Classes started Monday at Central Methodist University with an increase in new student enrollment. CMU reports 473 new students on Monday, six more than last year.
“This is the fourth consecutive year of enrollment records,” said Dr. Joe Parisi, vice president for enrollment management. “This isn’t a case of boasting about an increase after the bar being lowered the previous year. It gets higher every year. So, it’s true, the Eagles have landed in droves this year in Fayette. The Central community continues to get stronger.”
President Roger Drake said the bottom line is “we have a great product. Students love the quality of education here, the faculty engagement, and the beautiful campus.”
Besides the overall satisfaction with the CMU product, Parisi said other big factors in Central’s growth include the Digital U initiative that provides iPads to all Fayette campus students, and the institution’s commitment to safety during the pandemic – investing in on-campus COVID testing, air cleaners, and other safety measures.
Regarding Digital U, CMU’s excellence in transforming the classroom has now been recognized nationally. Central has been named an Apple Distinguished School.
“There’s a level of excellence that has swept this campus,” Parisi said. “The classroom experience has really been transformed. Being named an Apple Distinguished School is such a big deal.”
Parisi said the record-setting effort this year couldn’t have been successful without the entire CMU family working together.
“One of the many amazing things about CMU is the caring family spirit,” he said. “It’s real here and it’s not just a slogan. This is an academic community that believes in its culture and its students.”
CMU’s official census will be recorded in October.