Temple’s Class of 2028 is the most diverse in school’s history

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On Temple University’s campus Friday, students and their families moved their belongings in carts to dorms like Temple Towers on Cecil B. Moore Ave. and the 27-story Morgan Hall on N. Broad Street.

At Liacouras Hall also on N. Broad Street, university personnel and parents held signs saying “Welcome” and “You got this” were accompanied by a Temple band.

Officially, this year’s crop of new students were scheduled to move in between Tuesday, Aug. 20 and Thursday, Aug. 22.

According to Temple, the Class of 2028 consists of 5,000 new first-year students and is 50% students of color, the most diverse class in the institution’s history.

As of June, Temple had an enrollment of about 30,000 students.

In addition, the class has an average high school grade point average of 3.44, up from 3.39 last year, according to university figures released this week.

Gregory Mandel, Temple Provost, welcomed the students, faculty staff and university leadership at convocation at the Liacouris Center.

“We can’t wait to celebrate your creative voice and the talent that you will bring to our university,” Mandel said. “You are a remarkable and diverse group. You are from as far away as Mongolia and as near as North Philadelphia.”

As Provost, Mandel said he is Temple’s chief academic officer, and his job is to promote Temple’s mission and strategic priorities.

“This is a wonderful moment to celebrate and mark your first official day and to recognize your inclusion as a member of the Temple community,” Mandel said.

Philadelphia, he said, is known for many firsts, such as the nation’s first library, first fire company and the first hospital.

The U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence were also debated and written in the city, Mandel reminded the incoming freshman. He also urged students to use education to make the world a better place.

He encouraged students to meet the “extraordinary people seated right next to” them.

Ray Epstein, a senior at Temple and incoming president of Student Government, said new students will ask themselves many questions during their tenure like she did, such as should I change my major, or who am I?

“This is the place where you will discover who you are,” Epstein said.

Students will be able to draw upon a network of 370,000 Temple alumni to help them with any questions they have.

Also, they can choose to join some 450 student organizations and, if none of them are appealing, she said that they create their own.

The 5,000 new students represent a 30% increase from previous year’s class, according to Temple.

Out of state students make up about 45% of the new class, which is the largest percentage in school history.