Board of Trustees Statement

January 8, 2024

Dear EC Community,

We recognize that transitions can be difficult. There is mourning over what has been lost and uncertainty about what lies ahead. Yet, these are also moments filled with potential about what can be. As trustees of the College, we have heard some of the questions and concerns raised by the alumni community and want to speak to both the future of the football program specifically and the vibrancy of EC more generally.

On December 19, 2023, head football coach Kurt Barth submitted his resignation effective immediately. We are grateful for the ways he positively impacted the lives of our student-athletes and the accomplishments achieved during his tenure.

We are committed to the continued growth and success of our football program in sync with the NCAA Division III philosophy, which places the highest priority on the overall quality of the educational experience and on the student-athlete earning a degree.

More than 55% of those enrolled at Eureka College are student-athletes. While we celebrate their athletic victories, we know the vitality of the College and students’ career opportunities depend upon their success in the classroom.

As we think about the future of our football program and Eureka College, strengthening recruitment, retention, and graduation rates are top priorities. In fact, the College’s current strategic plan outlines initiatives around these areas.  

Improvement in these areas will lead to sustained greatness on McKinzie Field and new moments of discovery in the halls of Burgess, Sanders, and Vennum-Binkley as well. We are fully supportive of President Wright and Athletic Director Shaw’s emphasis on finding a new head coach ready to tackle these challenges in partnership with faculty and staff.

These priorities are especially important for small, rural, tuition-dependent liberal arts colleges like Eureka. We are making critical investments to help ensure those students who matriculate at Eureka College end up walking across the graduation stage.

President Wright and her team are focused on increasing enrollment, strengthening student retention, and diversifying revenue sources. We are seeing important progress in all these areas.

It is worth noting that during the 2020 pandemic, the college reopened for in-person instruction in the fall when most colleges were forced to remain closed. This was due to the leadership team’s thoughtful planning and sound decision-making. During this same time because of the strong leadership decisions, the college was able to refinance its debt which saved the college hundreds of thousands of dollars and provided critical capital funds for resident hall renovations.

While most higher education institutions, including EC, have not fully rebounded from the pandemic, in 2022, EC welcomed the largest class of first year and transfer students in its history, and we enjoyed another uptick in enrollment this fall. We have launched high demand programs - such as the new psychology and counseling 3+2 major and a certificate in cybersecurity - and new athletic programs in fast-growing sports like women’s wrestling. 

Since July 2021, the school has also secured over $7 million in grants including two multiyear federal grants that provide new resources to enhance our offerings and make our operations more sustainable. 

Eureka College has some tremendous advantages: bright and passionate students, dedicated faculty and staff, a talented and focused administration, the Ronald Reagan legacy, and committed alumni who want to see the next generation find their place in the world ‘Neath the elms.

We’re hopeful about the future of Eureka College. We’re committed to the direction that President Wright and her leadership team are valiantly leading us toward. We’re invested in the flourishing of its students. We know so many others are too.

Let’s recommit ourselves to doing all that we can to sustain the mission. Let’s be mindful that each of us has a role to play in that shared cause. Let’s use our voices to support EC and encourage students. 

Working together, EC can accomplish more than any of us could possibly imagine.

Sincerely,

Eureka College Board of Trustees

Rev. Beau Underwood ’06, Board Chair                             Clint Drury ’01, Board Vice Chair

Marylean H. Abney                                                                 William N. Ball

Tim Erickson                                                                            Allen Fore ‘87

K. Edward Holderle                                                                Dr. Christopher Kilbride ‘98

Herb Kuhn                                                                               Anna Palmer ‘07

C. Mark Palmer                                                                       Ernie G. Potter, ‘65

Carolyn Shepherd                                                                  Dr. Kelly Thompson

Jordan Vardon ’05                                                                  Jay Walton

Harry A. Williams ‘79