This letter appears in the Summer/Fall 2022 issue of Alvernia Magazine. You can read the full magazine here.
鈥淵ou cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.鈥 鈥 Abraham Lincoln
Welcoming our students and families to our campus is one of my favorite things to do as president. There鈥檚 nothing quite like that fall move-in experience. There is a certain electricity in the air, an overwhelming sense of optimism, and for our first-year students (and their families) a bit of nerves that are quickly calmed by the smiling faces and helpful hands that surround them. Admittedly, it often feels more like a privilege than a responsibility.
Through the tireless efforts of our enrollment management team and our faculty and the entire Alvernia Community, we were able to welcome nearly 600 new students this fall, a new university record. Among the eclectic group are volunteer firefighters, a horse trainer, school mascots and a YouTuber. Our community-based campuses continue to grow, thanks in large part to our new and refreshed academic programs, expanded student engagement opportunities and continued growth into a regional comprehensive university. This work has caught the attention of both national and international audiences.
Our expansion has led the university to reclassification as a Professional/Doctoral University by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education. The upgraded status is a result of the implementation of the Alvernia Advantage, the University鈥檚 strategic plan, which focuses on enhancing the overall student experience and more specifically on increasing the number of professional graduate program offerings, the number of graduates annually and the university鈥檚 commitment to research. We are proud to be the only institution in the region with this designation.
In this issue, you鈥檒l find a common theme of internationalization. Today, we have over a hundred students, from 13 countries, receiving an Alvernia education and providing a global perspective for our domestic students. The student experience is being enhanced by the investment in global learning opportunities and the diversification of our campuses. The global marketplace is more connected than ever, and we are committed to providing students with world-class experiences to prepare them to enter the real world.
Midsized colleges and universities across the nation continue to face unprecedented challenges in a changing higher education landscape. To meet these challenges, we have placed a greater focus on our mission of providing technical experiential-based programs combined with a rigorous liberal arts education that immerses students in learning critical thinking, reasoning, communications, the human experience, ethics and the arts through
experiential learning. Through this commitment, we are graduating community-engaged citizens who are well-rounded individuals that can adapt to a rapidly changing world. We proudly say our graduates leave Alvernia 鈥渞eady to make a living and to make a life鈥 in the evergrowing number of communities that we so proudly serve.
Strategic partnerships and civic engagement have been the cornerstone of our success, and the support from the communities in which we serve has been overwhelming. This support was on full display in late June when the university received the largest philanthropic gift in our history from John and Maryanne Post supporting Reading CollegeTowne and the School of Engineering, ensuring Reading will have a comprehensive engineering school. To recognize the Posts鈥 generosity, the university named 401 Penn Street the John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne and named the school of engineering after Mr. Post. This gift will benefit generations of Alvernia students and will inspire others to invest in the university.
We have much to celebrate but a lot more work is ahead to continue to enhance the student experience and our communities as the two go hand-in-hand. With the stage set, we are excited for another year and are ready to embark on the second phase of the Reading CollegeTowne initiative, the opening of Pottsville CollegeTowne, new beginnings in Pittston CollegeTowne and continued progress toward realizing our vision of becoming a comprehensive, regional university. We look forward to partnering with you on bringing the Alvernia Advantage to life in the communities we serve.
Have a wonderful fall and we look forward to seeing you at homecoming!
God bless and stay safe,
John R. Loyack
President
