Milligan is seeing its highest enrollment rates of new, incoming students this year in decades, which has not only directly affected the campus’ culture and community, but also some logistical choices like student housing.
“The total incoming class of 301 students is one of the largest in school history,” said Vice President for Enrollment Management Lauren Gullett. “And of this number, the 238 first- time freshmen enrolled at the census is the largest in over 50 years.”
‘The total incoming class of 301 students is one of the largest in school history.’
Vice President for Enrollment Management, Lauren Gullett
Even though booming enrollment is a positive sign for both growing campus life, those big numbers come with questions worth considering when planning for the foreseeable future. Despite the obvious welcome developments, Milligan is still left with a glaring question: how and where will we place students for the coming academic year? While some universities have resorted to relocating students to nearby hotels or offering discounts on off-campus apartments or homes like ETSU and FAMU, Milligan has buckled down with the space they have on campus; implementing new ways to incentivize students to ease the significant housing demand.
One of Milligan’s new on-campus housing options this year is the Thompson Center, which overlooks the main area of campus across Milligan Highway at Emmanuel Christian Seminary. Though the Thompson Center offers students an off-campus living feel, it’s also exactly that: an off-campus housing facility.
“I enjoy living in the Thompson Center,” said sophomore Bryant Magness, “but it does make it harder to go back and forth between my dorm and events.”
Because of the high enrollment, Milligan designated resident halls like Webb and Hart for freshmen, and requested or placed upperclassmen in other campus housing options.
“During the summer, (Director of Student Success) Chase McGlamery requested that my suitemates move to either MSA or the Thompson Center in order to free up space in Webb,” said Magness. “We couldn’t stay in Webb to make room for freshmen, so we had to choose one of the two options.”
Other students who requested single rooms were placed with roommates.
“When I learned that my current roommate and I wouldn’t get singles in Sutton, I was disappointed,” said sophomore Hart resident Hannah Dove. “I realized eventually, though, that the school could never have predicted the large number of incoming students. I’m glad we’re where we are now, because I’m with my best friend and we’re suitemates with two really sweet freshmen.”
Shifts in housing weren’t the only additions to Milligan this year. Due to the major increase in first-time enrollment (a 31.4% increase from last fall), new classes were added, and others were moved to larger rooms to accommodate the bigger student sections.
“I know that some nursing classes had to move because of the increase in class numbers,” said Vice President for Enrollment Management Lauren Gullett. “Rather than simply moving classes to larger spaces, we added two new sections of HUMN 101, one new section of BIBL 123, and one new section of EXSC 101M over the summer, which is awesome.”
While housing and class changes can be inconvenient and hard to plan around, there have been positives of having a larger student body on campus. “Webb Hall has a livelier feel this year,” said Webb Hall Resident Director Drew Burton. “which makes it more fun, especially for freshmen. The lobbies have been more active than ever, and I think there are more chances to make connections with people and start to grow your community, which is what Webb is all about.”
Despite some housing challenges, the positives of a larger student body is already starting to pay off in a big way for Milligan.
‘Milligan University is known for being a place where students can acquire a world class education while being embraced by a Christian environment. I think we have noticed an increase in incoming students because this is a loving community and prospective students want to be a part of this culture.’
Sutton Hall Resident Director
Konnor Donahue