Colleagues of the Division of Enrollment Services and Student Success, 

We made it through the first four weeks of the fall semester! The start of the fall semester is always some of the best and most memorable weeks within the academic year and fall 2024 is no exception! 

We have so much to be proud of within the Division of Enrollment Services & Student Success (ESSS). As you have likely noticed from various press releases and new stories in the area, we had a very strong first-time, first-year freshmen cohort this year. Truly, the growth of nearly 26% in first-year students is simply unheard of in higher education. The growth from 1,731 first-year students to 2,183 is stunning – an increase of over 450 students! WOW! There are many reasons for our growth in first-year students – stronger growth in Arkansas market share, increased and stronger communication efforts, strong recruitment efforts, and UCA Commitment. 

There is no doubt that UCA Commitment is creating an impact within our state and providing educational opportunities. In the first year, 765 students are a part of UCA Commitment, and we look forward to seeing them volunteer, grow, and learn from their UCA experience as they move step-by-step to commencement in four years. 

On June 14, 2024, we were sitting nearly 3% behind last year’s pace in first-to-second-year student retention. Almost three months later, we saw considerable growth and have put up another top 6 all-time retention rate at UCA. Tremendous! As with most things, there is not one singular effort that led to that result but truly the efforts of our division as a whole. This division is filled with dedicated, collaborative individuals who strive for excellence in the care of students and are passionate about their journey on our campus. Each of you plays a critically important role in the success of our students, and I see you. Your efforts are extraordinary, and your desire to ensure that our students feel a sense of support and belonging is unmatched. Thank you for all that you do every day.

That dedication and excellence have been on display this past year with the work of our Financial Aid office. What would an update of where we are at be without some good old data? During the week of August 22 – 28, Financial Aid served 2,567 UCA students. Another way to look at that amount is that it is 32.44% of our total undergraduate student population. With a staff of 16, each member saw 160 unique students during that week. I wish the answers to these questions from students and their families were as simple as the location of their first class. Sadly, it hasn’t been, and that means nearly every question comes with layers from a FAFSA rollout that has been botched at best and nightmarish at worst. Kudos to this team for their work and positive attitude as they navigate these uncertain times. 

UCA is a special place to work and grow with our colleagues, who often become friends, mentors, and supporters of our lives and careers. There are various traditions and norms on campus, but as a division, let’s start a few of our own.

Each Friday within Enrollment Services and Student Success will be “Purple Pride Friday.” We are all UCA Bears, and share that pride with your purple gear! We have a top-10 football team that just keeps winning! 

Go Bears! 

Kevin P. Thomas
Vice President, Enrollment Services and Student Success

Fall 2024 Census Information

Division Highlights