Morris College

SUMTER, S.C. — Morris College is experiencing renewed momentum as the historic Sumter institution moves into a new era focused on enrollment growth, expanded recruitment, stronger community connections and a renewed emphasis on telling the Morris story.

The college’s current Fall enrollment stands at 452 students, up from 383 students in 2024, an increase of 18% and a retention rate of 62% and persistence  68%. While society tends to marginalize Black males, this   year a larger number of men of color (24% compared to women) enrolled at Morris helping to erase the stigma and reverse the trend that these men rarely choose to attend institutions of higher learning. The College’s goal is to achieve an enrollment of 1000 students by 2028. While most students originate from South Carolina including those from majority counties including Sumter, Richland, Florence, Orangeburg, Colleton, and Williamsburg, there are other student who hail from other states including Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, New Jersey, and more.

According to Morris College President, Dr. Said Sewell, “This is a historic moment for Morris College. We are welcoming the one of the largest freshman classes in the College’s recent history, with a particularly significant increase in the enrollment of men of color. In a time when men of color are not joining to college,  Morris is celebrating the fact that we have begun to change that narrative with this class. Moreover, that growth tells us that young people see Morris as a place where they can belong, be challenged, discover their purpose, and prepare for meaningful careers. We are not simply enrolling more students—we are building a stronger future for Morris College and for the communities our students will goon to serve. This is what the Morris Movement looks like.”

While the growth in enrollment represents an important milestone, college officials say the larger story is about much more than the numbers. Morris is undertaking a comprehensive effort to strengthen its identity in the marketplace, expand its recruitment reach and ensure that prospective students and their families understand the opportunities available at the private historically Black college. At the center of that effort is a renewed focus on managing enrollment and intentional recruitment.

The college is strengthening relationships with high school counselors and feeder schools, expanding its recruitment territory and developing new ways to introduce Morris College to prospective students and families who may not have previously considered the institution. The strategy also calls for a more consistent and compelling message about what makes Morris distinctive. Prospective students, officials say, should see Morris not simply as a place to earn a degree, but as a community where students can discover their purpose, develop their talents, build meaningful relationships and prepare for successful futures.

“Enrollment Management cannot accomplish these enrollment goals alone. The entire campus must work with us as partners. Every advertisement, social media post, email, website message, student story, event promotion, and recruitment piece should reinforce the same compelling Morris narrative. We have an opportunity to present Morris with renewed energy, confidence, and purpose, ”said Dr. Darryl Isom, Vice President of Enrollment Management, Admissions, and Recruitment.

That campus-wide approach reflects a broader shift in how Morris College is presenting itself to the higher education marketplace. The college is working to make its academic programs, distinctive majors, faculty relationships, leadership opportunities, student experiences and student outcomes more visible to prospective students.

“I chose Morris College as a transfer student from Clinton College in Rock Hill, South Carolina, because I wanted to be closer to home and attend a college that already had a connection to my family,” said Jasmyne Lyde, senior biology major and the reigning Miss Morris College. “Some of my family members attended Morris, which made my decision even more meaningful. As a biology major, Morris is helping me build the knowledge and skills I need to achieve my goals while continuing to grow personally and prepare for a future of service,” she reiterated.

For Morris, strengthening recruitment also means strengthening relationships. High school counselors are being re-engaged as critical partners in the college search process, while Morris is looking beyond its traditional recruitment footprint to reach students and families in new markets. The goal is to build a broader and stronger pipeline of prospective students while creating a more intentional admissions experience from the first point of contact through enrollment.

Sheldon B.Wilson, Morris’s Student Government President says, “Morris College has given me more than an education; it has given me a community where I have been able to grow academically, personally, and as a leader. What makes the Morris experience special is that students are not simply numbers, we are known, supported, challenged, and given opportunities to lead. Through my academic studies, campus involvement, and service as Student Government Association President, I have had opportunities to develop skills that extend far beyond the classroom. Morris has provided me with professors, administrators, mentors, and fellow students who genuinely want to see students succeed. As I prepare for the future, I know that the education, relationships, leadership experiences, and sense of purpose I have gained at Morris College have helped prepare me not only for a career, but also for a life of service and leadership.
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Wilson’s perspective resonates with many other students at the college. The enrollment growth comes as Morris College positions itself for continued development. Rather than relying solely on traditional recruitment methods, the institution is seeking to create an environment in which students actively seek out Morris because of its academic opportunities, personal attention, student success and sense of community. College leadership views the effort as an opportunity to reconnect with alumni and communities, strengthen relationships with prospective students and families, and communicate the institution’s value with greater clarity.

The strategy represents a long-term investment in the institution’s future. Enrollment officials acknowledge that significant work remains, including strengthening enrollment infrastructure, improving communication and follow-up, expanding recruitment, increasing engagement with prospective students and creating more intentional admissions experiences.

The direction is clear: Morris College wants to be known not simply as a college students discover, but as a college students deliberately choose. The institution’s renewed enrollment strategy is therefore also a renewed effort to tell the Morris story that highlights academic opportunity, personal attention, career preparation, leadership development and the relationships that help define the college experience.

“This is a new day at Morris College,” Dr. Isom said. “We are reintroducing Morris to the marketplace, strengthening our relationships, expanding our reach, and telling our story with greater clarity and excitement.”

With enrollment now at 452 students, Morris has already begun to demonstrate measurable growth. The next chapter will focus on building upon that momentum and ensuring that more students and families across South Carolina and beyond understand not only what Morris College offers, but why Morris can be the place they call home.

Contact:

LAURA NEWSOME @ 803-934-3201

[email protected]