“For many, Christendom is quickly becoming the ‘gold standard’ for quality, academic excellence, and faithfulness amongst Catholic liberal arts colleges in America today,” says vice president of enrollment Tom McFadden. “This is evidenced by the fact that we are experiencing our second record enrollment year in a row, with the largest student body in our 37 year history.”
McFadden also noted that the quality of our incoming students is “extremely high,” with two National Merit Scholarship finalists in the class, as well as an average SAT score of 1834.
“We have also increased our commitment to one of our most unique qualities: personal attention,” McFadden says. “We will be working personally with all of our students to help them succeed academically and in their post-graduate pursuits.”
This year’s class also includes an increase in male students—a promising sign for the college in light of the national trend of decreased male enrollment.
“I think that we’ve seen this increase because the truth about the liberal arts is getting out there,” McFadden says. “Young men are realizing that in order to be successful in life, you need more than technical training. You need to excel in written and oral communication and not just be able to analyze and understand problems, but have the perspective to solve them. This is where our education delivers and the success of our alumni is a testament to it.”
The children of alumni and parents of other Christendom students are represented well in this freshman class, along with many new families. The class of 2018 hails from 28 U.S. states, Ireland, Canada, and England.
At the Mass, college president Dr. Timothy O’Donnell led the entire faculty in a profession of faith and an oath of fidelity to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. Christendom remains one of a handful of Catholic colleges in the nation where the entire faculty makes this oath, ensuring that the faith will be taught in its entirety across the various disciplines.
Following Mass, the bishop joined the faculty, staff, and students for brunch in the St. Lawrence Commons. Afterwards, O’Donnell addressed the entire college community informing them of the past year’s success in fundraising and admissions as well as recent campus enhancements, which include two new athletic fields, new furnishings in residence halls, and plans for additional tennis courts and a baseball field.
Additionally, O’Donnell announced an exciting lineup of speakers for the year.
The college’s Major Speakers Program will host Family Research Council Director Pat Fagan, Belmont Abbey College President Bill Thierfelder, as well as acclaimed authors George Weigel and Joseph Pearce. For the 2015 Commencement Exercises, Arlington Bishop Paul Loverde and Catholic luminary Alice von Hildebrand are invited to speak. Further, on July 11, the college will host its biennial Summer Conference with the theme “Encountering Christ: Apologetics and the New Evangelization.” Invited speakers for the one-day conference include Patrick Madrid, Scott Hahn, and Marcus Grodi, as well as Christendom College professors.