President shares enrollment growth, college pillars in address

Posted on Friday, September 12, 2025

After navigating through the COVID years, President Susanna L. Baxter shared in her State of the College address Thursday that the institution is in a strong position thanks to innovative new programs that led to enrollment growth of 10%, creating a new high since before the pandemic.

“We’re thrilled about what this means for LaGrange College moving forward,” she said.

This fall’s class added 238 freshmen and the total undergraduate enrollment reached 718, an increase of over 11%. The college also gained 182 graduate students, an increase of over 12%

“LaGrange College is becoming an innovative institution that is creating new programs, which is attracting more students,” she said.

One of the popular majors among freshmen is Manufacturing Engineering Technology, which began this fall and came about through conversations with local manufacturers.

“We have students enrolled in a career that has a direct input into what this area needs,” she said.

To reflect this progress, the college also recently updated its mission, vision and value statements:

Mission statement—We challenge the minds and inspire the souls of our students, preparing them to become successful, responsible citizens who pursue lives of integrity, service and lifelong learning.

“That’s why we’re here and do what we do on a day-to-day basis,” she said.

Vision statement—To be an innovative institution, holistically educating our students to connect with and contribute to an ever-changing world.

“We wanted this to capture a post-pandemic world,” she said. “The decisions that we make are in line with this vision.”

Values statement—As an institution, we value the inherent worth of every human being, pursuit of lifelong learning and development, integrity and moral courage, spiritual growth and service to our community and world.

President Baxter said that for the college to continue to serve, it must be fiscally sound.

“We reached a high-water mark for our endowment of almost $74 million as of June 30,” she said. “Our Board and administration are disciplined, and we are doing what we need to do for a bright future at LaGrange College.”

During the address, Dr. Baxter also debuted the college’s new “You Are More” initiative that is rolling out this semester.

“We asked ourselves, ‘What makes us different or unique as an institution?’” she said. “We hired a company to help us do some market research. Through surveys given to our campus community, alumni and local leaders, we developed pillars of who we are at LC.”

These pillars include Close-knit Community; Guided Growth; Purposeful Place; Industry Integration; and Soulful Service.

“All these five pillars make us unique,” she said. “Not one separately, but all of them together.”

To close her address, President Baxter looked back on her five-plus years of leadership.

“I do this for the students,” she said. “To be a part of their journey in some small way is fantastic. It is an honor to be at this place.”

 

Campus Notes

• Political Science students Ryan Avin, Trey Galbraith, Reecia Gault, Jayden Shivers, Azaria Thomas, Christiana Walker, Emma McCoy, Roniya Elliott, Zari Plummer, Lucy McCoy, Maddie Chauvin, and Colton Esposito presented their research on Medicaid expansion and health outcomes to State Rep. Debbie Buckner on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
• Religion Professor Dr. John Cook recently presented his paper “Ancient Greco-Roman Evidence of Damage to the Human Body in Roman Crucifixion,” at a conference on “Stigmata on Body and Soul: Wounds, Tattoos, and Blemishes in Greco-Roman Antiquity and Their Reception in Early Christianity and Church History” at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany.

 

Collegiate Enrichment

LaGrange College Sunday at LaGrange First UMC

Sunday, Sept. 14

11 a.m., LaGrange First United Methodist Church Sanctuary, 401 Broad St.

• The yearly tradition celebrates the shared partnership and history of LaGrange College and LaGrange First United Methodist Church. The joint service will have student-led worship, music from the LC Singers and a sermon from the Rev. Ashley Jenkins ’08.

Leading Through Values

Monday, Sept. 15

8 p.m., Bailey Room

• Inspired by Brené Brown’s work on courage and vulnerability, this workshop teaches students the role of values in authentic leadership. They will reflect on their core values, practice aligning choices with those values, and learn how vulnerability and empathy can strengthen trust and connection in teams. Through guided discussion and interactive activities, they will discover how to “live into their values” and lead with courage, integrity and purpose.

Black Male Initiative Presents: David Harris

Tuesday, Sept. 16

11 a.m., Dickson Assembly Room

• LC alum and Grammy winner David Harris ’09 will speak about his experiences and how he found success in his music career. He has produced songs for artists including H.E.R and Alicia Keys. There will be a Q&A segment during the event.

Voter Registration

Tuesday, Sept. 16

11 a.m., Caswell Plaza

• Political Science 1101 and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee will be on hand to help students sign up to vote or recheck their voter registration.

Constitution Day

Wednesday, Sept. 17

1:10 p.m., Callaway Academic Building

• GOP State Rep. David Huddleston will speak with students about the importance of the U.S. Constitution and kick off a research project.

Law School Information Session

Thursday, Sept. 18

11 a.m., Bailey Room

• Students interested in pursuing law school will learn about the application process, LSAT prep and financial aid.

Concord Coalition Congressional Budget Game

Thursday, Sept. 18

7 p.m., Dickson Assembly Room

• Played at communities and colleges across the United States, the Concord Coalition’s budget game teaches participants about the challenges of balancing the federal budget through a group exercise that involves analyzing current tax and spending policies and making recommendations for their proposed budget.

 

Sports

Football

The Panthers kicked off their 2025 season with a resounding 36-14 victory against Point University on Saturday, Sept. 6 in Valley, Alabama. It was LC's first win in a season opener since 2019. The team returns to Callaway Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13 (tomorrow), when they play host to Berry College for a 7:30 p.m. game.

Freshman Dami’on Thompson was named USA South’s Offensive Rookie of the Week. He caught a 77-yard touchdown reception on the game's first play from scrimmage.

Women's Volleyball

After going 1-3 at the Huntingdon Tournament this past weekend, LC returned home on Wednesday night for its first home match of the season, facing Fort Valley State University, falling 0-3. The team is back on the court on Friday, Sept. 12 (today), when they travel to Berry College for the Berry Invitational.

Men's Soccer

The Panthers battled Huntingdon to a 1-1 tie on Sunday afternoon. The team is back on the field on Friday, Sept. 12 (today), when they host Methodist University in a 4 p.m. game.

Women's Soccer

LC has gone 1-1 in the past week, with a 1-0 win at MUW on Sept. 6 for its first win of the season followed by a 1-0 loss at Oglethorpe on Wednesday, Sept. 10. The team returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 13 (tomorrow), when they travel to Longview, Texas, to take on LeTourneau University.

 

Panther Calendar

(Please note that schedules may change due to circumstances beyond our control. Please check www.lagrangepanthers.com to confirm.)

Friday, Sept. 12 – Cross-Country at University of North Georgia Invitational, Dahlonega, Georgia

Friday, Sept. 12 – Volleyball at Berry (Berry Invitational), 2 p.m., Rome, Georgia

Friday, Sept. 12 – Men’s Soccer (Home) vs. Methodist University, 4 p.m., Panther Field

Saturday, Sept. 13 – Volleyball vs. Emory (@Berry), 10:30 a.m., Rome, Georgia

Saturday, Sept. 13 – Men’s Tennis (Home) vs. Coastal Alabama, noon, Greer Tennis Courts

Saturday, Sept. 13 – Women’s Tennis (Home) vs. Coastal Alabama, noon, Greer Tennis Courts

Saturday, Sept. 13 – Women’s Soccer at LeTourneau University, noon, Longview, Texas

Saturday, Sept. 13 – Volleyball vs. Texas Lutheran (@Berry), 1 p.m., Rome, Georgia

Saturday, Sept. 13 – Football (Home) vs. Berry, 7:30 p.m., Callaway Stadium

Sunday, Sept. 14 – Men’s Tennis at Central Alabama, 12:15 p.m., Alexander City, Alabama

Sunday, Sept. 14 – Women’s Tennis at Central Alabama, 12:15 p.m., Alexander City, Alabama

Sunday, Sept. 14 – Women’s Soccer at Centenary, 1 p.m., Shreveport, Louisiana

Sunday, Sept. 14 – Men’s Soccer at MUW, 4 p.m., Columbus, Mississippi

Tuesday, Sept. 16 – Volleyball (Home) vs. Point, 7 p.m., Mariotti Gym

Wednesday, Sept. 17 – Men’s Soccer (Home) vs. Oglethorpe, 7 p.m., Panther Field

Wednesday, Sept. 17 – Women’s Soccer at Albany State, 7 p.m., Albany, Georgia

 

In the Headlines

LaGrange State of the College Address, WTVM, Sept. 11

LaGrange College beats Point University 36-14, LaGrange Daily News, Sept. 9

 

Video of the Week

LaGrange College: You Are More

At LaGrange College, you are more than a face in the crowd, more than a number, and more than you imagine.

Category: Community, College, Students

Keywords: Education, Administration