|
A special thanks to members of the Commencement Committee (Michele Martin, Sandy Hill, Kaitlyn Howarth, Loretta Mc Laughlin-Vignier, Maira Padula, Emily Plaskow, Patrick Ryan, John Sullivan, Claudia Tormino, and Mary Beth Zeman), under the energetic leadership of Associate Vice President for Student Development FRANCISCO DIAZ, as well as all those from across campus, including many enthusiastic volunteers, who ensured that every part of the complex machine we call Commencement ran smoothly over three ceremonies on campus and at the Prudential Center. I would like to especially recognize the teams in Instruction & Resource Technology, Marketing and Public Relations, Student Development including University Police, Physical Plant Operations, Office of the Provost,Institutional Advancement, the Associate Deans, and the President’s Office, who all played vital roles over many months to plan, prepare, and carry out three successful Commencement ceremonies. And, finally, a special shout out to Michele Martin, whose usual good work had the added twist this year of helping to run her own graduation, as she earned her bachelor’s degree on Wednesday at the Prudential Center. Congratulations, Michele!
The wonder of Commencement is that it is at once always the same – thanks to rituals that range from decades to centuries-old – and yet always new and exciting for the graduates who participate and their proud families and friends. The smiles and cheers, the hugs and tears, all testify to our success in properly celebrating them on their big day. Again, congratulations, and thank you!
Of course, Commencement also marks the end of another successful academic year. So, I also want to thank you all for your good work getting the Class of 2024 over the finish line and helping all of our other current and future Pioneers progress along the path that will get them to the Commencement stage. Whether you teach our students in the classroom, counsel, advise, mentor, or coach them outside of it, or maintain the physical campus or online learning environments that allow them to thrive, please know that Commencement is in no small part an expression of your success and dedication to our students.
Moving on to other updates, as of Thursday, May 23, overall enrollment for fall 2024 stands at 5,644 students, which represents a 4% increase over this point last year. However, main campus enrollment has 3,991 students enrolled for fall, which is a 4.7% decrease over last year at this time. The continuing student overall enrollment of 3,841 is 1.9% ahead of last year, but main campus continuing students are currently at 2,961, which is 6.8% behind last year. Overall, new student applications are up 15.8%, and accepted students are up 14.9%. There are currently 755 first-year student deposits, which is 6.1% behind last year's number. This continues to be expected with this year’s shift in priority deadline to June 1 from May 1 due to changes in financial aid timelines resulting from the FAFSA delays at the federal level. Overall, new student enrollment for the fall is up 4.2%.
Congratulations to Director of Development Roy Garcia of our Institutional Advancement Team, who was selected by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) to serve as Co-Chair of the 2025 District II Annual Conference in New York City! CASE is the guiding association for higher education advancement worldwide. Roy previously served as the co-chair of the Opportunity and Inclusion Committee of the District II Annual Conference.
A reminder that the four-day summer workweek, which began last week, will end the week of August 5, 2024. The extended workday schedule will apply for nine of the twelve summer schedule weeks, excluding this week, due to yesterday’s federal holiday. As always, getting more students registered for the fall will be a priority for the summer, as will preparing for the coming academic year. I also encourage everyone to really make the most of the Summer Professional Development opportunities and look for ways to integrate summer learning into our daily work, as well as our long-term planning.
Have a great first couple of weeks of summer!
| 
