Stephens College timeline

October 1998 – Heavy rains damage buildings on the Stephens’ campus. President Marcia Kierscht declines to examine the extent of the damage despite student requests.

November 1998 – The community begins to look unfavorably on Stephens for neglecting the upkeep of several historical buildings on campus.

December 1998 – Stephens decides to sell Stephens Lake Park in hopes of climbing out of debt. Community opposition grows.

May 1999 – Stephens students sign a petition asking the Board of Trustees to remove Kierscht from office.

September 2002 – Kierscht resigns. In February, she received a vote of no confidence from the faculty.

July 2003 — Wendy Libby takes over as 23rd president of Stephens College.

September 2003 - Libby launches five-year strategic "Renaissance Plan," unveiled in October 2004.

Fall 2004 — The interim report included a goal to increase enrollment from the current 577 to about 900 undergraduate students in five years.

Fall 2005 - Undergraduate enrollment saw an 18 percent increase from fall 2004 and a 27 percent increase from fall 2003.

Jan. 2004 — An interim report on strategic planning stated that Stephens would be closed within three years if it did not change the course of decreasing enrollment and increasing deficits.

2004 — Stephens offers summer courses for the first time in nearly a decade.

2004 — From 2004 to 2005, donations to the college increased from $4.5 million to more than $7 million.

2005 — Stephens sees increased financial stability. The deficit had been reduced to about $250,000, from as much as $3.8 million at one point.

2005 — Stephens shifts from a liberal arts focus toward more toward career-oriented programs in fashion, dance, theater, equestrian studies and education.

June 2006 — MU and Stephens College form a non-profit planning partnership with the city to assist in coordinating public and private development in the downtown area between Providence Road and College Avenue.

Fall 2006 — Stephens had its largest incoming class since 1991. The increase in enrollment marked the beginning of a four-year plan to increase full-time undergraduate enrollment.

Winter 2007 — Columbia and Woods halls were expanded to accommodate increasing enrollment.

Fall 2007 — More than 1,000 students enrolled by the beginning of the fall semester, due to improved academic programs, better facilities and a stronger commitment to recruiting.

January 2008 — The school kicked off its 175th anniversary celebration.