Unless you work in higher education, it’s hard to understand the intricacies that go into recruiting and retaining a class. I’ve worked in this sector for 15 years and, honestly, I don’t even know the half of it.

You don’t have to work in higher ed to have heard about the “cliff” — a substantial drop in the college-going population — that’s supposed to start in 2025. While there have been fewer and fewer high school graduates heading to college in recent years, colleges and universities across the country are bracing for a massive hit starting in 2025.

Because you are a graduate, you know that Marietta College is not bracing for that hit — Marietta is planning and preparing to thrive. The Enrollment Management team and the Office of Academic Affairs are working on initiatives to recruit, retain and graduate every student so they can blaze successful trails and help others do the same.

This summer, Academic Affairs launched a badge program to help incoming “COVID generation” students prepare for life as residential college students. Additionally, my colleagues launched a Mentor Badge, offering it initially to staff and faculty to complete over the summer. Let me back up — a badge obtained by completing an online learning path that shows an understanding of a specific topic. The Mentoring Mindset Badge helps our staff and faculty understand how to best serve a mentee (the student) so they are supported throughout their undergraduate journey.

This three-week program — which currently I’m working on — helps all employees at Marietta get on the same page in terms of supporting the whole person we have worked hard to recruit, not just the student in need of academic help. You know that a lot of learning and living happens outside of the classroom; and with the proper support, that experience can be life-changing.

The months between Commencement and Matriculation are busy ones at Marietta. The growing Badge Program is just one example of how we are focused on becoming a “Student-Ready College.” As more badges are created, alumni and other organizations will be welcome to enroll.

As I wrote in the last digital magazine, we are committed to keeping the lines of communication open with our alumni and friends. And now that we’re digital, one more addition can be made by you: send us a quick video update so we can include it in the Class Notes section. Your fellow alumni want to know how you are doing and what you’ve been up to since graduation. You can email your videos to marketing@marietta.edu.