Last week Ferrum College proudly welcomed
the largest new student enrollment in twenty years to its Ferrum,
VA campus through the doors of its newly remodeled student center
and through the all-new Skeens Alumni Conference Center. The large
class of 490 new students joins a total enrollment at 1,059. Ferrum
hosts over 1,000 students for the first time in ten years. New student
enrollment is up 22% over last year and 37% over two years ago. The
institution has seen applications surge in recent years with a 27%
increase over last year and 39% over two years ago.
"Word is getting out about how great
Ferrum is!" Gilda Woods, Director of Admissions said. “We implemented
a new recruitment plan with the assistance of John Dysart of The Dysart
Group, a higher education consulting firm. Our plan included more
direct communication with prospective students highlighting new initiatives
at the college that have taken place since Dr. Jennifer Braaten became
president.”
The new Earl G. “Bud” Skeens Alumni Conference
Center and renovated Franklin Hall Student Center and Roberts Hall
greeted returning students, who just last year witnessed the dedication
of Arthur Hall, a new apartment-style residence hall. A whirlwind
24 months of construction is winding down with the most dramatic set
of campus improvements in fifty years. Students will be eager to enjoy
the new living accommodations, classrooms, meeting spaces, Internet
cafés, offices and exterior enhancements from the “FerrumPLUS!” (Project
Leading to Undergraduate Success) initiatives. A renovated Beckham
Hall was re-opened with a redesigned, state-of-the-art classroom-focused
interior in the fall of 2005. Future phases of development are being
fast-tracked for consideration as enrollment continues to grow.
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, visit www.ferrum.edu.