The Partners Campaign

Covenant College celebrates God’s continued faithfulness, a joy found not only in the college’s history but in its current season of growth. At the end of this spring semester, celebrating an exciting year and another bittersweet graduation, the public phase of the Partners Campaign, which began in January 2024 as a fundraising and building project, was launched through ScotsGive. This campaign has not just been an initiative for growth, but an invitation for many to join the shared work of Covenant’s mission to equip and send current and future students as builders to serve the Church and the world by supporting the needs of our campus. We continue to celebrate not just the evidence of future growth but the tangible results of the campaign already impacting students, all made possible by the generosity and shared vision of our community of partners.

The strategic investments of the Partners Campaign extend and strengthen Covenant’s mission of faithfully educating the next generation of Christ-centered leaders. The campaign has focused on investing in thriving academic programs, improving student-centered spaces where discipleship flourishes, and expanding admission efforts to reach students uniquely called to serve Christ’s kingdom with a variety of talents. Rather than solely focusing on the moment, the campaign supports sustainability by increasing scholarship funds to reduce financial barriers, growing our endowment, and creating lasting impact through campus improvements. This long-term mission reflects Covenant’s desire to remain missionally faithful in changing times. 

A Growing Campus 

Much of the campaign’s impact is already being felt around campus in a variety of ways. Some of the larger goals the campaign has supported are coming to fruition on Covenant’s campus today. The landscape in higher education has evolved rapidly over the last several years with changing perceptions of the value of a liberal arts degree, concerns about students' readiness for college, and the predicted enrollment cliff. In light of this, Covenant’s senior leadership intentionally asked what it would look like to find a way to challenge momentum and build a full, thriving campus. From this came an enrollment plan focused on making investments in admissions and marketing efforts. The detailed plan outlined fundraising areas to support additional operations staff for admissions and marketing, investments in technology and training, and increased marketing spending. This past fall semester, we celebrated the record-breaking class of 2029, the largest freshman class in history, and the fall enrollment for 2026 is currently operating on a waitlist, hitting record-breaking numbers early in the application season. This continued surge in applicants is not an accident but the result of strategic efforts, supported and enabled by the Partners Campaign. 

Dave Gambrell, vice president for enrollment management, emphasizes the quality of work that is being done behind the scenes to support a thriving campus: “Because of the investment of our Covenant community in admissions, we didn’t have to compromise on our mission to see enrollment growth. At many schools, they have to cut corners or give up something they care about, but because partners came alongside us, we’ve been able to grow the right way without compromising the calling God has put on Covenant College.” 

This support for admissions, financial aid, and marketing helped prospective students imagine their future on Covenant’s campus. In fact, guests’ first experience on campus often takes place in the newly renovated Probasco Welcome Center, a space that embodies the hospitality and Christ-centered community at Covenant. The renovations, a result of the campaign, have played a large role in the increased admissions and financial aid support. They have not only created a more professional and productive environment for the offices housed, but also enabled enriched interactions with prospective students and families during their visits. Caring about this space of invitation and hosting reflects Covenant’s mission of an outgoing, caring community that reflects gospel hospitality. 

Investing in the Student Experience 

As a residential college, Covenant’s student experience is heavily impacted by the physical spaces that make up the campus. Plans to improve these spaces include future projects such as modernizing science labs, creating a professional business suite, updating the Maclellan/Rymer residence hall common area, renovating the Mills Hall lobby, and expanding athletic fields. These projects will increase opportunities for research, spark curiosity, and enhance student–faculty interaction, creating purposeful environments for collaboration and meaningful learning. 

One example of an update that has already been effective is the extensive renovation of Sanderson 215, now named the Emmette and Janet Waite Auditorium, a room that hosts numerous events each year. Completed in Fall 2025 due to the Partners Campaign, the improvements extend beyond the classroom to new ADA-compliant restrooms in the foyer, a renovated sound booth, and modern equipment for a higher-quality audiovisual experience. 

“Spaces like Sanderson 215 play a quiet but significant role in shaping the student experience,” says Stephanie Formenti, vice president of student development. “By creating room for students to gather for shared experiences like lectures and theater performances, this auditorium reinforces the kind of community we hope to cultivate at Covenant. Investing in spaces like this demonstrates our commitment to fostering meaningful connection, participation, and formation among students.” Because of these changes, current and future students will benefit as the renovated auditorium promises a more contemporary, refreshed setting for lectures, meetings, and top-notch productions. The space has already been impactful in serving the college by hosting prospective student events, lectures, theatre performances, faculty and staff professional development opportunities, and more. Students have spent evenings laughing with Covenant’s improv group, and families and visitors alike have enjoyed several performances from the theater department held in the space. Because of the generosity of partners’ giving, this auditorium now matches the quality of the events held within its walls. 

A Legacy of Generosity 

It is these community-cultivated and mission-driven experiences that donors support and come behind, encouraging growth through intentional change. President Brad Voyles highlights this mission, saying, “It is God’s provision through the generosity of our partners that has allowed us to remain faithful. Investments in the mission of Covenant are investments that make possible the training, discipleship, and sending of our graduates to all corners of creation.” The partners that have participated in the campaign are not only supporting the college but are becoming an integral part of its God-honoring work. 

“My husband and I give back because we want to see Covenant thrive. We want to see Covenant be able to carry out its mission. We want to see the students, the staff, and the faculty be able to continue the good work that they're doing. We experience joy in being able to help that happen.” Nicole Potoshnick '01

As the public phase of the Partners Campaign continues to gain momentum, the impact is visible across campus—from the record-breaking freshman class to creating space for discovery in the science labs. But the true success of this campaign is not measured in the renovated square footage or in hitting specific enrollment numbers but in the strengthened foundation of a Christ-centered college that refuses to drift in cultural tides. By investing in the physical and academic landscape, the college’s partners have done more than fund projects–-they have fortified a mission, ensuring that students will continue to be equipped with not only a degree but also with a community that recognizes the preeminence of Christ in all things.