ETSU president reports enrollment gains, system changes and capital priorities

President Noland delivered an overview of institutional enrollment, legislative and budget developments, capital projects and administrative changes.

Enrollment and retention: Noland said spring enrollment is up year-over-year across undergraduate and graduate levels and that the university had received 13,418 applications for the class of 2024 at the time of reporting. He told trustees fall-to-spring retention is back at roughly 90%, near the university's pre-COVID high, and projected at least 2,100 freshmen for the coming fall if trends hold. He explained the gap between total applications and admitted students is largely due to incomplete applications (missing high school transcripts) and described targeted yield efforts including outreach, handwritten cards and scholarship events.

Budget and state relations: Noland reviewed recommendations from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and elements of Governor Lee's budget. He said the institution expects about $1.2 million in operating adjustment funding (exclusive of salary enhancements) and thanked the General Assembly for a $1.2 million grant earmarked for door locks and other safety enhancements informed by the Clery report. He noted Brown Hall phase 2 ranks highly on the state capital list and that university staff are advancing design and local planning to align the project for potential funding.

ERP and administrative changes: The president reported progress on the Voyager/Oracle implementation: data testing is underway, user acceptance testing begins in April, end-user training continues through spring, and the target go-live is July 1. He also described a campus classification and compensation redesign that will re-slot roughly 1,500 staff into broader job families and pay ranges; the redesign is described as net revenue constant with pay adjustments phased over the next 3'5 years. Noland said closing salary gaps is a top priority and cited a roughly $23 million gap compared with a nearby comparator institution.

Academic planning and student readiness: Citing national declines in college-readiness metrics since COVID, Noland reiterated the rationale for the recently approved general-education core redesign and previewed an academic restructuring process: a task force draft will be shared for public comment and town halls, with a final recommendation to the board in May. He also explained FAFSA changes at the federal level are delaying final financial aid packages and said this timing can affect yield for first-generation and low-income students.

The presentation included an invitation to upcoming campus events (a regional economic forum March 22 and the Festival of Ideas) and concluded with brief trustee Q&A before adjournment.