
President Marrero delivers State of the College Address at Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³»
Last edited: September 18, 2025 by
Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» (Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³») Interim President Kyle Marrero delivered the Fall 2025 State of the College Address on Monday, September 8, in the Luck F. Gambrell Center Auditorium. Faculty, staff, students, and community members attended the annual event, which serves as a launch to each new academic year.
President Marrero began by reflecting on the college’s history and legacy before turning to its current challenges and opportunities. While acknowledging areas of growth ahead, he emphasized the many accomplishments achieved over the past year. Highlights included expanded dining options in Swainsboro, increasing meal plan capacity from nine to 19 meals per week; the strengthening of the CARE team to better support students; the transition of admissions and student success departments to the Slate customer relations management system to enhance services; and an increase in housing occupancy from 75% to 82%.
The most significant achievement, however, has been enrollment growth. After seeing its first increase in seven years last fall with 1,826 students, the college achieved another 8.5% increase this semester, enrolling 1,983 students. This growth is especially noteworthy as it comes amid the ongoing consolidation with Georgia Southern University.
President Marrero also spoke about the University’s new strategic plan, Soaring Beyond 2030, and discussed the FY2027 budget prioritization process, outlining the guiding principles that will shape decisions moving forward. He shared updates on consolidation progress, noting that 17 action teams are working through 494 tasks, with 20% of tasks already complete and 47% in progress.
He concluded by highlighting key initiatives at Georgia Southern, including academic strategic priorities, a strategic enrollment plan, an operational effectiveness and efficiency plan, and the university’s core values.
To view the State of the College Address, click .
