The Allegheny College Pathway

Allegheny College was founded in 1815 to provide access to transformative education in Meadville. Since then, the College has become a national leader in academic excellence with strong outcomes delivered by outstanding faculty and staff who excel as teachers and mentors. At the Board of Trustees retreat in February 2023, the Board endorsed a conceptual pathway for the College that will allow us to chart a vibrant future for Allegheny as we affirm our commitment to the liberal arts and continue evolving to meet the needs of students today and into the future.

A BOLD FUTURE

We are at a critical moment in the College’s trajectory. Institutions like Allegheny are facing increased pressures to maintain their financial stability. Institutions with limited endowments have an overdependence on tuition revenue while combating a national decline in enrollments of students attending college directly after high school. Changing student demographics, increased competition from other institutions, rising tuition costs, and concerns about the perceived value of a liberal arts education have compounded the challenges for small liberal arts colleges. The demographic declines are most prominent in the Northeast and Midwest, also the location for most small, private, primarily residential liberal arts colleges.

No one is interested in the College simply surviving another 200 years. We are building a pathway to ensure we thrive. Our overall financial strength makes us the envy of most of our peers, particularly in western Pennsylvania, northeast Ohio, and western New York. However, we cannot continue to over-rely on our healthy endowment returns to sustain day-to-day operations. We must stabilize and grow our enrollment while diversifying other revenue streams – not doing so jeopardizes a thriving and vibrant future. The internal and external factors affecting Allegheny should be viewed as opportunities to be innovative and bold in our work.

President Cole has repeatedly reminded the community that the plan for a path forward must be bold. We are designing a future for Allegheny College to thrive by having the wisdom to embrace new ideas, the courage to implement change, and the discipline to stay the course as we assess, evaluate, and continually improve our outcomes. Our future will build on our strengths and values as we show relevance for an Allegheny education with strong student outcomes into the 21st century.

STRATEGIC PATHWAY PLANNING PROCESS

The College embarked on a strategic planning process with an ambitious timeline that would be inclusive of all of Allegheny’s constituents, leading to a review and unanimous approval at the October 2023 Board meeting. While this planning work was being undertaken, progress did not slow down on critical initiatives that are moving the college forward today and will provide a foundation for future innovation.

The Hill Group, a consulting firm based in Pittsburgh with extensive experience and success guiding and implementing strategic planning in higher education and industry, facilitated the strategic process. Jordan Pallitto ’06 and Sara Longo ’11 were two members of The Hill Group team that guided the College through a cross-functional process to establish priorities for what Allegheny will accomplish in the future and to make conscious choices on what we will do and will not do. They channeled the collaborative efforts through a progression of questions.

What COULD we do?

What SHOULD we do?

What CAN we do?

And ultimately, What WILL we do?

President Cole kicked off the process in March of 2023. The Hill Group provided an extensive market analysis of primary and secondary research with qualitative and quantitative data. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and leaders within the Meadville community provided feedback through discovery meetings. Our alumni and parents were particularly engaged in this process, responding to a call for participation in surveys in May, with over 1,730 responses.

President Cole’s request for campus community volunteers to serve on strategic planning committees was met with overwhelming enthusiasm. A strategic planning steering committee was convened, and three working groups were formed and focused their strategy development on• People (Student and Employee Experience)• Programs (Curricular and Cocurricular)• Places (Campus and Meadville)

The three working groups provided a wealth of ideas to distill and build our five goals. Goals one and two build and enhance what we already do; goals three and four build new things for Allegheny; goal five is essential to most effectively achieve the other goals. Underpinning each goal is a set of strategies that will be achieved by executing operational tactics. Strategy groups are currently meeting to finalize the strategies, tactics, and measurable objectives.

OUTCOMES OF OUR STRATEGIC PATHWAY WILL ADDRESS THESE AREAS

Strengthen Market PositionRecruitment, retention, and outcome goals rooted in our educational mission.

Achieve Financial StabilityDiversified and stable revenue.

Enhance Quality of LifeAn inclusive culture where students and employees are valued and invested in our mission.'

STRATEGIC PATHWAY GOALS

GOAL 1

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND OUTCOMES

Every Allegheny student will gain high-quality knowledge, skills, and abilities rooted in the liberal arts that prepare them for meaningful lives and purposeful careers in an interconnected world.

Strategies will include strengthening existing and creating new academic programs, building career advising into academic programs, enhancing experiential learning opportunities, amplifying our interdisciplinary philosophy, and engaging alumni to advance student outcomes.

GOAL 2

ENSURE A VIBRANT AND INCLUSIVE CULTURAL EXPERIENCE

A vibrant experience and inclusive culture will be hallmarks of Allegheny for students, faculty, and staff.

Strategies will include enhancing athletic, arts, and recreational experiences, a focus on community building and school spirit, and attracting and retaining a diverse workforce.

GOAL 3

REACH A BROADER STUDENT AUDIENCE VIA INNOVATIVE DELIVERY

Allegheny will deliver educational content in new and innovative ways to reach a broader audience locally and globally.

Strategies will include building upon our undergraduate program strengths to launch graduate and non-degree programs to meet employer needs, increase access to select programs through best-in-class online experiences, and develop partnerships with other institutions to expand student opportunities.

GOAL 4

SERVING THE COMMUNITY

Allegheny will be a part of and serve the greater Meadville region.

Strategies will include establishing a Community Partnership Hub that provides scaffolded engagement between the College and Meadville, capacity building for workforce and economic development, and expanding relationships with Meadville and its diverse communities in ways that lead to community vitality.

GOAL 5

FINANCIAL STABILITY AND OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

Allegheny will be operationally excellent and financially sustainable to thrive in the future.

Strategies will include elevating the profile and distinctive brand position, growing enrollment through recruitment and retention through an inclusive excellence framework, expanding non-enrollment revenue, improving work processes for efficiencies, and ensuring all business practices are student-centered.

ALLEGHENY COLLEGE VALUES

One of the outcomes of our pathway work was developing institutional values. Many institutions have core values that both guide decision-making at the college and are a declaration of shared ideals. The values reflect themes that consistently came up throughout the process and are grounded in our history while being forward-looking.

These values are core to Allegheny and will be fundamental to all we do at the College. They will not just be words but ideals that celebrate our shared experience and shape our approach to being in community.

EXCELLENCE

We believe in the pursuit of excellence in all that we do and commit to exceeding the expectations of all members of our academic community.

INNOVATION

We believe that creativity is the source of positive change and commit to empowering those who embrace a mindset for intellectual and personal growth.

INCLUSION

We believe that diverse perspectives enrich learning, and we commit to promoting the free and respectful exchange of ideas in a setting that fosters responsibility and accountability.

COMMUNITY

We believe in the power of community and commit to nurturing lifelong relationships among students, alumni, faculty, and staff.

SUSTAINABILITY

We believe in a sustainable world for future generations and commit to this by stewarding environmental, economic, and social drivers.

THE PATHWAY FOR ALLEGHENY IS BRIGHT

because of our community’s shared commitment to honoring our over 200year history and moving boldly into the future. Our boldness will show in our wisdom to embrace new ideas, our courage to implement change, and our discipline to stay the course as we assess, evaluate, and continually improve. Allegheny College always has and will continue to stay true to our founding mission of providing access to a transformative education.

As a community of excellence, we will evolve and innovate to meet the needs of today and tomorrow. Our commitments to inclusion and sustainability ensure we will thrive for another 200 years. These values guide us today as we continue to fulfill our purpose of changing lives with transformative education.