Towson University hosted the third annual Enrollment Management Summit on September 12, launching SEM 2.0 – the university’s next strategic enrollment management plan. The Summit offered attendees insights about academic success and highlighted several faculty for their innovative work identifying and addressing student needs. 

Fall 2025 Enrollment Highlights

President Ginsberg shared preliminary data about fall 2025 enrollment and thanked every member of the TU community for playing a role in these achievements.  

  • We welcomed more than 5,700 new students this fall between first-time freshmen, transfers and graduate students.
  • TU’s total enrollment for fall 2025 is 19,677 students. This marks the first fall since 2018 where headcount has increased year over year.
  • Retention reached nearly 91% for all continuing students and over 83% for first-year students.
  • More than 22,000 first-year students applied to join TU, a record-breaking number.

SEM 2.0 Themes

Dr. Vernon Hurte, senior vice president of student affairs and university life, and Dr. Boyd Bradshaw, vice president of enrollment management, introduced SEM 2.0, TU’s roadmap for enrollment success over the next three years. As the higher education landscape continues to evolve, TU stands ready to adapt and invest in strategies that not only meet enrollment goals but also enrich the student experience, fuel regional growth and uphold the enduring value of a TU degree.

  • Academic Programs for the Future: Aligning academic offerings with emerging workforce demands and regional needs.
  • AI-Driven Innovation: Leveraging AI and predictive analytics to personalize recruitment and student success efforts.
  • Holistic Student Success: Utilizing best practice strategies to address academic, social, emotional and financial well-being to strengthen student outcomes.
  • Affordability: Reinforcing a commitment to affordability to lower cost barriers for all students.
  • Student Mix: Aligning resources to enrollment priorities and TU mission.
  • Institutional Value and Brand Messaging: Unifying messaging about the long-term value of a TU degree and strengthening market position.

Faculty Innovation and Best Practice

Much of the Summit was dedicated to the exceptional work of TU faculty. Six faculty speakers highlighted their efforts to identify student needs and innovation within their discipline, while maintaining academic rigor in their courses.

  • Stearns Second Chance Scholars: Led by Dr. Seth Gitter, the program provides resources and incentives for students repeating ECON 201. Students who participate persist at a rate of 90 percent, which is 10 percent higher than a peer population.
  • FYE academic coaching: Led by Corey Hennessey, this program provides individual and group coaching to first-year majors in the Department of Theatre Arts, focused on building academic and executive functioning skills.
  • Course revision to foster student engagement: Led by Nasreen Bahreman, this initiative significantly revised course curriculum for NURS 416 to center on engagement, belonging and application. Students build empathy and understanding through creative assignments focused on critical workforce skills.
  • Service learning in psychology: Led by Erin Girio-Herrera, this new course builds participants' research skills and gives back to others. This semester they are designing an intervention to support students Â鶹ɫ²¥ with ADHD.
  • Supplemental math support: Led by Maureen Yarnevich and Dr. Diana Cheng, this program offers a supplemental one credit hour of support for students enrolled in MATH 102. There are almost 750 students enrolled in MATH 102 this fall semester.