Student enrollment and retention, expanding research capabilities and growing the campuses were among the topics covered in Augusta University President Brooks Keel’s 2022 State of the University address.
Keel said, nationwide, there is a decrease in the number of students in high school. That means fewer students graduating and then choosing a college in which to enroll.
“And we’re competing for the best students with 25 other universities in the state of Georgia alone. It is a highly competitive market. But our future depends on making sure we continue to see an increase in enrollment every single year. I cannot stress to you enough how important that is,” he said.
MORE: 5K run to raise money for new Signal Corps Museum
Currently, there are just over 9,000 students enrolled at AU. The goal, said Keel, is to nearly double that within eight years. It is being called “16 in 30” – 16,000 students enrolled by 2030.
“We’ve got some planning now, for the all the faculty needed to teach all these 16,000 students. New dorm facilities, too, new dining halls. We’ve got to increase our transportation. And then at some point in time we’re going to need more classroom space. Those are all good problems to have,” said Keel.
Part of the growth in enrollment will come through a new initiative the university is planning to launch within a year. Augusta University Online is currently being developed by Marc Austin, the newly hired associate provost and dean of the venture.
The next goal, said Keel, is to improve student retention. AU normally loses about 800 students a year, some transfer to other universities, some drop out.
In the past year, he said, the college lost 1,000 students.
“We often think about students coming in the front door. We want students to graduate here in four years,” he said. “Once we get in the door, how do we keep them here? How do we keep them engaged, make them successful?”
MORE: Kemp signs new rules for mammogram screenings
Keel said AU has its first ever strategic enrollment management plan. However, faculty and staff play a key role in student retention.
“This is not just the deans, not just the faculty member in the classroom. Every single one of you can help with this retention piece. When you see students ask them how they’re doing, smile and say hello, tell them how much we appreciate them being here. That makes a difference,” he said.
Capital projects are underway, or in the planning stages, to support growth in student body, faculty and staff, beginning with the build out of the fourth floor of the College of Science and Mathematics building, along with renovations to the Greenblatt Library and Christenberry Fieldhouse.
“The next one to two years, drumroll please, we’re all going to have a new parking deck on 15th Street,” Keel said. We’re in the process of doing design on that now, we hope to break ground by the end of this year. Let me go ahead and tell you right now, it is not going to solve all of our parking issues. The days of being able to park right in front of your classroom, your office, get your car, go to your next class, those days are long gone.”
Very preliminary planning is being done on a third Cyber Center Building, additional student housing and student engagement center.
Keel said 2030 is a bright line not just for increasing student enrollment to 16,000. It is also the year he wants to improve the university’s national ranking among medical schools. AU has been ranked in the top seventies for many years. He wants to see it become one of the top 60 medical schools by 2030.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a general assignment reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
