August 28, 2007

CBU Bell Tower Rings in Largest Freshmen Class in 10 Years

Memphis – After several years of dormancy, the Christian Brothers University (CBU) Bell Tower rang in the largest freshman class of the past ten years. The CBU Bell Tower Chimes Restoration was made possible through the generous gift of David and Ned Nelson and Family.

For the past five years, CBU has experienced an upward first-time freshman enrollment trend that continued with this year’s entering freshmen class. "We are delighted to have such an outstanding freshmen class join CBU this fall. This year we received a record number of freshmen applications and it is wonderful to work with students and families on the freshmen application process," said Tracey Dysart Ford, dean of admissions.

Students were also greeted with the new St. Joseph Hall Portico, a gift from Pam and Fred Montesi III, which provides a serene setting to take a break from classes, chat with friends or study for the next exam.

For those students living on campus, the CBU residence halls had an investment of about a million dollars for updated infrastructure and conveniences during the summer to enhance their overall college experience thanks to a very generous bequest from Eugene Pender.

"One of the greatest joys I have as President is to welcome new students to CBU. Students this year will see a lot of exciting things on campus. In addition to the improvements made this spring and summer, construction is underway for the Cooper-Wilson Science Center which is to be completed by August 2008. I am pleased that so many students find CBU to be their college of choice, and we are proud to be named in the top 20 Southern Universities granting Master's Degrees this year by U.S. News & World Report," said Brother Vincent Malham, FSC, president.

All in all, the CBU campus is experiencing exciting times as it welcomes this large freshmen class and returning students. ###