Enrollment, philanthropic and student development successes are focal points for Board of Visitors in December meetings

Key strategic successes achieved in 2024, including the launch of the Radford Tuition Promise, the completion of the TOGETHER campaign and enhanced career and talent development practices, were among the topics discussed during the Radford University Board of Visitors quarterly meetings held Thursday and Friday, Dec. 5-6.

Committee meetings and the full board meeting highlighted numerous accomplishments over the calendar year as part of the university’s current Two-Year Strategic Plan.

“It isn’t the work that I’ve done, or the vice presidents have done,” President Bret Danilowicz said during Friday’s board meeting. “It’s the work of the community as a whole that makes these achievements possible. It is everyone who is working together.”

The number of students impacted by the Radford Tuition Promise was revealed to the board – 2,292 undergraduate students received benefits from the program, which guarantees coverage of tuition costs for Virginia residents whose families have an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $100,000 or less. The total figure includes 45% of new freshmen and 33% of total new students.

“The promise was to offer an affordable pathway to reach the students most in need, but also students well into the middle class,”  Danilowicz said. “This really was a game-changer and it made a difference.”

In Thursday’s Enrollment Management and Brand Equity Committee meeting, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Strategic Communications Dannette Gomez Beane shared that the success of the Radford Tuition Promise can be traced to the work done to help students fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

For the 2024-25 academic year, 84% of new Radford University students filled out a FAFSA form compared to a 46% completion rate for high school seniors, nationwide. The delayed launch of the 2024-25 FAFSA form contributed to the low national completion rate.

“We [Enrollment Management staff] were in schools, community centers and all around the state helping students fill out their forms,” Beane said. “Students are engaged and have need.”

Students applying for enrollment in fall 2025 will be eligible to receive the Radford Tuition Promise.

The process of admitting the next class of new students is underway. Beane, Danilowicz, Enrollment Management staff members and the Highlander mascot visited Christiansburg High School (CHS) on Nov. 25 to celebrate the first deposits for 2025-26, which came from CHS.

Board members got a closer look at the impact of TOGETHER – The Campaign for Radford University, which exceeded its goal and raised $106,693,338 in the largest fundraising campaign in university history.

Along with previously revealed figures, it was noted that 38% of donations were for less than $50 and 66% of donors made their first gift.

“This shows the power of collective giving,” Vice President for Advancement Penny Helms White ’85, MBA ’87, said.

White told the External Engagement Committee that a feasibility study is underway to determine the direction of a new campaign supporting Radford University’s Division I athletics programs.

In the Academic Excellence and Student Success Committee meeting, Assistant Provost for Student Success Jerel Benton and Director of Career and Talent Development Lee Svete presented how their teams are positioning undergraduate students to launch their careers.

According to the most recent First Destination Survey conducted by the Radford University Career and Talent Development Center, 75% of graduates stay in Virginia for their careers or educational opportunities immediately following degree completion, and Radford graduates earn $3,000 more in starting salary than the national average.

“When you choose Radford, you’re choosing success for your life and career,” Svete said. “We’re getting our students to compete for top jobs … we want to write that resume the first year and build it from there.”

The Highlander Works Grant Program has helped students participate in internships that may have previously been unattainable. The grant, made available last spring, supported 28 students across six colleges by making funds available for supplies, attire, travel, professional development costs or living expenses not covered by internships. Benton and Svete indicated that at least 33 students will benefit in the current academic year.

While events like the Fall 2024 Career Expo have helped expose students to opportunities, Svete and his team will also continue to leverage Radford University alumni in creating internship and work opportunities for students.

“The alumni network here has been fantastic,” Svete said.

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Bethany Usher gave board members an update on Radford University’s future in Roanoke. During the 2025 General Assembly session, the university will seek $7.5 million in planning funds from the Commonwealth of Virginia for a Roanoke facility. According to current projections, a facility in Roanoke would be completed no earlier than fall 2030.

Usher indicated that any new location in Roanoke would be focused on emerging healthcare needs and would be designed to accommodate future growth, especially in health professions where the greatest needs exist locally.

Site considerations also include whether Radford University in Roanoke will serve first time in college (FTIC) students or upper-division undergraduates; academic programming that aligns with local community colleges; and possibilities for affordable undergraduate housing.

Radford University’s lease at Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital concludes in 2029.

Additional meeting updates:

• Professor Richard Straw of the Department of History was granted faculty emeritus status.
• Strategic Plan 2026-31 co-chairs Angela Joyner and Sharon Roger Hepburn shared progress updates with the board, highlighting the planning sessions that were open to all university faculty, staff, students and community members throughout the fall.
• Danilowicz shared an update on the status of Radford University’s new branded Virginia license plates; the Department of Motor Vehicles will offer plates with the new university logo and with the athletics logo. Plates will be available for purchase in early 2025.

 The board will meet March 20-21, 2025, on the main campus in Radford.