PRESIDENT JOHN MARSDEN has overseen significant growth in enrollment and campus improvements at Midway University since arriving on campus in February 2013. (Midway University photo
A NEW LIBRARY on the Midway University campus is in the design phase, with a goal of opening in the fall of 2026, according to President John Marsden. The library’s location will ultimately determine the site’s landscaping and exterior design. (Image provided by Midway University)
With a fall enrollment of 2,003 students, Midway University is reporting growth for a ninth consecutive year. One of the challenges that comes with ongoing growth, President John Marsden told the Sun, is a demand for on-campus housing.
The second floor of the university’s library was converted to housing and added 43 beds last academic year, “and we found ourselves at 100 percent capacity again,” said Marsden, who’s been president of Midway U since February 2013.
Even with a decision this year to not increase traditional daytime student enrollment, he said, the demand for housing remained strong as shown by having 100 percent occupancy again this academic year.
The first phase of a plan to increase housing was converting the library’s second floor for housing, with the second phase being the construction of a new library so the current library can be used exclusively for housing. That conversion project is fully funded.
A self-described high-energy person who wants projects to move forward, Marsden said, “My frustration is usually that it’s not moving quickly enough. We need housing and we need it now. So I want us to raise the money for the library yesterday so we can start building sooner (rather) than later.”
Fundraising is ongoing for the new library, which is in the design phase, he said. “So we are hoping to have that library (ready) for the fall of ’26.” A site near the amphitheater was not feasible because of a sinkhole, so he is now meeting with architects to identify other possible locations, he added.
“Libraries of today,” said Marsden, “usually blend library services with learning spaces, classrooms, individual study rooms and then some social spaces like a café.” The new library will have a café as well as those academic spaces, technology and computer labs, while also offering traditional library services.
The new library will also house the university’s Esports arena, Marsden said. He pointed out about 25 students participate in Esports (video game events) at Midway University. That program is supported by a new degree in Games Studies and Design, where students learn to create the narrative for video games.
Along with other new degree offerings, Games Studies and Design has contributed to the growth in online students at the university, Marsden said.
He said there’s an energy on campus “because we’ve been on a positive trajectory for nine years and we continue to make a lot of campus improvements.”
Since 2018, Midway University has built Hunter Field House, a turf field and track, new tennis courts, a baseball park, a new equine barn while also being able to renovate Marrs Hall and covert Pinkerton Hall into a residence hall, update the bathrooms and build a new admissions/welcome center – all without incurring any new debt, Marsden said. Also, he said Piper Dining Hall and McManus Student Center were both renovated over this summer.
During a decade when other private universities are closing or merging, Midway University has been able to maintain its on-campus vitality and continue to grow by “offering majors that we feel like are meeting workforce needs and are market relevant – and we’re constantly checking on that. We’re (also) offering opportunities for athletics which are important to students.”
Moreover, he said, “We’re an institution that is financially stable. Our operating revenues have increased every year over the last nine years. We make sure we’re living within our means. … We don’t even use our endowment to balance the budget.”
Asked what has kept him at Midway University for a decade and will keep him energized about being its president, Marsden said, “The opportunity to turn the institution around and be in a growth trajectory.
“… We have made improvements to the entire educational experience, the entire collegiate experience … inside and outside the classroom that is directly having a positive impact on students and preparing them for life. That’s important to me.
“I often say,” he added, “that many colleges build hoping students will come. In our case, we have built and renovated so that students will stay. If we continue to be able to do that I will stay. I’m a builder at heart,” so he appreciates having donors and board members who believe in the direction and future of Midway University.
Incoming Class by the numbers
The 285 new traditional undergraduate students come from 22 states and 7 countries; with 72% from Kentucky, 24% out-of-state and 4% international. Of the total 285 students, 51% are female and 49% are male.
Data provided by Midway University