Vice president for Enrollment Management Michael McMahon and senior director of Admission Tim Gossen spoke with the Winona Post about Saint Mary’s increase in undergraduate enrollment this fall. They discussed the impact of student repayment programs and scholarships, as well as additional pathways from undergraduate to graduate programs at Saint Mary’s that are contributing factors to this growth.
From the Story:
“At SMU, enrollment grew by 49 students between last fall and this fall, increasing to 892 students from 843 students.
Vice President of Enrollment Management Michael McMahon said a new major, mechatronics engineering, brought in students. The Cardinal Pledge program, which helps qualifying students repay student loans, and the Cardinal Promise program and Catholic Educator Promise scholarship, which help qualifying students cover tuition costs, also contributed to the enrollment growth, he said. ‘… There’s increasing … attention to the cost of higher education, and I think Saint Mary’s has responded by helping students to know that a private, faith-based education at Saint Mary’s is accessible to them,’ he said. ‘And I think we’re seeing more and more students come and check us out with that confidence and then realizing it’s true; it’s a possibility for them — when before, they might not’ve believed it.’ Moreover, university officials worked to increase the number of students the university retained from year to year, he said. He also cited university leaders’ work to create pathways from Saint Mary’s undergraduate courses to graduate programs at Saint Mary’s and other organizations. For senior director of Admissions Tim Gossen, highlighting the university’s campus, including its streams, trails, and dorms, helped inspire some students to attend Saint Mary’s. ‘And that’s a really, I think, important piece, that students are happy inside and outside the classroom, that they want to live in a beautiful environment and have nice facilities, as well,’ he said.
To try to maintain that growth, university leaders will continue to let high school staff members, such as counselors, know about Saint Mary’s and invite them on campus tours so they can also tell their high school students about the university, Gossen said.”
