Valpo Friends:
Grace and peace to you,
I am writing to share about belief in the future of Valparaiso University, and some of the evidence that can strengthen such belief.
As I reflect upon the relationship between belief and evidence, I am reminded of that first Easter morning over 2,000 years ago, and how the disciples did not immediately understand what had transpired. Their grief was real. Their uncertainty was understandable. Their fear was relatable. Their belief in the future, while once strong, was now seemingly buried alongside Jesus.
Then something remarkable occurred. Jesus appeared among them!
The empty tomb became more than a story. The resurrection became more than an idea. The disciples encountered evidence. They saw. They listened. They experienced. Their belief was no longer based upon hopeful thinking, as their belief was now strengthened by what they had witnessed.
The Gospel writers repeatedly describe the risen Christ appearing to his followers. Thomas touched Christ’s wounds. The disciples shared meals with him. They walked beside him. They were given reasons to believe.
Perhaps the lesson to be learned is that, while faithfulness surely involves trust, God also provides signs and signals that strengthen such trust.
During these summer months I have been reflecting on the significance of belief, not only my belief in the resurrection of Jesus – which stands uniquely at the center of my faith – but rather, belief in others, belief in the gift and promise of Lutheran higher education, and belief in the future we are building together here at Valparaiso University.
Since arriving in Northwest Indiana six months ago, I have received the honor and joy of meeting thousands of students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, community members, and friends. I have visited classrooms and residence halls, as well as concerts, athletic competitions, research presentations, worship services, alumni gatherings, and community events. Everywhere I go, I encounter remarkable people who care deeply about Valparaiso University, and I have often received a simple and heartfelt phrase:
“I want to believe.”
These words are not spoken with cynicism, but with longing.
My sense is that people want to believe that Valpo’s best days are still ahead. They want to believe that our mission still matters. They want to believe that we can spark and sustain positive momentum, strengthen our finances, grow enrollment, expand opportunity through teaching and learning, and become an even greater blessing to church and society.
Belief is indeed powerful, yet as we learn from the disciples on Easter morning, belief grows stronger when accompanied by evidence, and I am excited to share that our shared belief in Valparaiso University is being accompanied with an increasing amount of evidence. The following are some highlights:
- Enrollment: We at Valparaiso University are experiencing our first year-over-year new student enrollment increase in ten years! As recently shared online, I am grateful for Senior Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing LeAnn Hughes and her outstanding team, as the world needs more Valpo graduates, and thanks be to God, more students and their families are saying “Amen”!
- Fundraising: Our campus community is responding to our positive momentum with remarkable generosity, with $16.5 million in total cash received in fiscal year 2026, which is a 77% increase from fiscal year 2025. Furthermore, the Valpo Fund has raised $4.04 million, which is a 33% increase from last year. Thank you to Christine Radtke, Lori Miltenberger, and all in our advancement team for helping to expand the impact of Valparaiso University!
- Graduation & Placement: Our students are faithfully entering the world! As recently shared online, 98% of our graduates are entering jobs or further study within months of receiving their diploma, which is 12% higher than the national average (86%), and 88% of our graduates completed their degrees in four years or less, which is double the national average of 44%. This is excellent news for our students and for our world!
- New Leaders: Over the past weeks we have successfully recruited several new leaders to Valparaiso University, including Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff to the President Mary Grace Almandrez, Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer Loren Chandler, and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Nicole Smith. We will soon be announcing our new Vice President for Advancement, and I look forward to welcoming numerous other outstanding faculty and staff to our campus community!
- Faith and Learning: We are pleased to witness significant renewal at worship services in the Chapel of Resurrection, as staff report a noticeable increase in attendance in comparison to last year. Furthermore, the Christian Leadership and Formation program – which consists of Allen Scholars, Lutheran Leaders, and others – are equipping a significant number of learners to grow in faith while preparing to lead and serve not only in the future, but also during their time on campus. Thank you to all in the Office of Calling and Spiritual Life for embodying the spirit and soul of Valparaiso University!
- Academic Convenings on Campus: Throughout the past year, Valparaiso University served as host for numerous important scholarly gatherings, such as: The Illinois/Indiana Conference of the American Society for Engineering Education, the Moellering Conference on Spatial Sciences, the International Society of Literary Juvenilia’s Conference, the Institute for Liturgical Studies, and numerous others, all of which show that our campus remains an important destination for learners of all ages. Thank you to Provost and Executive Vice President Eric Johnson and all from throughout our campus for helping to make this all happen!
- There is far more to share! As offered in one of my previous messages, students are learning for life, serving our world, and shining God’s light, both inside and outside the classroom; Faculty are teaching and researching with brilliance and care; Staff are serving with steadfast kindness and commitment; Athletics is thriving on the court, in the classroom, and in our community; Community partners are enthused, extending and receiving invitations for collaboration, and strengthening our role as a trusted and engaged neighbor; and alumni connections are growing, rediscovering their bonds with Valpo and creating new opportunities for companionship and shared growth.
There is a great deal of evidence to observe and celebrate here at Valparaiso University. However, while the evidence is both apparent and appreciated, across our campus and throughout my visits with alumni from coast-to-coast I have also sensed something far more difficult to measure but no less important to acclaim:
Our hope is growing.
Our confidence is growing.
Our energy is growing.
Our joy is growing.
Perhaps most importantly, our belief is growing!
This is an exciting time, yet to be clear, our experience of growth does not mean our work is finished, and it certainly does not mean our challenges have disappeared. As is the case with every university today, we at Valparaiso University continue to face financial pressures, demographic shifts, and changing expectations about the value and values of higher education. We still have difficult decisions ahead. We still have much work to do. I still have many mistakes that I will surely make.
The road ahead for Valparaiso University will not be smooth, yet we as faithful people refuse to confuse realism with pessimism. Instead, we acknowledge reality while embracing belief. This is what I increasingly experience here at Valparaiso University.
We are people who believe, not because someone told us to believe or because we feel obligated to believe, but because we are witnessing what is possible when God acts in and through a campus community that comes together around a shared and significant purpose. Whether it was 2,000 years ago or in the present day and age, belief is not only powerful, as belief is also transformative.
When students believe they belong, they flourish.
When faculty believe their work matters, teaching amplifies and discovery accelerates.
When staff believe their daily efforts contribute to something meaningful, excellence becomes contagious.
When alumni believe their university has a bright and beautiful future, generosity follows.
When donors believe their investment will make a lasting difference, lives are changed.
While there are many decent universities throughout North America, ours is different, because ours is based upon belief, and by God’s grace, we can embrace the responsibility that such belief carries.
The disciples did not encounter the risen Christ simply so they could feel good.
The disciples were sent. Again and again, Jesus tells them to go and tell.
Go and tell others. Go and serve. Go and bear witness to what you have experienced.
I believe a form of that first Easter invitation still echoes today.
As members of the Valparaiso University community, each and every one of us has the opportunity – and I would say, the responsibility – to bear witness, not merely by speaking about Valpo, but by daring to renew the mission of Valpo.
I ask that we all tell prospective students why this university is special, and why it matters that they apply to live and learn here.
Invite families to visit our campus.
Encourage talented faculty and staff colleagues to join us and help us to be better.
Reconnect with classmates.
Support our students.
Pray for our university.
No matter who you are, no matter where you are, or no matter how you are, each and every one of us who believes in Valparaiso University can share the stories of transformation that happen here each and every day, as there are so many stories worth telling.
There is the first-generation student discovering confidence in a classroom.
The engineering student solving problems that improve lives.
The nursing graduate caring for patients with extraordinary skill and compassion.
The musician whose performance brings inspiration.
The business leader who acts ethically and drives meaningful change.
The Christ College graduate who chooses to live and learn with honor.
The researcher whose curiosity leads to breakthroughs.
The student-athlete who learns that true success is measured not only by victories but by character.
The recent graduate of the Class of 2026 who commenced from our campus not merely to earn a living, but to build a life that serves others.
These stories are our evidence.
They remind us why universities matter.
They remind us why Valpo especially matters.
Throughout our history, this university has helped students pursue scholarship with rigor, embrace freedom with responsibility, and nurture faith with humility. Those commitments remain our roots, and today, they are also becoming our reach.
As we continue building a university that is both rooted and reaching, I believe our future is becoming clearer, not because we know every answer, but because we are increasingly united around our purpose.
And so, to all who are reading these words and do not yet believe in the future of Valparaiso University, please know we will leave a seat open for you, as more evidence is on the way, and I look forward to welcoming you soon.
To all who are reading these words and do believe, I invite you to do what the first witnesses of Easter did: go and tell the story.
Please go and tell the story of our university, where students are known, challenged, and loved.
Please go and tell the story of a campus community where scholarship, freedom, and faith continue to rejuvenate lives.
Please go and tell the story of our graduates who are prepared to lead with wisdom, serve with compassion, and shine God’s light wherever they are called.
Please go and tell the story that our belief is growing, the evidence is mounting, and together, by God’s resurrection promise, we build lives for good.
With gratitude,
The Rev. Brian E. Konkol, Ph.D.
President, Valparaiso University
