Freshmen are moved in, but local college enrollment is down
University of Memphis president Bill Hargrave crosses the The Hunter Harrison Memorial Bridge Aug. 22, 2024. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)
Freshman Riley Fitzgerald and hundreds of her peers walked across the Harrison Hunter Memorial Bridge at the University of Memphis last week, crossing to a new stage of their lives with cheers and high fives and symbolism that required few words.
“As we walk across the bridge, I encourage you to think about what your hopes and dreams are for the future,” U of M President Bill Hardgrave told the crowd before Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis” set it moving forward, him in the lead.
With that and barbeque on the other side, Hardgrave welcomed one of the smallest freshman classes in memory, affected by the failed rollout of the FAFSA application, declining birth rates and the university’s own work to strengthen its academic standing and graduation rates.
Topics
University of Memphis Rhodes College LeMoyne-Owen College Southwest Tennessee Community College Christian Brothers University Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
Subscribers to The Daily Memphian help fund our not-for-profit newsroom of nearly 40 local journalists plus more than 20 freelancers, all of whom work around the clock to cover the issues impacting our community. Subscriptions - and donations - also help fund our community access programs which provide free access to K-12 schools, community organizations, and more. Thank you for making our work possible.
Jane Roberts
Longtime journalist Jane Roberts is a Minnesotan by birth and a Memphian by choice. She's lived and reported in the city more than two decades. She covers business news and features for The Daily Memphian.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.