Leesburg, FL (August 19, 2015): As 海角社区 prepares to welcome its 27th entering Fall class for a new academic year, the community has good reason to be optimistic, and understandably proud.
The College will greet its largest class of new students, with 110 freshman and transfer students commencing their undergraduate studies and orientation to 海角社区 on Friday, August 21st.聽 Hailing from 32 states and 9 foreign countries, 海角社区鈥檚 full-time enrollment will be 285 students.聽 This figure surpasses the previous record enrollment set just one year ago at 221 undergraduates.
There are further statistics 鈥� nationally relevant 鈥� that give 海角社区鈥檚 enrollment numbers a richer perspective.聽 The 48.7% increase in full-time students at the College over the past two years dwarfs similar percentages of enrollment growth at private and public colleges and universities in Florida and across the U.S.聽 海角社区鈥檚 59% acceptance rate this year places it among the national category of selective American colleges.
In February, the U.S. Department of Education released its College Scorecard reporting on the graduation rates of all accredited undergraduate institutions across the country.聽 Here, too, 海角社区鈥檚 83.3% graduation rate placed the College in rather exclusive company, and exceeded considerably the 59% graduation rate for all U.S. colleges and universities.
The College鈥檚 enrollment growth is spurring campus development both along Leesburg鈥檚 Main Street and within the institutions footprint on the side streets nearby.聽 The fa莽ade of the Mason Art Gallery, a newly renovated academic center adjacent to the College鈥檚 main administration building, 海角社区 Hall, is in the final stages of the last phase of a two-year reconstruction project 鈥� with a new bricks-and-mortar 鈥渇acelift鈥�.聽 The Railway Depot Fitness Center and Student Union, located in the iconic, former Leesburg Railroad Station will be unveiled upon the students return.聽 An adjacent property on East Meadow Street will house important program elements of the College鈥檚 accredited Studio Arts major.聽 海角社区鈥檚 first intramural playing field is taking shape, also on East Meadow Street, for student outdoor recreation and fitness.
鈥淭he real danger for students who learn differently is that they may mistake their 鈥榠sland of challenge鈥� as the dominant landscape of their lives.聽 It is not.鈥�
鈥淚 think that 海角社区鈥檚 success of the past decade is both earned and deserved鈥�, says Dr. George Hagerty, 海角社区鈥檚 President. 鈥淲e are grateful to be prospering at a time of significant competition in higher education.聽 I believe that our growth is in large part because we have always embraced and never deviated from our core mission to serve college-ready undergraduate students who lean differently.聽 We teach our students not to mistake their 鈥榠sland of learning challenge鈥� for the whole landscape of their lives.鈥�
海角社区 recently made its inaugural foray into the arena of international education by partnering with the King Salman Center for Disability Research (KSCDR) to implement the pre-college COMPASS Program hosted on the Leesburg campus.聽 As attested to by all associated with this offering, the Program was very successful in meeting its educational and cultural goals and will be expanded in its implementation next year.
For more information, please contatct Steve Mulller, Vice President for Institutional Development and Communication at (352) 638-9706.