GU Board Chair Jerry Hood chats with faculty, staff
Published: June 11, 2024
Author: Dave Bell
Jerry Hood, the current chair of the Greenville University Board of Trustees, recently held a “fireside chat” meeting with about 25 members of the university’s faculty and staff.
And even though the “fire” was only a flickering video on a screen behind Hood, the chat provided some real conversations on a wide range of topics.
“We’re hitting our stride in three key areas,” he told the audience. “Those areas are: experiential learning, fundraising initiatives, and financial changes. I’m excited about the success we’ve seen in our Comprehensive Campaign fundraising efforts. We started with a goal of $25 million, which we quickly surpassed, and we’re now approaching our revised goal of $60 million. The generosity of our donors has been amazing!”
Hood, a 1982 GU alum and 19-year board member, explained that he returned to the chairman’s seat in recent months when the previous chairman, Steve Ellsworth, was asked to take over as the University’s vice president of finance.
Meanwhile, Hood said he uses four measures to track the University’s financial progress – net revenue, student retention rate, the number of incoming freshmen, and the amount of cash on hand. On those metrics, GU is doing very well, he said.
He was asked by a member of the audience what he felt was the “secret sauce” that made Greenville University special. “In my opinion, it goes back to the Great Commission,” Hood said. “Those verses instruct us to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded us to do.
“Students come here from all over the world,” he continued. “They are searching for truth, and they find it here. There is something special happening on this campus. We have professors and coaches who provide a transformative experience. And then, when the students finish school, they go out into the world as changed people.”
Hood also praised the faculty for investing in the lives of students. “I’ve heard students talk at length about the unique experience they’re having here at GU,” he said. “They speak glowingly about the faculty and staff – what they’re learning and how they’re growing because of your influence.”
Joining Hood at the fireside chat was GU President Suzanne Davis. She responded to a concern expressed about student-athletes missing classes because of numerous out-of-town contests.
“We’re trying to find a balance between sports and academics,” said Davis, who played volleyball during her time as a student here. “We have many coaches who prioritize academics, but there’s always going to be a tension between those activities that we need to walk in.”
As the fireside chat concluded, Hood said that increasing enrollment will continue to be a major priority for the University. He’s excited to see positive trends for this fall, noting that GU is up significantly in student deposits while many of the nation’s colleges and universities are down.
“With the addition of our new 246-bed residence hall, we’ll be able to house 950 students next year,” he said. “We’re at 880 full-time students now (1,050 total), and we hope to add between 320 and 340 new students this fall. We have defied the enrollment odds at every turn, and we’re doing our best to continue that growth.”
Victoria Clark, GU’s vice president of enrollment management, said the University’s enrollment deposits are up 18% compared with last year. That increase earned GU a top-five ranking in the nation, according to the North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professionals.
“Those deposits are the closing element of the application process and are considered the most significant indicator of a student’s intention to attend a school,” Clark said. “We have a phenomenal admissions team, but this achievement has been a whole-campus effort. When prospective students see the construction projects on campus and meet the people here, they get excited about joining us.”
