For the Fall 2022 semester, Asbury University is welcoming its largest freshman class in a decade with the Restored class.
Enrollment numbers will not be finalized until after class add/drop deadlines, but the current enrollment estimate is around 340 students, Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing Jennifer McChord told the Collegian.
McChord credits an extensive reshaping of marketing and the admissions process with the sizable acceptance rate. “New marketing strategies, along with the restructuring of the admissions office, and the work previous admissions teams have done over the last few years all contributed to this year’s Restored class,” McChord said.
For those new strategies, McChord cited an effort to “take our campus to students, where we can encourage more students to visit campus.” This included an increased emphasis on social media presence through platforms including Instagram and TikTok, in an effort to “reach students where they are.”
Admissions counselors were given restructured territories: for previous years, recruitment focused on specific programs and majors (School of Business, School of Science, etc.). After the restructuring, recruitment will instead focus on geographical regions, with a counselor overseeing the admissions of students from southern Kentucky, one for Indiana, and so on.
Further enhancements to the admissions process included a redesigned welcome center to accommodate prospective families, and improved visit events, including Fall Preview, Spring Preview, and Equine Preview.
“The Admissions team has done an incredible job and we are celebrating their hard work,” Sarah Baldwin, Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students, told the Collegian. “We’re so proud of the admissions team and the way they push themselves to recruit every prospective student.”
Heidi Sunny, Director of Student Health Services, expressed optimism about the Restored class’s numbers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Students are excited to be able to enjoy the social and academic life of being on a college campus.,” Sunny told the Collegian. “People are not getting as sick and hospitalizations and death numbers are down world-wide. We, as a country and as a university community, are in a much better place and feel that it is safe to re-enter the world without fear.”
