Anna Gindlesperger
Assistant Editor-in-Chief
February 18, 2005
Enrollment and retention rates are on the rise at Milligan College.
“Freshmen retention improved quite dramatically following the implementation of the Student Success program in 2001,” said David Mee, vice president for enrollment management.
Last fall 192 freshmen enrolled at Milligan, and of that group, 91 percent returned for the spring 2005 semester.
By comparison, 87 percent of freshmen enrolled for fall 2003 returned to finish out the school year.
"We are encouraged by these most recent statistics,” Mee said, “and feel good about the prospects of reaching or topping this year's goal of 80 percent for freshmen retention for fall 2005 (fall to fall).”
Milligan has seen a growth of 100 students from the enrollment of the spring 2004 and spring 2005 semesters.
The main reason for this increase in enrollment is due to good retention and the growing numbers of students in Milligan’s graduate and non-traditional undergraduate programs.
Milligan also welcomed 20 new students this semester, a mixture of first-time students and transfers from other schools.
“When I first got here I was a little overwhelmed,” said freshman Amanda Caston, who transferred to Milligan from Columbia College (S.C.). “Everyone already knew each other, and I felt a little out of place, but the girls on my hall were really nice and welcomed me immediately.”
Caston, who chose to attend Milligan because of its genuine Christian atmosphere, credited the faculty for helping her feel at home.
“Adjusting to a new environment is never easy,” Caston said, “but everyone here at Milligan has made this transition as smooth as possible.”