Sep. 12—Athens State University has had over a 13% increase in new undergraduate students this fall semester over last fall, and officials said they are focusing on adult learners.
“We are thrilled to welcome so many new students to Athens State,” said Athens State President Catherine Wehlburg. “I think it speaks to the fact that Athens State University is a place where adult learners and transfer students can really make connections and find that pathway to the rest of their life, to their future.”
Total fall semester enrollment this year, including both graduate and undergraduate students, is 3,015, up about 1% from fall 2024 when the enrollment was 2,987.
“One of the things we have been doing is that we’ve been working really hard to make sure that students who are adult learners know about us,” Wehlburg said. “Because north Alabama is growing, we have a lot more potential adult learners to reach out to, so we’re doing that.
Wehlburg said they are also working with local industry and workforce partners.
“Making sure they know that we have programs that meet the needs of their employees,” she said. “We have a learning partnership program where we go into an industry partner, and we provide a tuition discount to our learning partners’ employees and their immediate family. The employers love it because they get a better trained employee out of this. We love it because we get access to additional students.
“The students get the education they need, which may help them increase their salaries, increase their positions and responsibilities.”
Chris Latham, Athens State chief marketing officer, said in an email that the increase in new students is a reflection of their focused efforts to meet the needs of today’s students and workforce.
“This growth is the result of expanded marketing initiatives that have helped us better share the unique value of an Athens State education, as well as more targeted recruiting strategies aimed particularly at adult learners who have some college credit but have not yet completed a degree,” he said.
“By helping these students return to finish what they started, we are fulfilling our mission of expanding access to higher education in ways that are flexible, affordable, and career-relevant.”
Latham said partnerships have had an effect on enrollment.
“Our deepening partnerships with local industries have provided new opportunities for students to connect their classroom experiences with real-world applications through the Learning Partnership program,” he said. “These collaborations not only align our academic programs with the needs of the regional workforce but also create clear pathways for students to advance their careers while strengthening the economic vitality of our community.”
Wehlburg said they have a very intentional focus on what they are calling “career connected education.”
“So, when our students are coming in, we want them to be connected to that career. Either the one that they’re in now because they want to move up for promotion and responsibility, or they want to change and go into a new field,” she said. “We want to get them connected as early as possible in that field by providing internships, by providing mentors and by providing faculty who have industry experience in those particular areas.”
Newer programs like nursing, Wehlburg said, are exploding.
“We’re hoping to really meet the nursing shortage,” she said. “We have increased interest in the homeland and corporate security program. Of course, that’s not a big surprise given the FBI coming into north Alabama. So, that Homeland and Corporate Security program has seen some significant growth.”
Wehlburg said computer science and cybersecurity programs are seeing increases as well.
“We’re really proud of what we are seeing and the work that we are doing,” Wehlburg said.
Latham said the increased new enrollment is good for the university.
“This increase in enrollment benefits the University as a whole by reinforcing our financial stability, broadening the diversity of experiences in our classrooms, and furthering our commitment to serving as an educational and economic engine for North Alabama and beyond,” he said.
—erica.smith@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2460.