The demographic cliff—a drop-off in the number of high school seniors—is 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. 

Some of those students are flocking to alternatives to the traditional four-year college degree, opting instead for trade schools—where enrollment has surged since the pandemic—or 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). 

For students still planning to go to college, the larger and more popular schools offer a sense of security—a promise that their investment will pay off. In a crowded and hypercompetitive market, it’s often the name on the diploma that speaks the loudest. “As a result, every private college needs to adapt, not just to survive, but to better serve the needs of its students and society,” said Braydon Hoover ’11, MAOL ’21, vice president for enrollment. 

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’s resources, reconfigure its academic structure, increase brand awareness, and invest in innovative solutions that differentiate the university and its students. 

A curriculum that counts 

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’s 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. 

The pathways curriculum promotes the university’s 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. 

“This new model can be tailored to each student’s 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,” said Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president of academic affairs.

Divisions and deans 

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. 

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, former associate dean of Eastern Mennonite Seminary, serves as dean for the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences division. Dr. Michael Horst ’12, MAC ’14, former interim associate dean, former director of EMU’s 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, inaugural dean of faculty and student success, and Jonathan Swartz MA ’14 (conflict transformation and MDiv), dean of students, while reporting to the provost. 

“These appointments mark an important step in EMU’s reorganization and will help the university better serve students and live out its mission,” said Willingham. “We 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.” 

Streamlined for students 

As part of the reimagining process, EMU is focusing on what it does best while adapting to the changing needs of today’s students. Over the past year, faculty and staff worked together to streamline course offerings, making them easier to navigate and more clearly connected to career outcomes, without losing the unique character of the EMU experience. 

That includes phasing out programs with little to no current enrollment, few graduates in recent years, and limited interest from prospective students. Beginning in fall 2025, the university will no longer offer chemistry, economics, history, health and physical education, or writing studies as standalone majors. Students will still be able to engage with the values and ideas of these disciplines through minors and as part of the new pathways curriculum. Additionally, EMU is introducing a criminology major (designed around the principles of restorative justice) and a finance minor to better align with student interest and career opportunities. 

“These majors reflect growing interest from prospective students and respond to workforce needs both locally and nationally, while staying rooted in our mission as a peace and justice university,” Willingham said. 

Turning the corner 

Hope is already shining brightly at EMU. Alumni, friends, and donors are showing their strong support for EMU, giving at record levels. This year’s LovEMU Giving Day brought in a record-breaking $365,313, helping make the most recent fiscal year the university’s second-highest fundraising year in the past three decades. The university has already raised more than 60% of its $40 million goal for Forward Together: Preparing Tomorrow’s Unifying Leaders (2023-2028), the largest fundraising campaign in EMU’s history. 

Another source of optimism on campus comes from EMU’s dedicated admissions team and the enrollment numbers for the incoming Class of 2029. As of the 2025 Census, following the close of the 10th day of classes, this year’s incoming class is up 10% over last year and almost 2% higher than the year before.    

“This encouraging momentum is a testament not only to the hard work and heart of our enrollment team, but also to the collective efforts of faculty, staff, and the entire EMU community,” Hoover said. “Their dedication to building relationships, telling EMU’s story with integrity, and walking alongside students in their discernment is making a difference. We’re seeing stronger engagement and deeper alignment between who we are and who we’re meant to serve, and that gives me great hope for EMU’s future.” 

New leadership 

As the Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus settles into her role as interim president, she is focused on continuing the reimagining process to guide the university toward sustained success. Dycus, who took office on July 1, 2025, succeeds President Emerita Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman, who announced last fall she would be retiring after nine years as EMU’s ninth president. Dycus has led student affairs at EMU since 2019 and brings a deep passion for the campus community and its students. “We will continue to reimagine what EMU looks like and who it serves, in ways that are both surprising and exciting,” she said. 

This story appears in the Summer 2025 issue of Crossroads magazine.

Two deans with extensive leadership 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, former associate dean of Eastern Mennonite Seminary, serves as dean for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences division. Dr. Michael Horst, former interim associate dean, former director of EMU’s 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, dean of faculty and student success, and Jonathan Swartz, dean of students, and report to the provost.

Rev. Dr. Sarah Ann Bixler, dean for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences division

Education
BA, ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř (English)
MDiv, Princeton Theological Seminary (Divinity)
PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary (Practical Theology/Christian Education)

Tell us a little about yourself
I started teaching at EMU as an adjunct instructor in 2018 at the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, campus. In 2019 I was hired for a continuing faculty position, teaching primarily in the seminary graduate program with an occasional undergraduate theology and religion course. In 2021, I took on administrative responsibilities as associate dean of Eastern Mennonite Seminary. Before teaching, I had many other roles at EMU at various points in my adult life. I facilitated community as a residence director in Elmwood, served as president of the Alumni Association, cleaned rooms in the EMU Guest House, hosted summer groups with conferences and events, and waited tables for banquets. In 2002, I earned my undergraduate degree at EMU in English and secondary education with minors in mathematics and music.

I enjoy traveling, hiking, flower gardening, and playing piano. My spouse, three children, in-laws and I farm at the historic Lincoln Homestead in Linville with goats, chickens, cats, and big fruit and vegetable gardens.

What will you be doing in this new divisional dean role?
I give leadership to EMU’s academic programs in the humanities, arts and social sciences at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The value of these important areas of study is under threat right now, and I take my responsibility seriously to promote and position these programs for a strong future. I want to be sure dynamic and expert faculty will teach EMU students for decades to come, so EMU graduates will be equipped with the practical skills, creativity and critical thinking that these areas of study offer.

What excites you most about the year(s) ahead?
Higher education is entering a new way of being. Students expect to engage technology in their learning, while also longing for human engagement in the process. We learn the most when we interact with others who bring different experiences and perspectives that open new ways for us to understand ourselves and the world. I’m excited about how technology is expanding our classrooms with new ways of communicating and interacting, and how our EMU learning community has the opportunity to grow more than ever before.

What is your favorite EMU memory?
Earlier this spring, I had the privilege of taking 12 students on an intercultural learning experience to Europe along with Dr. Heike Peckruhn. My favorite EMU memory is sitting together in reverent silence in a dark cave in the wooded hills of Switzerland, where Anabaptists met together in secret 500 years ago. The early Anabaptists went there to encourage one another in resisting the state and religious authorities that forbade their radical beliefs and practices of nonviolent community. So did we.

What object can you not live without?
I need a navigational tool. I like to drive to new places or go for walks in unfamiliar settings, but I get turned around and can’t find my way home. Before I had a cellphone, I carried a book of road maps in my car. Now the Google Maps app on my phone serves me well. A knowledgeable friend is even better. I love exploring new towns and cities or wandering around paths in rural areas, but I can only enjoy myself if I know I can end up back where I belong.

What song has been on repeat for you lately?
This question made me realize how infrequently I choose my own music in this season of my life. My 12- and 15-year-old daughters are my constant DJs, whether we’re riding in the car together, working in the kitchen, or doing yard work. When the voices of Taylor Swift and Demi Lovato aren’t in my ears, my fingers will find their way to the keys and play “Draw the Circle Wide.” Mark A. Miller’s powerful hymns are my go-to songs right now.

What quote or saying keeps you going?
Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky wrote, “People don’t resist change, they resist loss.” With an administrative leadership role in higher education in the social sciences, arts and humanities, I’ll have to lead people through a lot of change. This quote keeps me curious about what people need and value in the midst of change, and reminds me to be sensitive because change inevitably brings loss.

What hobby, skill or topic are you learning right now?
When I visited Europe for the first time in 2017, I was astounded by the large stone walls everywhere. I came home and told my spouse I wanted to learn stonemasonry. I was completely serious. He chuckled and replied, “I think you’ll have to choose between finishing your PhD and becoming a stonemason.” After I completed my doctorate, he prepared the base and then my daughter and I successfully built a small limestone retaining wall on our farm. Now I have a few more masonry projects in mind.

Dr. Michael Horst, dean for the Health, Behavioral, and Natural Sciences division

Education
BS, ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř (Psychology)
MA, ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř (Counseling)
PhD, James Madison University (Counselor Education & Supervision)

Tell us a little about yourself
I’ve been a part of EMU in many ways over the years. I’ve been a custodian, exterior window washer, floor cleaner (shampooing carpets and waxing tile floors), I’ve arranged seating in classrooms and larger venues like Martin Chapel and Yoder Arena, I’ve been an apartment manager, undergraduate student, graduate student, clinical mental health counselor with our EMU Counseling Services, adjunct instructor, full-time instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, grant project director, program director (undergraduate and graduate), interim associate dean, and now I serve as dean of the division of Health, Behavioral, and Natural Sciences [HBNS]. I may have missed a few roles I’ve held at EMU over the years, but it’s safe to say that I’ve seen EMU from many different angles. EMU is a special place, and I’m grateful to be part of its story.

When I’m not at EMU, I enjoy spending time with my wife, Simone, and our children. I also enjoy weightlifting, tinkering with computers, watching movies, listening to podcasts, and reading. 

What will you be doing in this new divisional dean role?
In collaboration with HBNS program directors and the provost, I’ll provide leadership and support to our academic programs in the health, behavioral, and natural sciences [HBNS] division. I hope to help build relationships with community partners and support the enhancement of our innovative, timely, and mission-aligned curricula in the HBNS division. We have outstanding faculty and staff at EMU, and I want EMU to be a place where they can thrive as they engage with students. I hope to support that thriving through this new divisional dean role. 

What excites you most about the year(s) ahead?
You don’t have to look far to see a great number of issues that need to be addressed, and I’m a staunch believer that education and knowledge generation are some of our greatest tools to solve these issues. Courses of study in the HBNS division prepare students to lead on the cutting edge of innovation in science, technology, healthcare, and more. I’m excited to be part of that work.

What object can you not live without?
When leaving a visit with my in-laws, my father in-law will sometimes say, “If you forgot anything, just give us a call…and we’ll tell you how to live without it!” I try to cultivate this sort of non-attachment to material objects and recognize that I can be content with a great deal less than I have. That said, I sure would miss my cellphone and computers. 

What quote or saying keeps you going?
Two quotes spring to mind. These quotes help me remember to always imagine other people complexly and to hold the same space for myself. 

From Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” in Leaves of Grass:

“Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)”

And from Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler), author of The Grim Grotto, the eleventh novel in A Series of Unfortunate Events:

“People aren’t either wicked or noble. They’re like chef’s salads, with good things and bad things chopped and mixed together in a vinaigrette of confusion and conflict.”

What’s your favorite spot on campus?
I think I’ve taught a class in the Discipleship Center every week of the academic year for at least the past 10 years (excluding COVID, when we were all online). I love the views, especially early in the morning as the sun comes up. I have many special memories in that building. Before I had children, I used to get to the Discipleship Center as the sun was rising so that I could set up the space and prepare for my morning class. Those contemplative and deliberate moments always left me centered and grounded for the day. 

Other than the people, what do you like most about EMU?
I’ll say the people anyway! The community and culture of this place makes it special. Additionally, our mission and values are needed more than ever. EMU is excellently positioned to empower students with resilience, agency, knowledge, and skills to address the major issues of our day and days to come. Our Anabaptist values of simplicity, justice and mercy, environmental stewardship, care for the oppressed and impoverished, and our central devotion to nonviolence and peacemaking infuse a transformative curriculum. At EMU, we can train peacemakers and revolutionary systems thinkers, technological innovators of clean energy solutions and computational ethics, inspirational educators who embody and implement restorative justice and inclusivity in school systems, business leaders who prioritize the needs of workers and the environment, and health care workers who care for patients above profit. As I said earlier, we are well-positioned to prepare students to work to create a more just, sustainable, and peace-driven world.