Maryville College academic year gets started with Move-In Day, Covenant Stone ceremony, Convocation and more

Aug. 16, 2023

For members of the Maryville College Admissions team, the fruits of their labor will be realized this week as the largest first-year class in recent history arrives on campus for the start of a new MC academic year.

Move-In Day for new Scots, which heralds the opening of the College’s eight residence halls to the majority of on-campus students, kicks off at 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17. According to Dr. Alayne Bowman, vice president of Admissions and Financial Aid, the incoming class includes 336 first-year and 47 transfer students, 86% of whom will live on campus.

“Ever since we began accepting admissions for the 2023-24 academic year, applications and deposits have trended almost 30% over last year’s numbers,” Bowman said. “We’re pleased and grateful that so many incoming Scots recognize what we do well at Maryville College, and we’re even more excited that the increase is driven primarily by students drawn to our academic programs. In the past, we’ve been fortunate to attract a sizeable cohort of student-athletes, and as coaches have continued to maximize their rosters, those numbers have remained steady this year.

“What we’re seeing is growth across all of our nine academic divisions in students who recognize the value of a liberal arts education at a small college where class sizes, faculty members, campus activities and College organizations all work together for the benefit of their educational and personal development.”

According to Kelly Massenzo, director of undergraduate admissions and events, the efforts by the Admissions team to personalize the recruiting experiences of potential students have played a large part in the upward trajectory of enrollment numbers for 2023-24, which will be finalized in the coming weeks.

“We want students and their parents to know that at Maryville College, everything is personalized in a way that will reward students both academically and personally,” Massenzo said. “There are so many factors that make Maryville College such a great decision — from our proximity to and work in the Smokies to our strategic partnerships with organizations and companies that provide internships and job opportunities to our nationally recognized academic standards — but we don’t ever take that decision for granted. From the moment they apply to the moment they get their diplomas, we want our students to feel valued and supported.” 

That support begins on Move-In Day, as volunteers from across campus departments, divisions and offices will make themselves available to answer questions, move furniture and welcome first-year students to MC. From 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, the new students and their families will be treated to an on-campus barbecue, during which time the inaugural Community Engagement Fair takes place. Local businesses and organizations will set up tables to promote their goods and services, offer everything from fliers to coupons to merchandise and more to assist new arrivals in learning about the local resources at their disposal.

Activities for first-years continue through the weekend (including the Faith Community Fair on Sunday, Aug. 20, in the Clayton Center for the Arts), and on Tuesday, Aug. 22, the annual Covenant Stone ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. in Humphreys Court, between Fayerweather and Anderson Halls. Following remarks from President Dr. Bryan Coker and others, students will affirm their dedication to the MC Covenant and its ideals: scholarship, respect and integrity. Classes will begin the following day, and at 11:15 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, the annual Convocation ceremony will take place in the Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre of the Clayton Center for the Arts. (Although not open to the public, it will be livestreamed and can be viewed on the Maryville College website and Facebook page.)

“Every journey begins with a single step, but the momentum with which we move into this new Maryville College academic year has given us such an incredible boost of excitement and energy,” Coker said. “When I was named the 12th president in 2020, I told everyone to ‘keep an eye on Maryville College,’ and no one took that more seriously than the amazing faculty, staff and employees who make this place so unique. Their work has led to greater interest, increased enrollment and wider visibility — all of which allows us as an institution and as individuals to continue to do good on the largest possible scale.”

Maryville College is a nationally-ranked institution of higher learning and one of America’s oldest colleges. For more than 200 years we’ve educated students to be giving citizens and gifted leaders, to study everything, so that they are prepared for anything — to address any problem, engage with any audience and launch successful careers right away. Located in Maryville, Tennessee, between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the city of Knoxville, Maryville College offers nearly 1,200  students from around the world both the beauty of a rural setting and the advantages of an urban center, as well as more than 60 majors, seven pre-professional programs and career preparation from their first day on campus to their last. Today, our 10,000 alumni are living life strong of mind and brave of heart and are prepared, in the words of our Presbyterian founder, to “do good on the largest possible scale.”