That $14 million Center for Academic Excellence for athletes at the University of Louisville is about to get another major boost.
A press conference to announce a major gift is scheduled Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Card March tunnel area adjacent to Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Just a wild guess here that Maker’s Mark, which has already raised millions of dollars with special label bottles toward the project, will come through with the topping off gift.
Wouldn’t be surprised if it is named the Bill Samuels Center for Academic Excellence in honor of the former Maker’s Mark executive who previously chaired the UofL Board of Trustees.
Still another groundbreaking coming soon.
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UofL’s incoming freshman class this fall, the largest and most academically well-prepared in the school’s history. The new students move into residence halls Wednesday and start classes next week. Here’s a look at the Fall 2014 class profile:
- 2,908 incoming students have enrolled
- 55 percent are entering with some college credit
- 82 percent are Kentucky residents
- 41 percent are from Jefferson County
- 22 percent are students of color
- 36 U.S. states are represented.
- In Fall 2013, UofL’s incoming students had an average 25.2 ACT score and 52 percent had previous college credit
A record number of new students will live on campus this fall. Based on preliminary figures, 2,050 new students will live in university housing compared to 1,965 last fall, 1,817 in Fall 2012 and 1,730 in Fall 2011.