In an era when many women’s colleges are struggling to maintain enrollments and battling budget problems Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina, reports good news on both fronts.
The college reports that there are now 1,650 students enrolled. Its first-year class of 471 students is the second largest in school history.
The college has raised $18 million so far this year. That is the double the amount on money raised in any single year in its history. The college’s endowment now stands at $93 million.
Jo Allen, president of Meredith College, stated that “it is so touching to hear donors’ reasons for giving to Meredith — oftentimes to honor a mother, wife, daughter, or sister who excelled here. Others give because they value Meredith’s dynamic legacy of educating students to become even stronger and because they know the power of educated women in corporations, nonprofits, communities and families.”
Dr. Allen has been president of Meredith College since 2011. Previously, she was senior vice president, provost, and professor of English at Widener University in Pennsylvania. President Allen is a graduate of Meredith College. She holds a master’s degree from East Carolina University and a Ph.D. in English literature from Oklahoma State University.