by Clem Boyd, Communication Content Manager
Will Cedarville University eclipse 4,000 total enrollment for the 2018-19 school year? The final numbers are still unofficial, but early indications point to a 12th-straight record enrollment with more than 4,000 students.
Freshmen, transfer students and all other undergraduate students move in to campus housing August 17-19.
Among them will be Logan Cole, the school shooting survivor from West-Liberty Salem High School, just north of Urbana, Ohio. Cole survived a double shotgun blast from classmate Ely Serna on January 20, 2017, and convinced Serna not to shoot anyone else, averting a potential Columbine-style disaster. Cole has made a remarkable recovery and begins his freshman year at Cedarville this fall.
“Mom and dad went to Cedarville; my sister Leah attends there,” Logan said. “I was familiar with campus because I had attended soccer camps and really enjoyed it. I knew it was a good Christian college close enough to home for me to come back when I needed to. Cedarville is the college I’ve been planning on since I began thinking about it.”
Also among the new students will be 20 freshmen and one transfer student enrolled in the new civil engineering program. Four returning mechanical engineering students will also switch to the new major, making a first-year total of 25 enrolled, three times what was expected.
The program, directed by Dr. Stephen Ayers, professor of civil engineering, became a reality after Cedarville’s missions efforts often revealed the need for civil engineering solutions to serve those in developing countries.
“Civil engineering is such a natural fit with the Christian mission of Cedarville,” noted Ayers. “I am excited to see how God uses our program and our graduates to impact lives both here in the U.S. and around the world.”
Initial response to the new program has far exceeded expectations, Ayers explained. “I am excited to be able to offer students a comprehensive civil engineering program, providing technical excellence along with the options and flexibility offered by larger civil engineering programs,” he said. “More than that, though, I am excited by the opportunity to pour into students’ lives and to see them grow and blossom into the people God has created them to be.”
Cedarville will also welcome a record number of international students with 29. “I have 21 freshmen, seven transfers and one re-admit,” noted Brenda Reid, coordinator of international student services. “Our International population is 76 percent greater than when I began this position in 2013.”
Beyond new students and new programs, Cedarville will feature two new centers. The Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity will develop cyber leaders in the classroom, shape the future of cyber education and promote cyber awareness in society. The Center for Pharmacy Innovation will identify creative solutions to health care challenges, initiate educational efforts on issues such as the opioid crisis, promote patient advocacy and promote the pharmacist’s role as part of a collaborative healthcare team.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 3,963 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and leading student satisfaction ratings. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.