Thank you, Jim. Good afternoon. I want to start by acknowledging the tremendous work that goes into planning for each academic year. Thank you all for your leadership in getting us off to a great start this semester.
Today, I will speak on:
- Enrollment
- Removing barriers and finding solutions, and
- 3 goals to support student achievement
We are encouraged by App State’s fall enrollment numbers, which Chancellor Norris shared in her Friday update. I’d like to highlight a few of those figures.
The Boone campus enrollment is continuing to hold steady, and in fact decreased by over 2% compared with last fall. We were able to grow overall enrollment by 1.1% due in large part to a 28% increase in our online students, which is a key part of our managed growth strategy. Included among the 3,200 App State Online students are 443 students enrolled in our five Project Kitty Hawk Flight Path programs, which are really taking off. This is a credit to our App State faculty who have worked hard to develop innovative, workforce-aligned programs that benefit nontraditional learners.
We also welcomed our largest number of undergraduates, and saw a 2.6% bump in graduate students this fall.
App State Hickory’s growth continued for the second straight year, with a 2.3% increase. As I mentioned at last month’s State of the University event, we have focused the Hickory campus educational offerings to 13 programs that align with our Academic Affairs strategic plan and the needs of the Hickory area market. We will continue to offer opportunities to complete general education and business core courses at App State Hickory, and we are actively developing additional innovative and creative ways to expand educational access and opportunities in the Catawba Valley.
Of course, it’s not enough to get students in the door. We have positive student outcomes data to build on — App State’s student retention and graduation rates remain strong and are some of the highest in the nation. Improving four-year graduation rates is a priority for our university, and we each play a vital role in student success.
With that in mind, I want to share two guiding pillars for the year ahead:
- First — Remove barriers. We all play a role in identifying and eliminating obstacles that slow students down or make their paths more difficult. The goal is to remove the obstacles that stand in the way of learning, progress, and student confidence. Even something as simple as responding promptly to a student’s email can reduce stress, improve their efficiency, and help you work more effectively.
- Second — Bring solutions. Removing barriers is only half the equation — we must also be ready to offer solutions. That can mean connecting a student with the right resource, finding an alternative path forward, or simply committing to follow up with accurate information. In moments of uncertainty, a clear next step can make all the difference in helping students stay on track and feel supported.
Supporting student achievement is everyone’s responsibility, and I want us all to begin thinking about three goals — with more information to come.
- First, let’s recognize those who find ways to remove barriers for student success. Right now I am calling this “Busting Barriers” — the name may need a little work! The goal is to create a record or list of these adjustments — large or small — across all areas within Academic Affairs. It could be simplifying a syllabus or finding a registration solution for a student. It’s showing that we understand how small changes can lead to big successes.
- The second goal is to catalog the experiential learning occurring across our university. How can we track and illustrate the hands-on learning happening inside and outside of our classrooms — to be shared as another point of pride for the App State Experience?
- Finally, I would like to see more Faculty Senate representation on university working groups and planning committees. For example:
- the committee for the New York Loft, which is forming now and will host listening sessions for development and use of the loft, and
- the Summer Lift committee, which is looking at ways to enroll more students in summer sessions to help them stay on track to graduate in four years.
We will work with Faculty Senate leadership to share information about these opportunities with you.
I am looking forward to a great year ahead, and am grateful for the vision, leadership, and collective expertise in this room and across our faculty.
Thank you for your time today.
Chair Westerman, this concludes my remarks.