August 12, 2025
Dear colleagues,
I hope you’ve had a great summer, with time for rest and renewal. As we prepare to welcome our Knights back to campus, I want to share my gratitude for your work to make Bellarmine a place where students flourish – in mind, body, and spirit – and graduate ready to make a difference in the world. This fall, we will celebrate Bellarmine’s 75th anniversary, taking time to reflect proudly on Bellarmine’s legacy and envision a vibrant future.
This has been a busy summer at Bellarmine, filled with great momentum. Our incoming undergraduate class is the largest since 2019 and the most diverse in our history, with very positive implications for our budget. Our graduate programs are all at or above their budget targets for summer and fall starts. Our dual credit and dual enrollment initiatives are giving more high school students direct exposure to the quality of a Bellarmine education. And we are poised for growth in online programs thanks to good, thoughtful work around our academic calendar.
When you’re out in the community, I hope you’ll share some of the many things that make our 75th year a year of pride for Bellarmine:
- Largest and most diverse entering undergraduate class in years – representing more backgrounds and experiences than ever before.
- Opportunity College distinction – We’re among just 16% of U.S. institutions recognized for both higher access and higher earnings for graduates, affirming our role as a model for student success.
- Unrivaled career outcomes – 99% of graduates are employed or in graduate school within six months, and they earn more than graduates from any other Kentucky institution.
- Bellarmine IMPACT – Our commitment to personalized pathways, hands-on learning, and a community of belonging, wellness, engagement, and purpose.
- Bellarmine’s commitment to Louisville – Through initiatives like Bellarmine Direct, our expanding Dual Credit Institute, and more community engagement than at any point in our history, we’re opening new doors for local students to access higher education and thrive at Bellarmine.
Thank you for the countless ways you work every day to bring Bellarmine’s mission to life. This community truly inspires me every day, and I am excited for all we will accomplish together in the year ahead.
Sincerely,
Susan M. Donovan, PhD
President