Dear Enrollment Management colleagues,
As I write this newsletter, I’m nearing the conclusion of a beautiful and powerful memoir called When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, a young and remarkably talented neurosurgeon who (no spoilers here!) is forced to confront his own mortality and writes beautifully about how he grappled with some of life’s deepest questions. In his memoir, Kalanithi writes, “Human knowledge is never contained in one person. It grows from the relationships we create between each other and the world, and still it is never complete.”
As I reflect on how quickly this semester is flying by, I find myself most invigorated and most inspired when I recognize how important the individual and relational aspect of each of our work truly is. Marquette’s mission affirms that, “Our mission, therefore, is the search for truth, the discovery and sharing of knowledge, the fostering of personal and professional excellence, the promotion of a life of faith, and the development of leadership expressed in service to others.” As we enter the final two months of the academic semester and calendar year, I want to take the opportunity to thank each of you for your contributions — seen and unseen — in helping Marquette deliver on this mission.
Highlights
President Ah Yun often says that at Marquette, we never chase rankings for the sake of rankings, but that when we deliver on the core values of Marquette’s Catholic and Jesuit mission, it’s no surprise when we receive the types of external recognitions we do. From the Wall Street Journal to U.S. News, Princeton Review, and the recently-released Dream School by Jeff Selingo, Marquette continues to be a nationally recognized leader in higher education. Click here to learn more about some of the most recent accolades and rankings.
With the official fall university census date in our rear view mirror, there’s another set of accolades worth noting here. Notably, the last three years represent the three highest first-to-second year retention rates in Marquette’s history; the Fall 2024 class was retained at 92.8% — the highest retention rate ever at Marquette! These are students impacted by the entire EM Division, so take a moment to celebrate the transformational work you are doing in the lives of Marquette students! Marquette welcomed more than 2,000 new undergraduate students this fall (1,913 first-year and 127 transfer students). More than 1 in 5 (22%) of the first-year students are the first in their family to attend college. There is much to celebrate about our new and continuing students, but of course, work is already underway to recruit and enroll the Class of 2030!
Looking ahead
I’m excited to connect with as many of you as possible before the winter Gift of Time, and I’m looking forward to our time together for the annual EM holiday party on December 18 at the Union Sports Annex. I’m excited to give everyone an early gift this year: brand new MU wear branded with our new Division of Enrollment Management logo! Keep an eye out for an email in the next few weeks to choose your style and have your item in time for the holidays!
Sincerely,
Brian Troyer
Vice President, Enrollment Management
