Carroll University officials on Wednesday touted the private Catholic university's achievements and plans to about 100 members of the public and pointed out why it is, in many ways, “Montana's No. 1 University.” He called for attention to a new marketing campaign.
Carroll College President John Cech spoke Wednesday about the university's new marketing campaign that points out how the university will become the No. 1 university in Montana.
Phil Drake, Independent Records
The university held a “Helena Leadership Breakfast'' every semester in the Lower Campus Center with President John Cech and other university officials.
Discussion topics included the new physician assistant program, Nelson Stadium upgrades, and the university's commitment to the community.
“We love Helena,” Cech said, noting that nearly 3,000 Carroll College alumni live in the Queen City. “We are part of Helena and you are part of us. That's what makes mornings like this so special.”
He said students come from 43 states and 22 countries, and 1,000 students live on campus.
Others are also reading…
“This is their home, these 63 acres,” Cech said, adding that more people live on the 114-year-old campus than in White Sulfur Springs, the county seat of Meager County. .
“We truly are a community within a community,” he said, adding that he appreciates all the partnerships between the university and the Helena area.
He said five years after graduation, 72 percent of graduates are still working in Montana.
Cech also mentioned the new marketing campaign, which he said was sparked by discussions with new staff members who provided observations as newcomers to the community.
“Given the results and what we do, we are very humble in speaking about ourselves and need to be a little less humble and shout it from the top of the mountain,” he said. Stated.
The marketing campaign touts Carroll as the “#1 college in Montana.”
carroll university
Cech said Carroll launched a campaign last week titled “Carroll University, Montana's No. 1 College.”
He said the university's website provides data to support that claim. And there are billboards, TV commercials, social media, and conversations in general all over the state.
The campaign also boasts that Carroll is No. 1 among Montana universities with a four-year graduation rate of 65%. 81% retention rate. Her medical school acceptance rate is tops at over 80%, and Carol's first time pass rate for her RN license exam over her three years is her 97.2%.
He said he was recently told by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) that the Carroll University Fighting Saints football team has the second-highest grade point average of any football team in the NAIA.
“We are your university, we exist to serve you and the state of Montana, and we are in a very big deal,” he said, adding that the university owes taxpayers money. He added that not a penny of the money was spent.
Claire Hull, founding director of Carroll College's Developmental Physician Assistant Program, and Charlie Gross, the college's athletic director, also spoke Wednesday.
Hull said developing a PA program is a natural progression for the university. Most of her PA programs are concentrated in the Northeast and Southeast. She said Carroll will be the second PA program in Montana.
Carol plans to take her first PA class in August 2026 and graduate with her first class in December 2028.
This year we are focusing on faculty and buildings.
She said she is confident that Carroll's PA program will produce graduates who are “competent, compassionate, and culturally sensitive.”
The university is planning a $5.1 million renovation for the Nelson Stadium Enhancement Project, which will include new lighting and a synthetic surface that can accommodate football, soccer and softball.
Cech said the project will have a transformative impact not only on the university but also on the local community.
Construction plans call for four 100-foot poles on the north side of Nelson Stadium and three 90-foot poles on the south side.
Carroll College Athletics Director Charlie Gross talks about the $5.1 million Nelson Stadium project.
Phil Drake, Independent Records
Structures over 60 feet in height require an approved variance application by the City Board of Adjustment. The proposal, which has been met with resistance from some members of the public, will be brought before the board on Tuesday.
Gross said the stadium was built in 2001. At the time, Carroll had a football team of 90 student-athletes and a women's soccer team of 18. Currently, Carroll has men's soccer, softball, men's track and field, and women's track and field.
The number of student-athletes has increased from 108 to 270.
“Our need for field space is tremendous,” Gross said. “Carroll University is located inland.”
“We don't practice at Nelson Stadium because the grass is too good,” he said.
As the number of new sports and athletes grows, field surfaces wear out, he said.
He said fields cannot withstand the impact of sports, and 94 of the 98 NAIA schools that play football are small colleges with limited space and resources, so they are not equipped with artificial fields. He pointed out that there was.
Assistant Editor Phil Drake can be reached at 406-231-9021.
