Saint Mary's College of California welcomed 693 new students to its Moraga campus this fall, an 18% jump from 588 a year ago.

The preliminary figures, announced by the college, represent a significant rebound. The WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) placed the college on accreditation warning in July, citing declining enrollment and operating deficits.

International new-student enrollment tripled, jumping from 17 to 51 students representing 24 countries, up from 15 countries last year. Fifteen nations are newly represented, including Ghana, India, Japan, Kenya and Spain.

"Seeing more students choose Saint Mary's … is tremendously encouraging," President Roger Thompson said in the announcement. "But numbers alone are not our measure of success."

The college noted that enrollment figures are preliminary and will be finalized in October.

New academic structure, new deans

The academic year is the first under the newly unified School of Arts & Sciences, which merged the former School of Liberal Arts and School of Science on July 1. Gesine Gerhard is serving as the school's inaugural dean. Kimberly Mayfield Lynch is the new dean of the Kalmanovitz School of Education.

Provost Carol Ann Gittens, who announced the merger in May, said the new school gives students a more integrated academic environment as complex questions demand cross-disciplinary fluency.

Saint Mary's is also expanding health-related programs, building on its established Health Science major with newer Nursing and Public Health programs, both of which welcomed inaugural cohorts last academic year.

Four NCAA Division I teams launch

The Gaels added four NCAA Division I programs this fall: men's and women's swimming and men's and women's water polo. The inaugural swimming and men's water polo rosters include student-athletes from 14 countries. Women's water polo is set to begin competition in 2027.

Pipeline programs grow

Enrollment from Lasallian high schools rose more than 40%, from 33 students to 47. Legacy enrollment climbed to 50, up from 38.

In August, the college launched the Lasallian Guaranteed Admission Program, described as the first of its kind among U.S. Lasallian colleges. Graduates of accredited Lasallian high schools who earn at least a 3.5 weighted GPA and complete a college-preparatory curriculum are guaranteed admission. The college remains test-optional.

Accreditation backdrop

The growth arrives against a serious backdrop. WSCUC placed Saint Mary's on warning in a July 9 letter to Thompson, finding the college out of compliance with its standard on resources and sustainability. In a July 13 message to the campus community, Thompson said the challenges "are ones we have been actively addressing since I joined Saint Mary's," as reported by the Lamorinda Weekly.

The college's accredited status continues during the warning period. A progress report is due to WSCUC on Nov. 1.

New students and families arrived in Moraga the week before classes for Move-In and Weekend of Welcome. On Friday, Aug. 28, the college revived New Student Convocation on Chapel Lawn for the first time since 2022. Students also took part in a tradition of painting the hillside "SMC" letters, where no brushes are allowed.