a former Middle Tennessee State University faculty member and Healing Hands International director of education development, has been teaching since she was handed her graduation diploma on campus. From Alabama to Haiti, Solley has collaborated with Christians to bring impactful education across the globe.
In 2023, she joined forces with Lipscomb to influence teachers’ vocation, mission and purpose by establishing the Christian Education Program, designed to formally and intentionally integrate faith into educational environments, nurturing a generation of educators well-prepared to teach and lead through a biblical worldview.
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—Galatians 5: 22-23A
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of the student variety show Singarama was produced through a first-time collaboration of the George Shinn College of Entertainment & the Arts and the Office of Student Life, which resulted in a burst of new creativity and more students being involved both on the stage and behind the scenes. The Bison One Stop team successfully embedded the university’s streamlined approach to providing common student services in one location, providing comprehensive in-person customer service in the main lobby of Crisman Administration Building.
Presidential Signature Series In a show of academic collaboration, McQueen brought together the colleges of Entertainment & the Arts, Leadership & Public Service, Liberal Arts & Sciences and Bible & Ministry to create her inaugural Presidential Signature Series, offering lectures by national thought leaders, insightful performances and a fashion exhibition featuring 25 of Dolly Parton’s costumes during the 2023-24 school year.
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The series kicked off in September with the Presidential Lectureship on Art by visual artist Abraham Cruzvillegas on the concept of selfconstruction. The Carroll Ellis Symposium focused on the ministry of Marshall Keeble—
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thought to be the premier evangelist in the history of the churches of Christ—and the historic work of civil rights attorney Fred D. Gray, through a special performance by No Small Endeavor. In October, Dolly Parton and the Makers: My Life in Rhinestones, was presented by the Department of Fashion & Design, and in November, Daniel Pink, one of the world’s leading business minds, presented the Don R. Elliott Distinguished Presidential Lecture.
Above Left and Right: The colleges of Entertainment & the Arts, Leadership & Public Service, Liberal Arts & Sciences and Bible & Ministry came together to create the inaugural Presidential Signature Series, including the Carroll Ellis Symposium (left), focusing on the ministry of Marshall Keeble, and the Presidential Lectureship on Art (right), featuring visual artist Abraham Cruzvillegas, among other events. Right: Members of the J.S. Ward Society regularly interact with students to provide expertise and insight in health science careers. Below Left: Bison One Stop, a team that successfully streamlined the approach to student services, was honored with a Spirit of Lipscomb Award.
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
Below Right: Student leaders teamed up with Alumni Relations to carry out the successful 2023 Giving Day, raising over $2 million in 24 hours.
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we value Whether it’s sharing talents or simply having fun; campus celebrations of new starts and successes; or transformative worship, the most visible way to shine God’s light is to show joy. Joy at Lipscomb is the fruit of godly virtues lived out day-to-day, the consequence of our faith in God.
The past year had no shortage of
Alumni Relations strengthened engagement
opportunities for the Lipscomb community
among alumni with 38 individual alumni
to revel in our relationships, celebrate our
events including more than 1,600 attendees.
successful collaborations and show joy
Alumni breakfasts were held at 12 high schools
through faith activities.
in Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. The
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
Lipscomb Night at the Nashville Sounds in
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The 2022-23 new class of students entered the
June was one of the largest official Lipscomb
school year eager to be personally engaged
gatherings off-campus in recent years. The
with each other and the university, shaking
Lipscomb cheerleaders, Lou the Bison and
off the dust of their high school years, marred
department representatives took over the main
by the Covid-19 pandemic, from their feet.
plaza at First Horizon Park and welcomed more
Lipscomb saw more student participation
than 400 Lipscomb alumni and almost 100
in intramural sports and use of the Student
students for a baseball night cheering on the
Activities Center than ever before. In addition,
Nashville Sounds
participation in social clubs grew significantly, drawing the most students since the pandemic.
In April the alumni team coordinated an oncampus Senior Send-off celebration for the
In response to input from the President’s Student
Class of 2023 with food, fun and free T-shirts. In
Advisory Council and the Student Government
June and July, the team celebrated the Herd’s
Association, a Student Formal was added as an
newest Bisons at Summer Send-off events
annual event this past year and was well-attended.
held at various locations across Tennessee
In addition, the Lipscomb Palooza student
as well as California and Arizona. Incoming
concert, a partnership between the College
freshmen and their families joined alumni,
of Entertainment & the Arts and the Student
current university parents and students for
Activities Board, was a smashing success.
food, fellowship and fun.
“But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.”
Lipscomb’s own
1,000 POINTS OF LIGHT The Gospel Choir
Established in fall 2021, the Gospel Choir, directed by Aaron Howard, assistant professor of ethics and reconciliation, cemented its place on campus as a group that brings nothing but joy to the faces of its audience in any setting, from faculty/staff chapel to The Gathering, from local congregations to the patrons of a Houston restaurant who were
treated to an impromptu performance caught on video. Anyone who is present for a performance of this 50-member student choir or has listened to its two recently released songs “Alright” and “Shout of Praise,” cannot deny that this choir’s joyful expression of worship represents the best of what gospel music should be.
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
—Psalms 68:3
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The past year was full of joyful events, including Beautiful Day, a day of on-campus fun for students in March (below); a successful Giving Day in February (below right); Student Formal (right top); Senior Send-off (far right top); and Lipscomb Night at the Nashville Sounds (lower right).
One of the most joyous days of the year falls in February, when Giving Day brings students, employees, alumni and donors together to celebrate the Lipscomb community of today and to invest in Lipscomb’s future. In 2023, the number of Giving Day contributors continued to grow, with 4,071 donors giving more than $2.1 million. More than 200 students made gifts to the campaign and wrote more than 4,000 thank you notes to donors. In April, more than 300 students from all of Lipscomb’s colleges came together in a celebration of studentfocused research and scholarship at the Student Scholars Symposium. The annual event featured 58 presentations and displayed 95 posters in addition to readings and performances of original poetry, music and theater and exhibitions of artistic and scientific work. It was easy to see the joy on students’ faces at the awards dinner as they high-fived their faculty mentors and cheered on their classmates.
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY PR ESID ENT ’S R E PORT
The IDEAL program (Igniting the Dream of Education and Access at Lipscomb) brings joy to many on campus who serve as mentors, friends and classmates of the students enrolled in this two-year certificate program
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Finally, the Office of Spiritual Formation worked to make student worship more transformative and joyful, and to offer more such worship experiences to students by coordinating monthly worship nights and hosting several events, including the annual Holy Week activities and Good Friday service.
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uniquely designed for students with intellectual disabilities. This year, program coordinators rejoiced when they received a $300,000 Tennessee Believes Grant, a state-funded grant that allowed IDEAL to begin an Advanced Certificate program serving third- and fourth-year students as of the fall semester.
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COME SIT BESIDE TODAY’S LIPSCOMB STUDENTS One of our eight core values here at Lipscomb is to seek to learn. I was reminded of the importance of that particular value this summer as I had the opportunity to hear words from some of the greatest Christian thinkers of our time in person at Oxford, England. What I took away from each scholars’ relationship with God and their students is that they did not raise themselves above their students, but instead sat beside them, working to reason together in their search for knowledge and truth. That is how they won the minds and hearts of their students. So I began the fall semester in 2023 re-committing to be a seeker, a person who will sit, literally and figuratively, right beside our students seeking to grow with them and building deep relationships with them.
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That nurturing of students’ search for their identity, for knowledge and truth should not stop with me, or with our faculty. It should stretch to our entire Lipscomb community, and I invite you to be a part of it by pursuing ways to literally sit beside our students through engagement and to figuratively sit beside them through your financial support. One of the most valuable ways you can sit beside a student and help to prepare them for a life of meaning and purpose is to contribute to the university’s endowed scholarship resources. We at Lipscomb want to shine our light over every student who desires a Christ-centered education.
Endowed scholarships are also particularly important for Lipscomb’s long-term success as they are a continuously managed source of income, providing stability for the university into the future as well as today. They ensure Lipscomb’s ability to attract top-quality students and attain higher levels of quality for years to come. By choosing to sit beside our students through supporting Lipscomb’s endowment resources, you are not only seeking to grow with them, but you are leaving your own permanent legacy at Lipscomb tied to so many of our core values. I invite you to deepen your relationships with our students in-person, by contacting representatives of our academic colleges to learn how you can become personally engaged with students, and through financial support, by contacting the Office of Advancement and learning about different ways to contribute and how they will benefit students’ journey to a meaningful and purposeful life both today and tomorrow.
Blessings, Dr. Candice McQueen (’96)
Lipscomb University President
Giving in 2022-23
779 $102M New Gifts Endowment FY 2022
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Growing our endowed scholarships allows us to do that for more students by making a Lipscomb education attainable and accessible for any and all students who seek it.
TO ENDOWMENT*
515 Gifts
FOR ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS*
*Sept. 1, 2022 to Sept. 1, 2023
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*
VISION Anchored in our Christ-centered mission, Lipscomb University will lead as a top-tier, nationally recognized institution. We will excel in teaching, learning and research; be ambitious in our service to others; and be driven by continuous improvement.
MISSION We are a Christ-centered community preparing learners for purposeful lives through rigorous academics and transformative experiences.
OUR CORE TENETS We are a community engaged with the life and teachings of Jesus. We are committed to an ongoing search for truth. We provide excellent, whole-person learning experiences to shape lives of character, leadership, service and faith. We equip people to succeed in their vocation and contribute to the common good by living out their faith in action.
Candice McQueen President Lindsay Bales Chief of Staff Jeff Baughn Senior Vice President of Finance and Technology
Kim Chaudoin (BA ’90) Vice President of Communications and Marketing Keith Hinkle (BS ’90) Senior Vice President of Advancement Hope Nordstrom Special Counsel to the President for Strategy Matt Paden Executive Vice President
Jennifer Shewmaker Provost Brad Schultz Lipscomb Academy Head of School William Turner Special Counsel to the President for Equity, Diversity and Belonging David Wilson General Counsel
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EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
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One University Park Drive | Nashville, TN 37204 | lipscomb.edu