Bennett College Needs Young Women To Enroll for the 2006 - 2007 Year!

MEMORANDUM

To: Trustees, Board of Visitors, Alumnae Chapter Presidents

From: Johnnetta Betsch Cole

Re: Fall 2006 Enrollment

Date: July 20, 2006

The 2006-2007 budget was built on a student enrollment of 580; six students more than that enrolled in fall 2005. This was not an ambitious increase. However, at this time, despite the valiant efforts of the Admissions staff, Financial Aid staff and members of a newly formed Enrollment Management Task force, we still need approximately 100 more students to meet our goal. These students can be new or returning students; but we need these young women to be able to fund this year's budget. The data presented in the following table show the impact of falling short of our enrollment goal for this semester.

Even a short fall of10 students will result in starting the year with a deficit of $165,267 which would have to be made up through increased fundraising.

Given the current economic climate in the country and our experience in the 2005-2006 academic year, it will be difficult to raise the operating funds for the new budget, let alone having to raise funds to cover the deficit. I am reaching out to you to help us identify and enroll the students needed to meet our goal of 580 for the 2006-2007 academic year.

We still have some funds available for scholarships. Ms. Ulisa Bowles, Director of Admissions and Mr. Monty Hickman, Director of Financial Aid are ready to assist new and returning students to enroll this semester. They can be reached using the information set out below:

Ulisa Bowles at 336-517-2167 or ubowles@bennett.edu
Monty Hickman at 336-517-2205 or mhickman@bennett.edu

I am soliciting your increased and sustained involvement in thisenrollment effort. Should we fail to make our enrollment goal, the college could very well suffer significant setbacks, including difficulty in recruiting a qualified individual to assume the presidency in June, 2007.

In an effort to get you started on this project, I am suggesting that you request time in your churches and social and professional organizations to introduce Bennett College for Women, and to inform them that we are still accepting students to enroll in the fall 2006 semester. I am sure you probably have other creative ways of reaching your friends, relatives and acquaintances with this message, and I implore you to do so.

We need every student we can get! Please contact Ms. Bowles or Mr. Hickman once you identify prospective students. They will continue the conversation once the student is introduced to them. I thank you for your usual support and look forward to a successful recruitment effort. Thank you.

When you educate a man you educate an individual, but when you educate a woman, you educate a nation. --Johnetta B. Cole, President of Bennett College, Greensboro, NC.

To learn more about Bennett College, click http://www.bennett.edu/