Last August, the Texas A&M system board of regents created a special committee to watch over the corps of cadets.
November’s regents meeting included their first conversation in public with the new corps commandant.
Retired Army general Patrick Michaelis was involved in recruiting the last four years before returning to College Station, where he was a cadet as part of the class of 1993.
With this fall’s cadet enrollment just over 2,100, Michaelis told the regents that he was confident in reaching 3,000 by the year 2030.
There are 716 freshmen cadets, which is five percent more than 2021.
One of the keys is dropping the attrition rate, which is currently 35 percent. 82 freshmen have left, compared with 135 in 2021. Seven upperclassmen have left, compared with 20 in 2021.
Michaelis says he will receive recommendations by the corps board of visitors in mid January, and after his assessment he will forward his recommendations to A&M’s president and the regents.
The commandant provided an update on the corps $400,000 dollar media and marketing campaign that began nine months ago.
Click below for comments from Patrick Michaelis during the November 11, 2022 workshop meeting of the Texas A&M system board of regents.