From Erskine President Dr. Steve Adamson

Dear Erskine alumni and friends,

Erskine will mark the end of a successful fiscal year on June 30. I would like to take a moment to celebrate this year’s academic and fiscal achievements and the growth we have witnessed in our students. All of this has been accomplished through your support and, ultimately, by God’s grace.

Erskine launched six new majors in the 2023-24 school year. We’re pleased to report that 58 students are currently enrolled in these degree programs. The new Accounting program has done particularly well with 21 students in the major, followed by International Studies with 14 students.

The Honors Institute at Erskine opened in Fall 2023 with a strong cohort of 10 students. The honors program is intentionally selective. Students are immersed in a discussion-based, biblically grounded curriculum exploring great authors from antiquity through the contemporary era.

In October 2023, Erskine’s core curriculum ranked in the top 27 percent of private higher education institutions, as scored by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni in their “What Will They Learn?” rating system.

The seminary’s new Global Theological Diploma gained traction over the last year, with 240 students enrolling in the program. The diploma, designed to equip pastors in the Global South, has found eager students in Rwanda and Pakistan.

Erskine welcomed several exceptional professors to our undergraduate, graduate, and seminary programs. We look forward to seeing the contributions they will make and the students they will influence for God’s glory.

Our women’s tennis team won the Conference Carolinas championship, and men’s baseball went deep into the conference tournament. Three developmental teams—men’s volleyball, men’s basketball, and baseball—secured Conference Carolinas developmental championship wins.

For the third year in a row, Erskine’s enrollment exceeded 1,000 students. In Fall 2023, we welcomed around 300 incoming freshmen. Undergraduate enrollment during the 2023-24 school year totaled 935, and the total number of seminary students was 197.

Most importantly, our students’ collective character, academic strength, and spiritual formation are a joy and encouragement to us all.

The College’s financial performance is of keen interest to many and is a focus of attention for our accreditor. We can proudly say that after two years of hard work, Erskine is on the verge of posting its most robust combined financial results in over 25 years. At present, we are projecting to finish the 2023-24 year with the following results:

Erskine’s endowment is currently around $38.5 million with this year’s endowment spending at $2.5 million—the lowest in five years, reduced from a high of $4.1 million. Our endowment spending declined from a 20-year average of eight percent down to just six percent this fiscal year. This decreased reliance on the endowment for annual operating funds occurred in large part due to generous donations from our alumni network.

We expect our first operational surplus in over 10 years (without the artificial boost created by government COVID relief funds), which is a direct result of sound business management.

Early estimates indicate an increase in total year-over-year revenue of 17 percent, the most significant single-year increase in over 50 years, accomplished without raising tuition and fees. This is in large part thanks to you, Erskine’s alumni and friends.

We have achieved positive change in net assets for the first time in three years. This is also the first time in 10 years that positive change was not a function of market performance from the endowment. This was achieved through increased revenue and careful asset management.

Erskine’s success this past year is largely due to the generous contributions, prayers, and support of people like you, our alumni and friends. Additionally, Erskine’s Board of Trustees, executive staff, and employees have labored to ensure that Erskine is positioned for continued success. Each gift and each prayer is truly appreciated. If you would like to contribute financially to Erskine’s future, please visit our giving opportunities page.

Serving as President of Erskine College is truly an honor. Over the last two-and-a-half years, I have had the privilege of hosting alumni events, meeting with donors, and travelling throughout South Carolina and beyond. It has been a joy to meet so many of you.

I want you to know that the board and I are firmly committed to Erskine’s success. As we look toward the future, we see even greater achievements on the horizon as we strive to honor God by fulfilling Erskine’s vision of “equipping students for lives of service and leadership, building Christ’s Church and influencing society for God’s glory.”

In Christ,

Steve Adamson