Samford University president outlines growth, plans for 175th year
A new capital campaign, new buildings and renovations were a few of the projects that Samford University President Andrew Westmoreland outlined at a media luncheon on Jan. 13.
2016 is the 175th year of Samford University's existence, and while the anniversary is technically Dec. 29, Westmoreland said there will be special events all year long. Other projects coming down the university's pipeline include:
- A fall capital campaign. Westmoreland said an official start date and total goal have not yet been determined, but the campaign will try to reach at least $250 million and will probably last about five years. The president also noted that funds from the campaign would be split between buildings and the endowment, with about two-thirds going toward a "significant need for renovations across campus" and building projects and one-third going toward scholarships and tuition costs.
- The opening of Samford's east campus at Southern Progress. Westmoreland said there is a "tremendous amount of work to be done" before Samford's nursing, pharmacy and other health-related majors can move into the Southern Progress facilities in August. This also includes connecting Southern Progress to the main campus for pedestrians and vehicles.
- Enrollment growth. Samford has had steady increases in student enrollment since 2009, with 5,206 students enrolled in fall 2015. Westmoreland said the university is on track for more growth in fall 2016, spurred by new programs and more recruitment efforts.
- New academic programs. Westmoreland said the administration is currently studying potential future programs and determining priorities. These factors will be studied for the next several months to lay plans that could stretch over the next decade.
- A new campus master plan. Samford has been using the same master plan since the 1950s, and the university is now developing a new one, which should be completed by the end of 2016.
Westmoreland also talked about some of the data released in Samford's just-completed annual report, including a $335.1 million economic impact each year, an estimated 3.8 percent tuition increase and 4.3 percent room and board fee increase for the 2015-16 school year and 716,902 hours of student community engagement in the most recent school year. Community engagement hours include internships, nursing and pharmacy clinical rotations, student teaching and volunteer work.
"Our people are constantly out there trying to make things better," Westmoreland said.
After Westmoreland's presentation, Vice President of University Advancement Randy Pittman said that the growth in student enrollment is going to be met with new housing and parking options.
The university recently received approval from Homewood's planning commission for three new dormitories. Pending approval from city council, Pittman said there are architectural plans in place and Samford's goal is to have one or two of the buildings completed by fall 2017.
Samford is currently using parking in its properties near Homewood High School for overflow students, including a shuttle service, and is planning a parking lot near the baseball fields. Pittman said the connection of the Southern Progress property to the main campus will add parking, and eventually the university would like to create more parking near Lakeshore Drive.