Today, Northern Kentucky University will welcome 15,000 students and 2,000 faculty and staff back to campus for the 2015-2016 academic year.
“We welcome our students, faculty and staff back to campus,” said President Geoffrey S. Mearns. “It is an exciting time to be at Northern Kentucky University.”
This year’s incoming class is the most academically-qualified in University history, with a median ACT score of 24 points. The freshman class of more than 2,000 students is also anticipated to be about 2 percent larger than last year.
Returning students, faculty and staff will return to a newly-renovated and expanded Campus Recreation Center. The $48 million project doubled the size of the 169,314 square-foot facility and added state-of-the-art equipment and offerings for students, faculty, staff, and the community.
The University will also break ground this fall on a new facility, a $97 million health innovation center. The project will create a cutting-edge home for the College of Health Professions and bring programs from across campus together to study the future of health care in new ways. It includes construction of a new facility and the renovation of Founders Hall, the second-oldest academic building on campus.
The University has added several new academic programs this year. A new School of the Arts will also bring the NKU’s nationally-renowned theatre, dance, music and visual arts programs together under one roof to enhance the student experience and engage the community in new ways.
The new year also brings a new conference for NKU’s Division I athletics teams, the Horizon League, as well as a new name for the University’s sports arena: BB&T Arena.
From NKU