Last year, everyone worried what the landscape of our campus would look like in terms of enrollment after the economy took a nose-dive. Would we be able to draw students to campus? Would they stay to complete their education? High retention and graduation rates have shown that we can.

It’s encouraging to hear that our enrollment is even higher than predicted.

Every department on campus worked hard on new recruitment and retention strategies to attract students to Simpson and keep them here once they arrived.

One thing the college did well was reach out to students from various backgrounds. Simpson is not just a school for small town Iowa kids. We’ve reached out to students living out-of-state and even overseas.

Bringing in people from different places and of different backgrounds helps to diversify the campus. We’re hopeful that everyone will be able to learn from one another and from the different experiences that brought all of us together.

Attempts to draw students from two-year community colleges have clearly been successful. Hard work helping transition students from two-year institutions to Simpson is paying off.

Being open and up front with students about their financial situations regarding tuition and financial aid has also been a benefit. It’s reassuring for everyone to know the school will make an extra effort to make sure we can fulfill our education here.

The idea of letting seniors register themselves online for spring classes and earlier spring registration are just two more ways Simpson has reached out to students. Initiatives like establishing a wireless campus and updating Simpson’s curriculum show that people are focused on the future, which will help potential students realize their own futures can begin at Simpson.

Many people were obviously involved in keeping our enrollment, retention and graduation rates exceptionally high from last fall to this fall – from the admissions department to the athletic department and everyone in between. So kudos to everyone involved in making Simpson an attractive and competitive place to get a college degree.