By Christina L. Kern, office assistant
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — Campbellsville University announces a record spring semester enrollment of 3,318 students, according to an announcement from Dr. Michael V. Carter, president of Campbellsville University.
The total enrollment, up from 3,226 in spring 2012, includes 2,822 undergraduate students and 496 graduate students.
“Campbellsville University is pleased to announce an all-time record spring semester enrollment of 3,318 students,” Carter, in his 14th year as president, said. “These numbers reflect the continuing growth of Campbellsville University as envisioned in the long-term goals of ‘Vision 2025' which is our blueprint for the future.
“While we continue to grow on the main campus, at our regional centers, and in our online and graduate programs, CU maintains our historic commitment to academic quality coupled with personal attention by faculty, staff, and coaches. We work to maintain an open door policy for our students, a very low student-to-faculty ratio of 13:1, and academic excellence in a Christian environment.
“We look to the future with a continuing commitment to steady growth, personal attention for our students, quality of academics and student life, and Christian servant leadership.”
One goal of Vision 2025 is to increase in size to approximately 5,000 students.
Dave Walters, vice president for admissions and students services, said the way to reach this goal is by “being intentional with retention and our vision for current students, and being intentional in providing the best higher education experience possible.”
Walters said retention is a campus-wide effort which begins with “how the campus looks to residence life, student engagement opportunities and food service, etc.”
He said telling that story to prospective students is important as “we try to convey the opportunities available. Campbellsville University has high quality academics, and is also high quality beyond the classroom in student life for both commuters and resident students, online and graduate students and those at our regional centers.”
Dale Smothers, admissions counselor, said, “The personalized education you get here at Campbellsville University is the key to our students' success. We help the student find their definition of success, then match them, step by step, in their journey toward that success.”
Walters said they are regularly asking for feedback from students and trying to provide more opportunities for student feedback to better understand the needs and desires of students.
The recent example of implementing this feedback is Books n Beans and the Bright-Redmon Commons, located inside Montgomery Library, which officially opened early in the spring semester. “Students have asked for more social space open with longer hours. This resulted in refurbishing the library to provide this need for the students.”
Other needs being addressed from student feedback include additional fitness equipment, implementing a furniture replacement plan in the residence halls and providing more parking spaces.
“When students see results of their feedback, it makes Campbellsville University a better place for our students to live and to learn,” Walters said.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 3,600 students offering 63 undergraduate options, 17 master's degrees, five postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.