Columbia, SC – August 21, 2019 – Columbia’s-own 2019 HBCU of the Year, Benedict College (BC), began the first-week of classes continuing to break records, reinforcing that BC is not only the School of Choice, but the BEST Choice for college bound students. The 2019-2020 academic year welcomed over 800 new students to the Tiger Pride. This year, BC has experienced an increase in overall applicants (25% increase from last year), resulting in a 2019 cohort that includes three Valedictorians, a mean freshmen GPAs of 3.1, and an increase in international new student enrollment.
“The Class of 2023 is the result of the expertise and commitment of our recruiting staff, the quality of our faculty and the academic and co-curricular program enhancements that prospective students found appealing,” said BC President and CEO, Dr. Roslyn C. Artis. “This is an exciting first-step as we prepare to celebrate and commemorate 150 years of Benedict College’s impact in this community and the world.”
Nearly 80 international students joined the Class of 2023, representing countries including the Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Japan, Morocco, and Costa Rica.
As Benedict College prepares for its 150th Anniversary, the college has achieved local and national recognition for changes that have positively impacted academic programs, retention and organizational effectiveness.
In March of this year, Benedict College was selected by the American Council on Education (ACE) as a recipient of the prestigious ACE/Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation. The award was created to recognize institutions that have responded to higher education challenges in innovative and creative ways and achieved dramatic changes in a relatively brief period, only two colleges in the United States were selected.
In June 2019, Benedict College was nominated in six key categories-Board of Trustees of the Year, National Alumni Association of the Year, Male Faculty and Coach of the Year and the highest honor of HBCU of the Year by HBCU Digest. In August, BC received the top award and was named 2019 HBCU of Year by HBCU Digest.
About Benedict College
Vision
Benedict College will be a leader in providing transformative learning experiences for a diverse student body, defined by superior cultural and professional competencies that are nurtured and developed by faculty, staff and stakeholders who value innovation, customer service, community and industry engagement.
Founded in 1870, Benedict College is rapidly approaching its 150th year of providing high-quality academic programs to students who desire to pursue their program of study in a diverse academic environment. While its history is laudable, Benedict’s present focus and strategic trajectory are its priority.
Benedict College is a BEST in class academic institution that offers its students transformative academic programs, in an innovative, technology enhanced, student focused, culturally sensitive learning environment. The College is committed to preparing students to enter the global marketplace with exceptional cultural and professional competencies that will enable them to contribute to the sustainability and economic growth of their communities.
Benedict offers 24 academic programs, including, Computer Science, Engineering, Cyber Security, Mass Communication, Sport Management, Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Biology, and Education. Moreover, over the past ten years, sixty (60%) of BC alumni have pursued graduate or professional study.
In addition to its academic programs, Benedict College is home to a standard-setting Career Pathways Program that is strategically designed to prepare Benedict College students for success in a rapidly changing, highly competitive and technology-driven workplace. The Program’s mission is to transform student scholars into focused, highly skilled critical thinkers, who are experts in their field of study and, more importantly, are intellectually adept and resilient enough to assume jobs that do not yet exist!
