(Abilene, TX – September 11, 2020) With students returning to campus and classes in late August, McMurry University remains optimistic with only a slight enrollment decrease. Total student enrollment for the Fall 2020 semester is at 1,104 students experiencing approximately a seven percent decrease from 1,178 students in Fall 2019.
“We are optimistic and have a very positive outlook of our Fall 2020 enrollment numbers,” said McMurry University President Sandra S. Harper, PhD. “As expected, McMurry has experienced a slight decrease, but early projections had the University preparing for a 15 percent drop in enrollment. It is strange that a drop in enrollment would ever be perceived as positive, but in light of the recent COVID pandemic that has struck the nation and the world, we are delighted and remain positive as we move forward.”
“The incoming freshmen cohort is slightly smaller than last year, but not drastically out of line with our historical enrollment,” says Grant Greenwood, Vice President for Enrollment Management. “We were expecting a slight decrease in enrollment due to the challenges posed to our students and families by the onset of COVID-19 in our nation and community.”
Greenwood notes that the entire McMurry community is dedicated to serving students in this time of uncertainty. “Faculty developed engaging courses in remote, hybrid and face-to-face mediums to serve our students regardless of their location. Our dedicated board and alumni base graciously raised close to $500,000 as emergency aid to assist students in need. Finally, our workforce worked tirelessly to provide adequate safety measures and health screenings campus wide to protect our community and ensure our fall semester. Through these efforts many students were able to continue their academic progress and McMurry experience this fall and only slight dips in enrollment were experienced.”
McMurry announced in April plans to move to a Test-Optional Policy which allows for the optional use of SAT and/or ACT test scores in the acceptance process. The University will extend this policy into the 2021-2022 admission class. In addition, McMurry has recently been awarded two substantial grants that will further assist and support both current and potential students, the Student Support Services (SSS) grant and another engineering focused Title V STEM grant.
“Now is the time to stand together to serve and support our students,” Harper stated. “The recent federal grants we have been awarded allow us to do that and will be very impactful for many of our students. We continue to move forward and look towards other new programs that we will be launching in October.”