{"id":62177,"date":"2026-08-28T09:29:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T13:29:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=62177"},"modified":"2026-08-28T09:29:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T13:29:03","slug":"dr-dycus-discusses-emus-pathways-to-enrollment-growth-and-career-development-for-royals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/dr-dycus-discusses-emus-pathways-to-enrollment-growth-and-career-development-for-royals\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Dycus discusses EMU&#8217;s pathways to enrollment growth and career development for Royals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At EMU, it\u2019s all about experiential learning opportunities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eighty-five percent of EMU students graduate with an experience aligned with their major, President <strong>Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus<\/strong> told a roomful of business and community leaders gathered for the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce\u2019s annual Presidential Address on Aug. 20.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat means that, early in their time with us, students are doing clinicals, completing placements in classrooms, and working in internships, where they get exposure to many of your businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cFor many of them, that translates into jobs. \u2026It\u2019s not just senior year when they\u2019re submitting their resumes that they encounter some of your businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" data-id=\"62185\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135608\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-34-1024x577.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-62185\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135608\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-34-1024x577.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135608\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-34-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135608\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-34-768x433.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135608\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-34.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>EMU President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus addresses a crowd of business and community leaders while Dr. David Bushman, president of Bridgewater College, looks on.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Enrollment growth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Seated on stage with the presidents of James Madison University, Bridgewater College, and Blue Ridge Community College, Dycus shared some of the exciting initiatives and updates happening at EMU, including the growth of its incoming first-year class. Building on momentum from its enrollment and marketing efforts, EMU\u2019s Class of 2030 is 15% larger than last year&#8217;s incoming class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis incoming class we are about to welcome is more diverse than we have ever seen before,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of the class entering EMU this fall, 52% identify as students of color, 55% identify as first-generation college students, and 78% hail from Virginia.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are seeing students who are from the region, who are coming to us and are able to see our institution as an access institution, as a way to say, \u2018I want to advance my career, my family\u2019s career, and the opportunities that are available to us,\u2019\u201d Dycus said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/28091900\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-20-1-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-62246\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/28091900\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-20-1-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/28091900\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-20-1-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/28091900\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-20-1-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/28091900\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-20-1.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Those attending the event, held at JMU\u2019s Atlantic Union Bank Center, included EMU leaders Braydon Hoover \u201911, MAOL \u201921 (above), vice president of enrollment and marketing, and Nathan Leopard (below left), vice president for advancement. EMU President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus (below right) shares the stage with the presidents of JMU, Bridgewater College, and Blue Ridge Community College.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"795\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"62183\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135502\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-19-1-1-795x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-62183\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135502\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-19-1-1-795x1024.jpeg 795w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135502\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-19-1-1-233x300.jpeg 233w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135502\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-19-1-1-768x989.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135502\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-19-1-1.jpeg 994w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 795px) 100vw, 795px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"711\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"62184\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135534\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-33-1-711x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-62184\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135534\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-33-1-711x1024.jpeg 711w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135534\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-33-1-208x300.jpeg 208w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135534\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-33-1-768x1106.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135534\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-33-1.jpeg 889w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 711px) 100vw, 711px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pathways curriculum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another exciting development at EMU is the university\u2019s new pathways curriculum launching this year. The result of nearly two years of work, the pathways curriculum keeps the same general education courses needed to graduate from EMU but repackages them to meet the evolving needs of the workforce and a new generation of students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor this sophomore class, students will not only identify a primary major, such as accounting, but they will also identify a values major they will then pursue in their courses,\u201d Dycus said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those value majors include environmental sustainability, intercultural understanding, power and equity, and faith and meaning. They will also be listed on students\u2019 transcripts and degrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs they enter into their interviews with you, they can say, \u2018I\u2019ve had courses that prepare me for communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and ways to understand different cultures,\u2019\u201d Dycus told chamber members.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat\u2019s one of the ways we can help students prepare, not only for the first job they will have, but the many jobs they will have as they go throughout their careers,\u201d she added. \u201cWe\u2019re training and educating students for jobs that we can\u2019t yet imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For more information about the pathways curriculum, visit <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/academics\/pathways\">emu.edu\/academics\/pathways<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dycus also highlighted the growth in the university\u2019s nursing program and credited the community\u2019s \u201cwonderful clinical sites,\u201d which include hospitals, retirement communities, schools, and hospices. \u201cWe\u2019ve expanded the number of partners we have, and many of you are represented in this room,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"62178\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135251\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-12-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-62178\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135251\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-12-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135251\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-12-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135251\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-12-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/08\/25135251\/20260820-President-Chamber-Event_CS-12.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>LEFT TO RIGHT: James Madison University President Dr. Jim Schmidt, EMU President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus, Bridgewater College President Dr. David Bushman, and Blue Ridge Community College President Dr. John Downey gather for a group photo following the chamber\u2019s annual Presidential Address.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Leadership stories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dycus said that by forming partnerships with the local business community, students can learn they have a home not only on EMU\u2019s campus but also across the broader Harrisonburg area. She called on business leaders to go forth and share their stories.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe ways you have navigated your own careers, your stories of access and accomplishment and even failure, are critical parts of what our students need to hear,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not just the content and knowledge but it\u2019s also the encouragement, affirmation, and confidence that motivate our students to know they can be sitting in the same places you\u2019re sitting and leading the businesses you\u2019re leading.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dycus will be <a href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/tenth\/\">inaugurated as EMU\u2019s 10th president<\/a> on Oct. 10 during Homecoming 2026. She expressed gratitude for the many notes of congratulations and encouragement she has received from chamber members since becoming president on July 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s a reminder to me just how connected we are and the interdependence of our institutions and your organizations,\u201d she said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Read more:<\/strong><br \/>\u2022 <em>WHSV-TV3<\/em>: \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.whsv.com\/2026\/08\/20\/college-presidents-discuss-workforce-development-chamber-commerce-event\/\">College presidents discuss workforce development at chamber of commerce event<\/a>\u201d<br \/>\u2022 <em>Daily News-Record<\/em>: \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dnronline.com\/news\/education\/chamber-of-commerce-hosts-annual-college-presidential-address\/article_3f1514b9-387f-5bd2-ba39-c5159bf3be79.html\">Chamber of Commerce hosts annual college Presidential Address<\/a>\u201d<br \/>\u2022 <em>Rocktown Now<\/em>: \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/rocktownnow.com\/news\/218812-shenandoah-valley-college-leaders-share-campus-challenges-and-visions-for-the-future\/\">Shenandoah Valley college leaders share campus challenges and visions for the future<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At EMU, it\u2019s all about experiential learning opportunities.&nbsp; Eighty-five percent of EMU students graduate with an experience aligned with their major, President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus told a roomful <a href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/dr-dycus-discusses-emus-pathways-to-enrollment-growth-and-career-development-for-royals\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"more-link\">... read more <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">about Dr. Dycus discusses EMU&#8217;s pathways to enrollment growth and career development for Royals<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":302,"featured_media":62247,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5583,17562],"tags":[5802,18177,8976,13959,5997,18168,18423,17702],"feature":[17427,17426,17241,17422],"class_list":["post-62177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-community","category-digest","tag-blue-ridge-community-college","tag-bridgewater-college","tag-chamber-of-commerce","tag-harrisonburg-rockingham-chamber-of-commerce","tag-james-madison-university","tag-presidential-address","tag-rev-dr-shannon-w-dycus","tag-shannon-dycus","feature-emu-home-page-feature","feature-myemu-feature","feature-news-feature","feature-news-landing-page-main-feature"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dr. Dycus discusses EMU&#039;s pathways to enrollment growth and career development for Royals - EMU News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/dr-dycus-discusses-emus-pathways-to-enrollment-growth-and-career-development-for-royals\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dr. Dycus discusses EMU&#039;s pathways to enrollment growth and career development for Royals - EMU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"At EMU, it\u2019s all about experiential learning opportunities.&nbsp; Eighty-five percent of EMU students graduate with an experience aligned with their major, President Rev. 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