Trustees meeting highlights record-breaking achievements in enrollment and fund raising

RELEASED: Oct. 26, 2006

DANVILLE, KY—Centre College is enjoying a record-setting year in both fund raising and student recruiting, according to reports delivered at the annual fall Board of Trustees meeting held on campus on Homecoming weekend, Oct. 20.

ADMISSION

It was announced that Centre enjoyed its strongest year ever in admission, enrolling the largest-ever freshman class of 327 students along with nine transfers. The total number of freshman applications was up five percent over last year, which also set an all-time record. This year also marked an increase in both in-state and out-of-state applications compared to last year's figures.

Centre President John Roush reported that the College's partnership with the Posse Foundation is off to a good start. The Posse Foundation of New York is an organization that prepares promising small groups of public high school students for enrollment at top-tier colleges nationwide. The partnership allowed nine recent high school graduates from the Boston area to begin their freshman year in August at Centre.
 
Carey Thompson, who formerly held the title of dean of admission and student financial planning, was appointed vice president for enrollment and student planning services. Says Roush, "This title is an adjustment that rewards Carey's outstanding work over the past eight years."

FUND RAISING

Richard Trollinger, vice president for college relations, announced that with more than a year remaining in the solicitation schedule for the Campaign for A More Perfect Centre, the effort is at $130.5 million, more than $10 million over its goal of $120 million. This is the largest fund-raising total for any campaign in the College's history. As Centre celebrates the effort's success thus far, the College remains focused on building on its achievement during the remaining months.

And for the third consecutive year, Centre appeared on TheChronicle of Higher Education’s list of the Top 20 schools in alumni support per student enrolled.

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Centre has been selected to join the Consortium for Faculty Diversity at Liberal Arts Colleges, an "association of selective undergraduate institutions whose aim is to assist minority scholars in the early stages of their careers and to produce a pool of minority scholars who will have firsthand experience teaching at liberal arts colleges." Membership in this Consortium will enable Centre to invite interested scholars to campus in order to participate as Dissertation Fellows or Post-doctoral Fellows and teach one or two courses during an academic year.

The trustees approved emeritus status for Karin Ciholas, professor of language, who has served the College for 33 years and will retire at the end of the 2007 fall term. Emeritus status was also approved for Brent White, professor of psychology, who has been at Centre for 35 years and will retire at the end of the 2006-2007 academic year.

Sabbatical leaves were approved for the following professors: Mike Barton, professor of biology; Keith Dunn, associate professor of chemistry; Helen Emmitt, associate professor of English; Tony Haigh, professor of dramatic arts and chair of the Division of Arts and Humanities; Lori Hartmann-Mahmud, assistant professor of international studies; Judith Jia, associate professor of art; Bill Johnston, associate dean and professor of mathematics; Jane Joyce, professor of classics; and Joe Workman, associate professor of chemistry. Sabbaticals for Dunn and Emmitt, which are scheduled for the 2007-08 academic year, were approved during the Board of Trustees meeting in October 2005. 

Newly or reappointed endowed professorship holders include Mike Barton, professor of biology, who was awarded the H.W. Stodghill Jr. and Adele H. Stodghill professorship. Stodghill professorships recognize excellence in both teaching and scholarship and other professional activity among faculty members who have achieved the rank of full professor.

Several Centre professors were honored this year for their excellence in teaching, scholarly work and contributions to the College community by being named Centre Scholars. Those professors include: Matthew Hallock, associate professor of dramatic arts and chair of the Dramatic Arts Program; Judith Jia, associate professor of art; Jennifer Muzyka, associate professor of chemistry; and Donna Plummer, associate professor of education. Centre Scholars are selected from the College's full-time faculty for a term of two years. Each scholar receives a stipend above the normal salary.

Additionally, three professors received Kirk Awards for excellence in teaching: Chris Barton, associate professor of biology; Mary Daniels, associate professor of Spanish; and Dan Stroup, professor of government and law. The Kirk Award was endowed by a gift from a member of the Board of Trustees in 1995. The endowment has recognized excellent teachers at Centre since 1996.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

For news archives go to http://www.centre.edu/web/news/newsarchive.html.