September 1, 2006    

 SMC Sees Increased Enrollment
Freshman Class, New Facilities Fuel Trend

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Full classes, full parking lots and a beehive of activity on the Spartanburg Methodist College campus are unmistakable signs that summer is over.

This year, SMC saw even more first-time college students, and more of last year’s freshmen have returned. Dan Philbeck, Vice President for Enrollment Management, is excited about the size of this year's enrollment, which represents an 11.3 percent increase in new, transfer and re-admitted students and a 4.5 percent increase in continuing students. 

“I believe our continued growth affirms Spartanburg Methodist College as a vital liberal arts institution of higher education in the state of South Carolina and that we are fulfilling our educational mission as a higher education institution related to the United Methodist Church,” Philbeck added. Since Fall, 1999, SMC has increased its enrollment by 55 percent, and the College’s goal is to continue its current growth pattern through the 2010 academic year.

“This year's recruited class is also the strongest academic class we have enrolled and is certainly an indication that Spartanburg Methodist continues to be a very strong presence in higher education in South Carolina,” Philbeck said, pointing to an influx of students receiving LIFE Scholarships and other forms of financial aid, as well as improved facilities on campus. “Forty-Five percent of the students enrolled on this campus are LIFE Scholarship recipients. With the addition of two new residence halls in the last three years – Bridges Hall in 2003 and Sparrow Hall this year – and the expansion of the Buchheit Adminstration Building, SMC administrators are optimistic about the future”.