Centre College trustees hold fall meeting on campus DANVILLE, KY—The Centre College board of trustees held its fall meeting on campus Friday, Oct. 20. Much of the business focused on reports devoted to student retention, admissions, and fund raising. The academic affairs division reported to the trustees that Centre has set a retention record for the second consecutive year. At the beginning of the fall term, 91.6 percent of last year's eligible enrolled students returned to Centre. Last year's freshman class had an 86 percent retention rate from the 1999 fall term to the 2000 fall term, and all other classes at Centre had record-high retention rates. The current figures represent a steady upward trend for Centre, which has stated a number of retention goals in its current strategic plan. The high retention rate and a strong recruitment year have led to the highest enrollment in Centre's history, a total of 1,055 students on opening day this year. College officials confirmed plans for six international study programs during the winter short term. The destinations and faculty leaders are Barbados (Brent White, psychology), Central African Republic (Rick Bradshaw, history), Nicaragua (Rick Axtell, religion), Spain and Portugal (Phyllis Passariello, anthropology), Israel and Egypt (Tom McCollough, religion), and South Africa (Beau Weston, sociology). In other reports, the Development Office indicated that Centre received more than $5.8 million in private gifts and grants during the past fiscal year, and the alumni giving rate climbed to 67.3 percent, up from 65.2 percent the preceding year. Two new trustees attended their first meeting of the board, Mary H. Griffith, a Louisville resident and executive with National City Corporation, and Elaine A. McReynolds of Nashville, a veteran administrator. Griffith had previously served on the board 1993-99, while McReynolds is new to the Centre trustees. Griffith is a 1968 graduate of Centre and McReynolds attended the college 1966-68, J. David Grissom of Louisville serves as chairman of the board. John A. Roush is president of the college. - end - [Released Oct. 19, 2000] Communications Office Centre College 600 W. Walnut Street Danville, KY 40422 Public information coordinator: Patsi Barnes Trollinger Telephone 859-238-5719 - trllngrp@centre.edu Sports Information Coordinator: Ed Rall Telephone: (859) 238-5489 News and Events Home Page