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For Immediate
Release:
August 27, 2007
Ferrum College Sees Enrollment Surge Under Leadership of
First Woman President
Dr. Jennifer L. Braaten will celebrate the beginning of
her sixth year as the first woman president of Ferrum
College by welcoming the largest group of new students to
Ferrum in over twenty years. The large class of 600 new
students joins a total enrollment of 1,200. New student
enrollment is up 50% in two years. Braaten says the entire
campus is excited and energized at the prospect of so many
young men and women embarking on their college careers at
Ferrum and insists on sharing credit for this accomplishment
with Ferrum College faculty and staff. "The Ferrum College
that you see today, with our unparalleled facilities and
outstanding academic, athletic and experiential learning
programs, is the direct result of the hard work, dedication
and can-do spirit of the entire campus community, a spirit
that was clearly evident to me when I arrived at Ferrum in
July of 2002."
During a time of challenges in the admissions environment
for many private colleges in non-urban areas, Ferrum is one
of the few such institutions experiencing an increase in
enrollment. "People are really starting to talk about how
great Ferrum is!" Gina Woods, Director of Admissions said.
"The college implemented a new recruitment plan two years
ago with the assistance of John Dysart of The Dysart Group,
a higher education consulting firm. The plan included more
direct communication with prospective students highlighting
new initiatives at the college that have taken place since
Dr. Braaten became president."
Dr. Braaten is equally enthusiastic about the increase in
the numbers of returning students. "Retention represents an
important element of our strategy of excellence. Just as
exciting as our new enrollment increase is the fact that our
current students will be returning to Ferrum in record
numbers."
Other significant milestones in Ferrum College history
have occurred throughout Braaten's initial five years,
including completion of FerrumPlus!, a major building and
renovation project, a nearly 37% growth in the College's
endowment, due in large part to dramatic increases in
charitable and alumni giving. Dr. Lee King, Vice President
of Institutional Advancement says, "In the past five years,
our alumni and friends have become re-engaged with Ferrum in
some exciting ways. Our external donors are excited about
the direction Ferrum is going and are making their own
contributions to our success."
The "bricks and mortar" aspect of the groundwork for the
enrollment increase was laid when the College received a
$250,000 planning grant from the Virginia Tobacco Commission
in 2003 that was subsequently leveraged into a $16 million +
USDA Rural Development construction loan, the largest loan
of its kind ever awarded to an institution of higher
education. FerrumPLUS!, made possible by the USDA loan as
well as generous gifts from benefactors, has changed the
face of the campus. Information systems upgrades, including
a cell phone tower erected on College property in 2003 and
wireless technology in virtually every classroom, office
building, study area, and residence hall have also been part
of this effort.
For more information about Ferrum College and FerrumPLUS!,
contact the Public Relations Office at (540) 365-4300.
Ferrum College is a four-year, private, co-educational,
liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist
Church. Ferrum offers a choice of nationally recognized
bachelor's degree programs at a cost well below the national
average for private colleges. For more information on Ferrum,
please visit www.ferrum.edu.
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