President Caboni

Colleagues,
 
The spring semester is well underway, and once again campus is vibrant with activity. I appreciate your ongoing, collaborative work to support our students, particularly those preparing to graduate in May. As we guide these Hilltoppers toward the finish line, we also continue working diligently to build the next class of students who will join our community. To that end, I’m pleased to share that we have experienced positive momentum in our efforts to attract our next freshman class. More than 11,000 prospective first-time, first-year students have applied for admission for the fall 2025 term, a clear reflection of the meaningful recruitment efforts underway across our campus. While we will continue to admit students throughout the spring, we know we admit approximately 85% of our incoming class before Winter Break. With this in mind, our focus now shifts to yielding admitted students - helping them make their final decisions to enroll. 
 
A one-percent increase in yield translates to dozens more students enriching our community and engaging in the life-changing WKU Experience. Recognizing that yield is not just the responsibility of the Admissions Office but a collective effort that shapes our university’s future, our enrollment team has partnered closely with our academic colleges to expand personalized outreach to admitted students and their families. These conversations highlight not only the unique, hands-on, experiential learning opportunities available on our Hill, but also the long-term benefits of postsecondary education. 
 
We remain mindful of a concerning trend in Kentucky: a growing number of high school graduates are choosing not to pursue higher education. The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education reports that the state’s overall college-going rate fell to 53.3% in the 2022-23 academic year, down from 59.7% in 2015-16. This decline limits opportunities for these students and our communities. 
 
As we engage with prospective students during the coming months, we must help them feel connected to our campus and remind them of the quality of a WKU degree. Increasingly, we must also reiterate the transformative nature of higher education. The Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS) projects that between 2022 and 2032 the Commonwealth will need to fill more than 630,000 jobs requiring education beyond high school. Similarly, Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce projects that by 2031 72% of national job postings will require some form of postsecondary credential. 
 
As competition among universities for a limited number of students intensifies, every interaction matters. Whether offering a warm welcome during a campus visit, promptly responding to a question or showcasing what makes WKU special on social media or in personal conversations, these small but deliberate gestures often influence a student’s decision.
 
Thank you for your commitment to all of our students and for your remarkable work shaping a new Hilltopper class for the fall semester, one student at a time. Go Tops!
  
Best,
 
Timothy C. Caboni