This year's incoming class at Salem College in Winston-Salem has more than doubled. The school is one of the nation's oldest continually operating educational institutions for women and girls. The boost in numbers comes following a decade of declining enrollment.
One hundred six new students are enrolled this fall compared to 46 from last year. With Salem's accreditation at risk in 2018, its board of trustees launched a successful capital campaign and proposed changes. Among them, a focus on career training in health leadership and the creation of several new programs. They include majors in health humanities, health sciences, health communication and health advocacy.
President Summer McGee says this year's bolstered enrollment is due to several factors: a return to national outreach efforts previously limited by the pandemic, the restructured curriculum, and a clear mission centered around leadership.
"We very much are committed to building that next generation of leaders who are going to make the world a better, healthier and more equitable place," says McGee. "And what we're seeing is that's resonating with prospective students because this generation — they want to make an impact."
McGee says this year's focus will be revising the school's core curriculum to reflect competencies in leadership and health knowledge, and adding new undergraduate academic programs like public health and health administration for graduate students.