Ohio Dominican Announces Record Enrollment

October 1, 2004

COLUMBUS, OH - For the third consecutive fall semester, Ohio Dominican University has recruited the largest class in its 93-year history.

Total enrollment at Ohio Dominican's main campus on Sunbury Road and branch sites at Easton and Dublin is 2,844, an increase of more than 10 percent over Fall 2003, which itself was a record year. The largest increase came in the number of first-time freshmen attending Ohio Dominican, 40 percent more than Fall 2003. This reflects the largest incoming class of traditional-aged freshmen since the Catholic institution was founded in 1911 by the Dominican Sisters of St. Mary of the Springs. In addition, the population in the residence halls is up 60 percent over last year, with the opening of two new residence halls, Aquinas and Siena Halls.

Alison Perkon, a freshman from Canton, Michigan, described her attraction to Ohio Dominican, during a campus visit last year. "I fell in love with the campus - the small size, the people at Ohio Dominican, and everything about the University in general. Coming from a high school with over 5,000 students, it's a nice change to have more one-on-one contact with my teachers and take the classes I want to take instead of whatever is left over," she said.

ODU attributes the increasing ranks of traditional students to an aggressive regional recruitment effort, as well as the quality of its academic programs and the personalized attention given to students (the University has an 18:1 faculty-to student ratio.) In addition, several new undergraduate and graduate programs have been added, including a 4+1 MBA and 4 + 1 MA in Liberal Studies, which enable a student to earn a bachelor's degree and master's degree, in either Business Administration or Liberal Studies, in five academic years.

Under the direction of ODU President Jack Calareso, Ohio Dominican has embarked on an aggressive growth plan, and expects to have approximately 3,700 students enrolled on its main campus by 2007.

The University's Master Plan is a blueprint for Ohio Dominican's goal to build its reputation as a preeminent Catholic institution of higher education. The first phase of - the Master Plan is changing the face of ODU's main campus. In addition to the two new residence halls, the University has added a new multipurpose field and is in the process of expanding athletic training and weightlifting facilities, and adding space for intramural programs and team practices. Plans are also underway for the construction of the Bishop James A. Griffin Student Center, with ground to be broken sometime in 2005.

"A growing number of students are discovering all that Ohio Dominican offers in terms of academic quality and campus life. We're looking forward to seeing more students on our campus in the next several years. Our goal is to provide quality programs of higher education for the intellectual and personal growth and development of each student. Whether they are traditional or non-traditional students, we have a lot to offer on each of our three campuses," President Calareso said.