To assist Augusta University’s goal to enroll 16,000 students by 2030, the college has accelerated staff and faculty hiring to maintain the pace.
After celebrating the enrollment of 10,546 last fall, Augusta University’s enrollment increased 7.5% from fall 2022 and an impressive 26.6% since 2015.
Within the dramatic increase, AU also experienced its highest ever freshmen class with 1,162 total students.
“As Georgia’s flagship health sciences and medical research university – home of the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center and a national leader in student success – we strive every day to provide our students with an innovative and personalized learning and discovery environment that helps prepare them for the workforce,” said AU President Brooks Keel. “Our continued enrollment growth reflects that commitment.”
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In September 2023, AU leadership began addressing the need for increasing faculty and staff to support the growing number of students through a new initiative called Project Smart Growth.
Over the next couple of months, university Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Neil MacKinnon created a task force and analyzed data to develop a recommended plan, which Keel and AU’s executive leadership later approved in January.
MacKinnon’s $6 million plan targets immediately hiring new faculty and staff to ensure positions will be filled before the start of the 2024-25 academic year.
The funds will support the addition of 43 faculty members, 24 full-time staff, two temporary positions and 42 new student-worker positions, as well as necessary infrastructure to support the individuals.
Colleges and departments needing priority hiring included: the College of Education and Human Development; the College of Science and Mathematics; the James M. Hull College of Business; the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Enrollment and Student Affairs; Human Resources; the Office of the Vice Provost; and the University Libraries.
“It was a monumental undertaking for many, but the team that was formed did an admirable job in sifting through the data and coming up with an outstanding plan,” said MacKinnon.
Project sponsors will involve the university’s Vice President for Enrollment and Student Affairs Susan Davies and the Vice Provost Zach Kelehear.
Other project leads will include: Christine Crookall, a professor in the Department of Music and an associate dean for Pamplin College, Tom Crute, a professor for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the associate dean in the College of Science and Mathematics, Stanley Singleton, an associate vice president for student success and Michael St. John, a project coordinator in the Division of Institutional Effectiveness.
Communicating their support for MacKinnon’s plan, university Chief Business Officer Yvonne Turner and other staff provided data and other input to help create an effective and efficient task force to address current needs and prepare a long-lasting, positive impact.
As Project Smart Growth revolves around education and opportunity, the plan will address major areas of student experience, such as developing face-to-face skills, in-classroom instruction and other support staff to emphasize student services.
“When it comes to bolstering the student experience, the task force placed an emphasis on face-to-face instruction based on data on the programs that have grown and those that are projected to see continued growth in the coming years,” a press release from the university stated.
At the recommendation of MacKinnon’s task force, the majority of new faculty positions are allocated across the College of Education and Human Development, College of Sciences and Mathematics, Pample College, along with Hull College and the University libraries.
“COEHD saw a 7.6% increase in undergraduate enrollment last fall and has doubled from 830 students in fall 2018 to over 1,700 students in fall 2023,” stated a press release from AU. “For its efforts, the college received an award for the highest enrollment growth last semester.”
The College and Science and Mathematics as well as Pamplin will receive the most faulty additions, as many of the courses are required for all first and second year students in Georgia.
AU also tracked a 7% increase in fall 2023 for the College of Sciences and Mathematics, including the Bachelor of Science programs in Cell and Molecular Biology, Biology and Neuroscience.
“From fall 2022 to fall 2023, Pamplin grew by 3.2% in the number of students whose majors are housed in the college,” stated a press release from AU. “However, since 75% of the required core courses for all first and second-year students are housed in Pamplin, the college saw an overall increase of 26.7% in number of students served.”
Through the invested $6 million, Pamplin will also be able to hire additional staff for the university’s writing center, which serves undergraduates and graduates.
To find out more about the university’s plan and growing enrollment, visit: https://www.augusta.edu.
Liz Wright is a staff writer covering education, lifestyle and general assignments for The Augusta Press. Reach her at liz@theaugustapress.com
