2023 ANNUAL REPORT
Baltimore Collegetown Network
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
March 2024
This year began with transition and change for Baltimore Collegetown. Thank you to former executive director Kirsten Brinlee, who departed Collegetown in February 2023 after eight years. Her creative vision and passion for the organization and Baltimore left a lasting legacy for us all.
2023 was also a time of growth and new ideas for Collegetown, and we are excited to share that with you in this annual report. While our core programs remained the same, we ventured into new areas this past year. We launched a new website, completed a research study on the retention of students and alumni in the region, and helped to host the 2023 NACAC Conference in Baltimore, to name a few.
Driving all of our initiatives, whether old or new, is our mission: to attract, engage, and retain students in the Greater Baltimore region. We know that Baltimore is a great college town. In collaboration with our member institutions, we are committed to shaping a future where students, colleges and universities, and Baltimore thrive.
Thank you for your continued support, and please reach out to me anytime.
In partnership,
Toni St. John Executive Director
ATTRACT
Marketing
In January, we debuted the 2023 Baltimore Look Book. The print and digital edition features thirteen student profiles, which let you follow a day in the lives of college students, each showing their unique Baltimore This investment in creative storytelling promotes the best of Baltimore and its students. The 2023 Look Book campaign received 4.3 million impressions total between our website and our social media, and reached 274k unique accounts across social media. We received 82k YouTube views for the video campaign.
In June, Collegetown launched its new website. The website features individual pages for each college and university member and sections dedicated to counselors, parents, and employers Highlights are the Baltimore Look Book page and a unique lead generation for each college and university. Since its launch, the website has received 93k unique visitors, and 183k sessions. The new website has generated increased traffic and visits, and we are excited to see how it grows and evolves.
NACAC
Attracting college students to our campuses fuels the economic engine for Greater Baltimore and is at the core of our mission In September, the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) conference came to Baltimore. Collegetown hosted an exhibit booth and reception, enabling its member institutions to connect with over 760 college counseling professionals. Thank you to our sponsors, including the Maryland Transit Administration and Maryland Independent College and University Association (MICUA) member schools. Through email marketing blasts, Collegetown reached thousands of conference attendees from across the globe with the message that Baltimore is a great college town.
The Collegetown and Gown Tour will resume in Fall 2024, welcoming college counselors from across the nation and world. The variety of participating schools offers counselors an insight into the incredible diversity of the region and the higher education options it has to offer. Since its launch in 2017, the Tour has welcomed 658 counselors from 37 states, the British Virgin Islands, England, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Nepal, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, and Thailand. Tour participants have inspired thousands of applications and enrollments, resulting in over $251 million in Gross Financial Impact, thus proving how valuable and critical of a program the Tour is to our region
ENGAGE
Collegetown Underground
Baltimore Collegetown welcomed students in January 2023 to Collegetown Underground, an opportunity to dive deep into Baltimore through an immersive, four-day experience. This year’s program theme was “Food,” focusing on the history and cultural impact in the Baltimore region. After taking a year off in 2022, Collegetown was excited to bring back this program.
STUDENT PERSPECTIVE
“All I have left to say is thank you. I came to this program not knowing what to expect and was left with more knowledge than I’ve ever learned in school. I appreciate that we took the time to digest the city of Baltimore and all its goods. I came here from Cameroon when I was little and never felt at home until I participated in this program.”
MORE TO DISCOVER
20 students
7 colleges and universities
12 community partners
Student Governance Summit
In February, Collegetown welcomed student leaders and advisers to the fifth annual Student Governance Summit, an opportunity for students to collaborate with peers from across the network Held at Towson University, they networked and attended sessions on topics such as taking initiative as a student leader and how to run an effective meeting.
MORE TO DISCOVER
STUDENT PERSPECTIVE
“My biggest takeaway was the invaluable connections and friendships I made with SGA members from other universities.”
84 student leaders
11 colleges and universities
Coppin State University, Goucher College, Johns Hopkins University, Loyola University Maryland, Maryland Institute College of Art, Morgan State University, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Stevenson University, Towson University, University of Baltimore, UMBC
3 breakout sessions, 5 roundtable discussions
RETAIN
Student & Alumni Retention
In May, Collegetown released research concerning student and alumni retention in Baltimore: “Strengthening Baltimore’s Knowledge-Based Community: An Exploration of Factors that Influence Retention Efforts of College Graduates in the Baltimore Region.” In an era of population decline for Baltimore, Collegetown’s efforts to retain talent is an important contributor to regional growth. The research indicates that the majority of current college seniors plan to, and recent alumni do, remain in Baltimore after they graduate from member institutions Factors such as employment opportunities, job salaries, and cost of living are important in their decision-making. Results also showed that local internships and community engagement contribute to higher rates of student and alumni retention. Thank you to the Vanderbilt University research team, Hayley F Benedict, Rita M Lopez, and Tiffany T Sanchez, the Maryland Higher Education Commission, and Collegetown’s Governing Board and member institutions for their assistance.
Industry Day
MORE TO DISCOVER
64% of students interested in remaining in Baltimore
67% of alumni remained in Baltimore
67% of alumni rate Baltimore as a highly desirable place to live
54% of students rated Baltimore as a highly desirable place to work
73% of alumni found jobs aligned with their degree
Launched in 2019, Industry Days connect employers to talent and students to careers in thriving industries across Baltimore. Thanks to support from sponsors like the Maryland Technology Internship Program, these events continue to drive student and alumni retention in the region In April 2023, professionals from across six industries (Arts & Creative, Finance, Life Sciences & STEM, Mass Communication, Startups & Entrepreneurship, and Sustainability & Energy) networked and shared their career paths with students in an engaging event.
COLLABORATE
Leaders In Higher Education
In April, Collegetown hosted its second annual Leaders in Higher Education reception, honoring Greater Baltimore’s college presidents, elected officials, and collaborative champions. Strengthening relationships among higher education and civic leaders creates the conditions for collaboration needed to advance Baltimore’s future.
Communities of Practice
In 2023, Collegetown convened over 40 meetings among Communities of Practice, connecting hundreds of university employees across the network. Communities include:
B’CaUSE (Sustainability)
Case Managers
Conduct Officers
Baltimore County Health Department
Human Resources
MarComm and Admissions
Student Activities
Student Affairs
Shuttle and Transportation
LEADERSHIP STAFF
Program Director
Project Coordinator
Molly Hayeslip
Tara Howell Communications Manager Sonyae Williams
Dr
Dr Yvette Mozie-Ross, President Gregory FitzGerald, Vice President
Stephan Moore, Secretary
Dr
COLLEGE MEMBERS AFFILIATE MEMBERS Dr Nicole Baird Dr Justin R Smith Dr Rachelle Hernandez Dr Martin Lemelle Dr Letitia Williams
Marano Dr Jenny
Stephanie Coldren, Treasurer Antionette J Marbray, Esq , At-Large
Vernon Hurte, At-Large EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Nicole
Owens
Elizabeth Koontz
Samantha O’Neil
Karina Mandell Kelly Nagle
UMBC Notre Dame of Maryland University Coppin State University Loyola University Maryland Stevenson University Towson University CCBC Goucher College Johns Hopkins University
Maryland Institute College of Art Morgan State University University of Baltimore University of Maryland, Baltimore Baltimore City Baltimore County Baltimore Development Corporation Maryland Transit Administration
Photography: Jim Burger, Dave Cooper, Molly Hayeslip, Tara Howell, Jared Lyles, and Tiffany Thompson
Design & Copy: Tara Howell, and Toni St John
The 2023 Annual Report summarizes the successes of Baltimore Collegetown and its member organizations. The network brings together 13 colleges and universities, plus government entities and businesses, to attract, engage, and retain students to Greater Baltimore.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY!
Baltimore Collegetown Network
P.O. Box 11049
Baltimore, MD 21212
410 532 3035
info@baltimorecollegetown org
baltimorecollegetown.org
