BRYN ATHYN COLLEGE
General Ronald K . Nelson Field : This new field was opened in January 2017 built with artificial turf and night lights . The field has been a great success with providing year-round play for our athletic programs , extended night-time playing and generation of rental income to outside youth sports groups .
College Drive Re-Design : With the addition of the two new freshman dormitories , it was necessary to reposition the layout of lower College Drive for safety reasons . In addition , the road required major repairs and repaving . The new layout is very attractive which included the addition of new parking spaces .
Grant Hall Foundation : The steel beams used in the foundation had corroded to a point where the building was becoming structurally unsafe . The resident hall was closed the entire year so major renovations could be done with replacing corroded steel beams secured by new concrete footings and a basement floor .
Student Retention New Food Service Provider : A decision was made to change the food service vendor and SAGE Dining Services was selected . SAGE will be providing a higher quality of nutritious food , expanded food choices , on-campus weekend services and new farm-to-table menu options . Food choices and quality are a key factor in student enrollment decisions . The student satisfaction surveys showed a continued decline in satisfaction with the previous vendor which was the primary reason to make a change .
Student Advising Office : A new office was established to help students with planning and managing their course load in pursuit of their desired field of study . Part-time staffing was added to improve the focus on student needs and reaching successful outcomes .
Career Planning Program : The career planning function was enhanced to better prepare students for finding gainful employment upon graduation . Additional seminars , speakers and recruiting events were added to the program where students practiced interviewing skills , resume preparation and development of individual strategies to find a desired position in their field of interest .
Enrollment Growth The admissions office added recruiters and recruiting resources such as student databases , advertising and device connections to mobile devices to make the connection to promising recruits more productive and effective . The results saw a marked increase in students who were a good fit for Bryn Athyn College with an incoming recruiting class for 2017-18 jumping 31 % over the prior year . This trend was positive , and the admission team looks to even stronger results in the 2018-19 incoming class .
Bryn Athyn College Academic Report
Dr . Allen Bedford , Dean of Academics
The 62 students graduating with baccalaureates this year set several new records , with the most obvious being the number of graduates ( the previous high being 50 ). Sixty percent of the students who entered the college in fall 2013 returned in 2015-16 for their junior year , setting a record for persistence to the third year at Bryn Athyn . Then this year the class set the record for persistence to their fourth year — again , 60 %. The previous record , 54 %, was set the year before . Prior to 2009 , fewer than 30 % of enrolling students returned to
Bryn Athyn for their third and fourth years .
In 2016-17 , 46 % of the students were in their junior or senior years . For reference , only 33 % of students enrolled in 2009-10 were in their junior or senior years . The shift in enrollment toward Bryn Athyn ’ s four-year programs coincided with steps the College has taken over the past few years to strengthen and expand its four-year programs . In 2016-17 this continued with the Art Department adding a minor in dance , and the Language and Literature Department adding a minor in com-
9