Update from October Board of Trustees Meeting and President’s Town Hall

Dear Oglethorpe Alumni,

I remain grateful for your support as together we work to make Oglethorpe Atlanta’s premier undergraduate learning experience. This quick update follows our October Board of Trustees meeting, President’s Advisory Council meeting, and campus Town Hall.

While we have experienced a dip in first-time, full-time students, we’re holding steady in transfers, Adult Degree Program and MBA enrollment. We are encouraged by the 4.52% increase in the rate for persistence (second to third year) for a total of 88.54%. The retention rate (first to second year) dipped by 3.32% to 73.15%. In response, we are enhancing our First Year Experience and leveraging our faculty and staff to provide the academic and personal support students need as they make the adjustment to college. We are also seeking financial contributions for our Student Retention Fund to prevent financial setbacks from ending an Oglethorpe students’ college career.

We recently launched a new initiative, “Career Communities,” focused on supporting our students’ exploration of various career fields. This year we begin with two pilot Career Communities, one focused on health care and one on communications. A third will begin in the Spring Semester with a focus on business. These new Career Communities will provide industry-specific resources, opportunities to learn more about a career field, gain experience in those fields and connect alumni and professionals with our students. I believe an Oglethorpe degree prepares students broadly to pursue their career goals, and their major does not lock them into a single career. The Career Communities will help students see that their career path need not be determined directly by their undergraduate major.

I appreciate so many of you returning to campus for the inauguration in September, which has opened doors so that I can get out in the community, circulate with alumni, and meet potential funding partners. A four-stop national alumni tour of events began last month with a very successful event in New York City hosted Awet Woldegebriel ’14 at his upscale clothing store, ÁWET New York, in Manhattan. While in New York, Sarah Emerson and I met with key funding agencies and foundations in addition to spending time with alumni. The next events are in St. Simon Island, January 16, 2025, at the home of Russell and Lila Magbee; Nashville, TN, February 25, 2025, at the home of Andrea ’91 and Joe Shelton ‘91; and Washington, DC, April 10, 2025, at The Cosmos Club. I appreciate the work of the Senior Administrative Leadership Team who are keeping the campus running at a high level in my absence.

As we turn our attention on campus to the end of the semester and the many exciting events, I look forward to seeing you at the Evening of Holiday Enchantment and Boar’s Head concert Dec. 6. Thank you for all the ways you support Oglethorpe and help us support students. These are exciting days at Oglethorpe, and together we are making a difference for our students and this community.

All the best,

Kathryn
Kathryn McClymond, PhD, (she, her)
President, Oglethorpe University