Taylor University President Opportunity Profile

TAYLOR UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT
OPPORTUNITY PROFILE

GREETINGS
FROM THE CO-CHAIRS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH COMMITTEE
Dear Prospective Candidate,
We are excited that you are considering the position of President of Taylor University. It is our prayer to find
the right person who, with a compelling vision for the future, will lead the university into a new era of growth
and impact while remaining biblically anchored and liberal arts grounded.
For 174 years, Taylor University has been fulfilling its mission to “develop servant leaders marked with a passion
to minister Christ’s redemptive love and truth to a world in need.” Founded in 1846 as Fort Wayne Female
College, Taylor University now stands as the oldest non-denominational school in the Council for Christian
Colleges and Universities (CCCU).
Our dedication to excellence in and out of the classroom has led to national recognition as we have ranked for
the twenty-third straight year in the top three Midwest Colleges in the America’s Best Colleges survey according
to U.S. News & World Report.
We hope this Opportunity Profile provides you with a full understanding of our mission and our role in Christian
higher education, as well as the key qualities and characteristics we seek in our next leader.
We encourage you to read through this Opportunity Profile and to explore the Taylor website. If your spiritual
gifts, talents, and experience qualify you as a candidate, we invite you to review the Process of Candidacy
section and follow the instructions provided. If you have questions, please contact Laura Coverstone, Tommy
Thomas, or Ed Poff (615.261.4623), the JobfitMatters consultants who are leading this search.
Thank you for considering Taylor University, and we welcome your exploration of this profile. We are eager to
see who God calls to lead Taylor as its next president.
Sincerely,
Chris Goeglein ’84, Board Chair and Manuel Rosado ’96, Board Vice Chair
Co-Chairs of the Presidential Search Committee

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Taylor University, founded in 1846, is an evangelical, independent, nondenominational Christian liberal arts
university. All programs are shaped by a biblical, Christian worldview and by the integration of faith, learning
and living within a community of intentional Christian discipleship and relationships. Taylor is distinctive in its
commitment to both spiritual and intellectual development as symbolized by the twin spires of the Rice Bell Tower.
Academic pursuits at Taylor are rigorous--demanding imagination, dedication and integrity from both students
and faculty. As a Christian institution, Taylor University has highly capable, supportive faculty who recognize that
all truth has its source in God and that every student has God-given potential.
SOME HIGHLIGHTS:
• Taylor has consistently been ranked as the #1 Midwest regional college by U.S. News and World Report.
• For average incoming freshman SAT score, Taylor ranks second among Indiana schools, including Notre Dame,
Butler, and Purdue, and second nationally among CCCU schools, including Trinity, Westmont, and Calvin.
• Wide variety of study and service abroad opportunities, Taylor is ranked third nationally of baccalaureate
schools for the number of students who experienced a short-term trip.
• 98% of graduates secure a full-time or part-time job, post-graduate internship, or graduate school placement
within six months after graduation.
Read more about Taylor’s academic accolades and awards here: Taylor Profile and Rankings.
As a discipleship community, where “iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17) and Christians can learn and grow
together, 100% of TU students, faculty, and staff make a profession of faith before entering the University. That
means everyone on campus—students and Taylor employees alike—claim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Unlike many Christian universities, Taylor doesn’t monitor chapel attendance, and yet Taylor students fill the seats.
Students hold each other accountable to their commitment to grow in their faith.
The Board of Taylor University is prayerfully seeking the next President to lead Taylor forward. The years ahead
will bring both challenge and opportunity. This leader must be a person whose deep faith and servant leadership
enables him or her to lead with wisdom and courage. The challenge is to navigate the many complexities facing
the landscape of higher education, and the opportunity is the robust potential for growth, development, and
expansion. It is critical that the next president be gifted in the areas of innovation and adaptation - a visionary who
can build a team of people who will think creatively and strategically about the future. Above all, Taylor seeks a
leader whose involvement in Christian higher education is more a calling than a career.
We invite you to learn more about Taylor, the position, and the Process of Candidacy throughout the rest of this
Opportunity Profile.

MISSION
THE MISSION OF TAYLOR UNIVERSITY IS TO DEVELOP SERVANT LEADERS MARKED WITH
A PASSION TO MINISTER CHRIST’S REDEMPTIVE LOVE AND TRUTH TO A WORLD IN NEED.
PURPOSE
We seek to accomplish this mission by striving to be:
• Whole Person Focused: We involve students in learning experiences imbued with a vital
Christian interpretation of truth and life which foster their intellectual, emotional, physical,
vocational, social, and spiritual development.
• Biblically Anchored and Liberal Arts Grounded: We offer a liberal arts, professional, and
life-long education based upon the conviction all truth has its source in God and His Word.
• Christ Centered: Our Christian faith should permeate all learning, leading to a consistent life
of worship, servant leadership, stewardship, and world outreach.
• Faith and Learning Integrated: We strive to create specific experiences where the integrative
focus of a Christian liberal arts education is clarified, personalized, and applied.
• World Engaging: We contribute to the advancement of human knowledge and understanding
and serve the evangelical Christian church and the larger (public) community for the glory of
God.
• Servant Leader Motivated: We foster a biblical model of relationships acknowledging both
unity and diversity of the followers of Christ within a covenant community, which can be
evidenced in a continuing lifestyle of service to and concern for others.

STATEMENT OF FAITH
TAYLOR UNIVERSITY IS FIRMLY COMMITTED TO THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST
AND EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANITY. TO ASSURE THE CENTRAL PLACE OF CHRISTIAN
PRINCIPLES IN THE PHILOSOPHY AND LIFE OF THE UNIVERSITY, THE TRUSTEES,
ADMINISTRATION, FACULTY, AND STAFF BELIEVE THAT:
• There is one God, eternally existent in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—the only
Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of all things in heaven and on earth.
• The Bible is the only inspired, authoritative written word of God, true and trustworthy in all it
affirms.
• Jesus Christ is the eternal, living Word of God. Through his incarnation he revealed God’s plan of
redemption by his virgin birth, sinless life, atoning death, bodily resurrection, and ascension.He
will return in power and glory to judge the living and the dead.
• The Holy Spirit is present in the life of every believer, testifying to the lordship of Christ, illuminating
the Scriptures, and empowering believers for fruitful service and obedience to God’s commands.
• Humankind, though uniquely created in God’s image, rebelled and stands in need of redemption.
God, by his grace, extends salvation, reconciliation, and eternal life to anyone who comes to
Christ by faith.
• The Church is the global body of believers across time who affirm that Jesus Christ is Lord and
demonstrate their faith and unity in Christ by loving and serving him and all people.
FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENTS
Willingness to affirm and embrace the foundational policies of the University is pivotal. In addition to
the Mission and Purposes of the University, and the Statement of Faith, the University’s foundational
policies include the Life Together Covenant, the Statement on the Sanctity of Life, the Statement of
Multicultural Philosophy, and the Statement on Human Sexuality all found here.

HISTORY
Taylor University was established in 1846 as Fort Wayne Female College by the Methodist
Church. In 1850 the school started admitting men and changed its name to Fort Wayne
College. In 1890, the College merged with another Methodist-affiliated college, Indiana
Asbury College, and changed its name to Taylor University in honor of Bishop William
Taylor, a Methodist Episcopal missionary whose nearly 60 ocean voyages in the second
half of the 1800s earned him the nickname, “The St. Paul of the 19th Century.” In the
summer of 1893, Taylor University relocated from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to its current
location in Upland. Taylor is the third oldest college in Indiana.
Grounded in the liberal arts, Taylor offers 119 degree programs. The concept of
integration of faith and learning, the idea that knowledge and faith meet their highest
potential when coupled together, is a central educational theme at Taylor.
Throughout Taylor’s 170-year history, God has used individuals to shape the vision and
mission of the University. One of the most influential people was a young black man with
no money in his pockets, just a heart to serve the Lord. God still uses the story and soul
of Samuel Morris to bring many to Taylor seeking the same blessing, purpose, and call.
The list of instrumental people continues with Thaddeus Reade whose dedication led
to the sustaining of the University through financial difficulty; Harold Ockenga, a man
whose faith and influence led to his involvement with the launch of both Fuller and Gordon-Conwell
Seminaries, and who served as a mentor to Billy Graham; Milo Rediger,
who served as a mentor to many during his tenure; and Don Odle, whose life-changing
encounter with Jesus at Taylor led to the launch of Venture for Victory – one of the first
sports evangelism outreach efforts.
The thousands of men and women who have impacted Taylor University, today and
through past generations, share a heart for God, an urgency to proclaim the Word of
God in an atmosphere of faith and learning, and humbly serve those whom God has
placed in their path.

OVERVIEW
STUDENT PROFILE PROFILE
1794 1794 42 42
UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENTS STUDENTS
28 28
44 % 4456 % % 56 %
43 43 % % 16 16 % %
UNDERGRADUATE
FROM FROM
INDIANA INDIANA
RANKINGS
#
6 #
6
#
4 #
4
According According to Open to Open
Doors ® Doors national ® national
rankings rankings for U.S. for study U.S. study
abroad abroad participation: participation:
OVERVIEW
STATES STATES
FOREIGN FOREIGN
COUNTRIES COUNTRIES
FEMALE FEMALE
MALE MALE
3 % 3 %
MINORITY MINORITYINTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS STUDENTS STUDENTS STUDENTS
for undergraduate
for undergraduate
participation
Twenty-third Twenty-third straight straight year
participation
year
in the in top the three top Midwest three Midwest
for short-term for short-term Colleges Colleges in the in America’s the America’s Best Best
duration duration
Colleges Colleges survey survey according according to to
U.S. News U.S. & News World & World Report. Report.
ATHLETICS PROGRAM
men’s men’s and women’s and women’s
# STUDENT 4 PROFILE
COUNTRIES
Colleges in the America’s Best
Colleges survey according to
U.S. News & World Report.
28
for
43 duration % short-term
16 % 3 %
FROM MINORITY STATES
INDIANA 1794 STUDENTS
44 % 56 %
UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENTS
28
43 % 16 %
ATHLETICS PROGRAM
INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS FEMALE
FOREIGN
MALE
99
COUNTRIES
RANKINGS
TUITION AND FINANCES
FACULTY
men’s and women’s
16 OVERVIEW
degree
CAMPUS
sports
According to the 2019 Alumni Survey:
According to Open of
13:1
% report meaningful
100 % all undergraduate
report meaningful $
MEMBER Doors relationship relationship with God
with God36,270
® national OF
rankings for U.S. study
3 %
STUDENT STUDENT TO TO
FACULTY RATIO
% Full-time Regular
FACULTY RATIO
99 %
Tuition
81 % church-related activities
THE NAIA 45 % ALUMNI
students 100
participated
in least one
Endowment
UPLAND,
% report meaningful
13:1
FEMALE
44 % abroad FROM participation: 56 %
relationship with God
According to the
MINORITY Full-time INTERNATIONAL Regular
(2020-2021)
as of May 2020
INDIANA STUDENTS Faculty Faculty STUDENTS with with highest highest
# for undergraduate
degree degree
17
6
%
most recent NSSE Student Survey:
intramural sport
STUDENT/
of living alumni contributed
last 99 PROFILE year.
INDIANA
% Full-time Regular
FACULTY
financially in 2019-2020.
Faculty MALE with highest degree
FACULTY
participation
Twenty-third straight year 90 % would attend Taylor again.
RATIO
in the top STATES three Midwest
#
Colleges in the America’s Best
According to the 2019 Alumni Survey:
ALUMNI
4 1794 for RANKINGS
short-term
ALUMNI 42
PARENTS 13:1 TUITION 100 AND % FINANCES
duration
Colleges survey according to
U.S. News & World Report.
3 %
According 81 to the 2019 Parent Survey:
According According to the to most the recent most recent NSSE Student NSSE Student Survey: Survey: $
90 % would attend Taylor again.
90 % would attend Taylor again. 36,270
% report weekly participation in
UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENT TO
church-related activities
STUDENTS
FOREIGN
FACULTY RATIO
According to Open 28 COUNTRIES
99 %
FROM MINORITY INTERNATIONAL
Doors ® national
INDIANA STUDENTS STUDENTS
rankings for U.S. study
ATHLETICS PROGRAM
17 % of living alumni contributed degree
Tuition to financially attend Taylor in 2019-2020. again.
abroad participation:
(2020-2021)
ALUMNI
According According to the to 2019 the Alumni 2019 Alumni Survey: Survey:
# for undergraduate FEMALE
RANKINGS
81 report weekly participation in
81 %
men’s Twenty-third and women’s straight year
6 participation report weekly
sports
participation in
CAMPUS TUITION AND FINANCES
44 % 56 % According to the most recent NSSE Student Survey:
church-related 16
in the top three Midwest
activities activities
#
for short-term
MEMBER OF
17 % of living alumni contributed
financially 2019-2020.
17 %
of all undergraduate
4 of living alumni contributed
THE NAIA financially 45 % Colleges in the America’s Best PARENTS
duration
students participated
2019-2020.
UPLAND,
Colleges MALE
According to Open
survey according to $
36,270 90 % would attend Taylor again.
Doors ® national
$ 98M
in U.S. at least News & one
World Report.
rankings for U.S. study
According to the 2019 Parent Survey:
According
intramural sport
Tuition to the 2019 Alumni Survey: Endowment
abroad participation:
(2020-2021)
last year.
INDIANA as of May 2020
to attend Taylor again.
# ATHLETICS TUITION TUITION AND PROGRAM AND FINANCES
Twenty-third straight year
643 % for undergraduate 16 % 3 % 81
participation
in the top three Midwest
$57M
% report weekly participation in
church-related activities
FROM MINORITY INTERNATIONAL
$264M
#
INDIANA
Colleges in the America’s Best
$
for
36,270 $
short-term STUDENTS
Colleges $
97,528,000
$ survey men’s
STUDENTS
according and women’s PARENTS
Annual
to CAMPUS
Budget Total Assets
4
duration
16 U.S. News 17 % of living alumni contributed
financially in 2019-2020.
sports
2020-2021
& World Report.
Tuition Tuition
of Endowment all undergraduate
Endowment
(2020-2021) (2020-2021)
as of May as of 2020
participated
at in least at least one one
May 2020
45 % According to the 2019 Parent Survey:
RANKINGS
students participated ACADEMIC TUITION UPLAND,
ACHIEVEMENTS
FINANCES
MEMBER OF
in
ATHLETICS THE NAIAPROGRAM
sport
to attend year.
INDIANA
Taylor again.
intramural sport
According to Open
last year
$
Doors
PARENTS
36,270
of Taylor’s 18 athletic men’s and teams women’s have earned
100 ® national
30
CCCU schools
rankings for U.S. study
% CAMPUS
Tuition
Endowment
abroad participation: NAIA 16Scholar-Team sportsstatus, placing Taylor (2020-2021)
as of May 2020
According According to the in to 2019 the top Parent 2019 three Parent Survey: in the Survey: nation.
# for undergraduate
would would support their student’s choice
94 % support their student’s choice
94 % of all undergraduate
6 45 % 77
MEMBER OF
to attend to attend Taylor Twenty-third students for all CCCU schools.
participation
ed Taylor again.
at again. least participat-
straight year
UPLAND,
in the top three Midwest
# one
THE for NAIA short-term Colleges intramural the America’s sport Best PARENTS
Colleges
4
duration
last year. survey according to INDIANA
U.S. News & World Report.
CAMPUS
According to the 2019 Parent Survey:
43 % 16 % 42
According to the 2019 Alumni Survey:
PARENTS
81 %
degree
FACULTY report weekly participation in
church-related activities
According
17 ALUMNI
to the 2019 Parent Survey:
of living alumni contributed
would financially support in 2019-2020. their student’s choice
According to attend to the most Taylor recent again.
94 % 100 % report meaningful
relationship with God
13:1
NSSE Student Survey:
STUDENT TO
FACULTY RATIO
90 % would attend Taylor again.
99 % Full-time Regular
Faculty with highest
report $ weekly participation in
97,528,000
report meaningful
relationship with God
Full-time Regular
Faculty with highest
would support their student’s choice
94 % Endowment
as of May 2020
would support their student’s choice
94 % $22M
Debt
would support their student’s choice
94 % Average ACT of incoming freshman,
placing Taylor freshman 2 nd among
Taylor’s six-year graduation rate,
% compared to an average of 55%

LOCATION
Taylor University is located on a 952-acre campus in Upland, Indiana—50 miles south of
Fort Wayne and 70 miles north of Indianapolis. With a population of approximately 3700,
Upland has a comfortable hometown feel, yet possesses features of larger communities.
Taylor offers more than 1.1 million square feet in facilities, of which 238,000 square feet
represents newer construction and 175,000 square feet has been extensively renovated
within the last 10 years. Newer facilities include the LaRita Boren Campus Center, the
Euler Science Complex, three residence halls, a Memorial Prayer Chapel, and a football/
soccer stadium.

THE POSITION
The President of Taylor University provides chief executive leadership for the University and its supporting organizations. Additionally, the president provides external leadership for
the University’s multiple stakeholders as to enable Taylor University to effectively fulfill its mission and vision. Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the Taylor President currently leads a
Senior Leadership Team comprised of the following direct reports: Vice President for Enrollment Management, Vice President for University Advancement, Vice President for
Intercultural Leadership and Church Relations, Provost and Executive Vice President, Vice President for Finance/CFO, Special Assistant to the President, Vice President for Student
Development, and Vice President of Strategic Marketing (Open).
TAYLOR
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
PRESIDENT
VP FOR STUDENT
DEVELOPMENT
SPECIAL ASST. TO
THE PRESIDENT
VP FOR FINANCE/
CFO
PROVOST AND
EVP
VP FOR INTERCULTURAL
LEADERSHIP/CHURCH
RELATIONS
VP FOR UNIVERSITY
ADVANCEMENT
VP FOR ENROLLMENT
MANAGEMENT
VP STRATEGIC
MKT. (OPEN)
The Taylor University president will be a team builder with proven ability to lead a complex organization. With a budget of nearly $60 million and 500 employees at Taylor, the next
president will ideally bring leadership experience of similar scope. He or she must be able to lead the University in successfully addressing the fast-changing issues facing Christian
higher education. Such leadership requires the people skills and personality to develop a trusted and comfortable rapport and relationship with all university communities. Such
leadership also requires having a clear grasp of the marketing imperative of a Christian liberal arts institution seeking to increase its national recognition. These leadership skills should
be implemented through a management style that promotes transparency, collegiality, achievement, accountability, and support.
Other factors crucial to the president’s success are the relationship skills and personality needed to attract, develop, and enhance strong financial support for the University. The president
should expect to significantly advance the University’s fundraising program by using those skills to develop key donor relationships and accomplish significant fundraising efforts.
Taylor is seeking a Christian leader with a clear sense of divine calling to the ministry of Christian higher education and to the leadership of Taylor University. Committed to the
institutional church and the nondenominational character of the University, this person must demonstrate the abilities necessary to provide spiritual leadership for all university
constituencies. Willingness to affirm and embrace the University’s mission and foundational documents is pivotal.

THE POSITION (CONT.)
Committed to excellence in classroom academics, out-of-classroom education, and intentional community life, this individual should personify and be able to articulate
the whole-person educational philosophy of Taylor University. Accomplished in organizational leadership, the University president is expected, through visionary and
entrepreneurial leadership, to create, maintain, and enhance a whole-person educational environment of the highest quality for a diverse student body. The University president
must have a clear commitment to and love for students. He or she must articulate, teach, defend, and promote the value of scholarship, Christian doctrine, and thoughtful
reflection in the context of a pragmatic and utilitarian world.
BIBLICAL
FAITHFULNESS
PROFESSIONAL
BACKGROUND
LEADERSHIP GIFTS &
STRENGTHS
Authentic and fruitful practice of faith in all areas
of life (family, church, community) that demonstrates
deep dependence on the Lord
Belief and affirmation of Taylor’s foundational
documents and covenants, embracing their core
principles and everyday practice
An articulate and clear calling to leadership in the
challenging work of Christian Higher-Education in
today’s world
An embrace of the breadth and diversity of
evangelical history and expression, with a generous
spirit focused on common denominators within
Christ-centered, scriptural interpretations and
practices
Belief and engaging current culture with grace and
wisdom in order to equip believers to make impact
for the sake of the Gospel
A current understanding of the Christian highereducation
landscape trends, challenges, and
opportunities
Could bring experience from a variety of backgrounds
such as Higher education, nonprofit organization
or ministry, large church, or for-profit/executive
Demonstrated ability to recruit, retain and develop
a diverse leadership team
Demonstrated background of innovation related
to engaging new possibilities for the University
Terminal Degree preferred (i.e. Ph.D., D. Min,.
Ed.D.)
Experience in articulating a compelling vision that
draws people to join and support its fulfillment
Ability to translate God’s Truth to our current culture
in a way that fosters spiritual change and growth
Organizational change or innovation efforts that
create enhanced growth and sustainability
Strategic planning and priortization to focus
organizational direction and the application of
resources.
Financial management and oversight of a
substantial budget that generates margin to
enhance the mission

EXPECTATIONS
Successful leadership in any educational institution is judged by how well its leader meets the
expectations of its governing body, meets the needs of its students, and responds to the input
of its faculty, administration, parents, and other constituent groups. The next President will
have the opportunity to shape and create a new Strategic Plan, which will likely focus on the
following results.
The President will:
• Articulate a compelling vision for Taylor consistent with its mission in a way that mobilizes
and inspires the various constituencies.
• Model humility, servant leadership, and spiritual discipleship that permeates the university,
faithfully leading in a way that Taylor’s graduates will be faithful followers of Jesus
Christ, well- prepared to discuss and defend their faith.
• Lead the finances of Taylor University with financial margin that enhances the mission by
creatively seeking new revenue streams, growing mission-aligned enrollment, and increasing
fundraising.
• Continue to nurture the excellence of Taylor’s Liberal Arts distinctive such that Taylor will
build on its strong reputation and grow in recognition regionally and nationally.
• Shepherd relationships and community with students, faculty, staff, and alumni in a way
that unites, inspires, and motivates.
• Create an enhanced and innovative business model to plan for and adapt to the changing
demands in higher education.
• Lead Taylor’s efforts to increase diversity in the student body, faculty, and administration.
• Drive and contribute to efforts to increase the current endowment from $100 million to
$200-300 million.
• Continue to attract and retain a highly distinguished faculty and staff.

PROCESS of CANDIDACY
Taylor University places a high priority on sustaining a supportive environment that recognizes the importance
of having a diverse faculty, staff, and administration to best prepare students for successful careers in a
multicultural and global community. Applications from qualified persons with diverse backgrounds and
cultures, including women and persons of color, are therefore, especially welcomed.
After reading this Opportunity Profile, if you sense the gifts and experience God has given you are a good initial match
for Taylor University, we invite you to begin the inquiry process. JobfitMatters, the Taylor Search Committee, and the
Taylor Board of Trustees will keep all candidate information and conversations confidential. You may contact us at any
stage of the process to get more information and/or to ask questions. (Contact information below)
Please provide the following documents and responses for review:
• A current resume or CV.
• Responses to the following questions:
1. Share with us your personal statement of faith. Describe your spiritual journey and its relevance to both your
personal and professional life.
2. Briefly describe your philosophy of leadership, integrating your experience in a challenging environment.
What other skills and experiences in your life lead you to believe that you can be an effective leader for Taylor
University?
• Provide the names and contact information (telephone numbers and e-mail addresses) for four references who
know you and your career well enough to comment on your suitability for this role.
Submit this information in Microsoft Word or PDF format to:
Laura Coverstone and Tommy Thomas
JobfitMatters
resumes@jobfitmatters.com
Phone: (615) 261-4623
In the subject line of the email, please write “Taylor - President”
Applications will be reviewed until a selection is made, but candidates are encouraged to submit information by
November 15, 2020. Nominations or candidate materials are welcome at the above email. Confidential inquiries
may be made to Laura Coverstone or Tommy Thomas at 615-261-4623.