President's Message

(l. to r.): Dr. John J. "Ski" Sygielski, HACC President; Daisy Mendez ’24; Dr. James M. MacLaren, LVC President

Dear LVC Community,

In September, I was thrilled to announce that Lebanon Valley College has its largest student body in its 158-year history. Our small-but-mighty-undergraduate population topped 1,650 full-time students, and our graduate students now number more than 400. These students chose LVC for many of the same reasons alumni have always chosen The Valley: its kind, genuine, close-knit community where students make the most of their academic, career preparation, and campus life opportunities, and faculty and staff make it their personal mission to help students achieve their dreams.

We won’t stop here. We want even more talented students to experience the high-quality, challenging-yet-nurturing education for which LVC is known.

Community college students, in particular, often seek out opportunities to attain four-year degrees, yet they encounter barriers such as credit acceptance, financial aid, and navigating the often-complex systems of higher education. In fact, 80 percent of community college students indicate they want a baccalaureate degree, yet only 33 percent transfer to a four-year institution, and only 16 percent ultimately graduate with a baccalaureate degree.*

LVC is committed to easing the transfer process. We have begun in partnership with Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC), the largest community college in Pennsylvania, and then intend to extend to other community colleges. A dedicated transfer coach, cross-trained in admissions, student life, and academic affairs, will provide individualized support when a student first enrolls in community college. This approach will empower transfer students to succeed as they prepare for meaningful careers while attaining their baccalaureate and/or master’s degrees. We will identify clearly defined program pathways focusing on regional employment needs and student demand. The defined pathways will allow us to specify course sequences at HACC and LVC and provide opportunities for faculty and students in the HACC and LVC programs to collaborate.

The impact of this work will begin at the micro level with individual HACC students who enroll at LVC, and it will ripple out to the macro level, to other community colleges and transfer students beyond HACC. We intend for LVC to build a model that other institutions can embrace, so that community college students can access the educational opportunities they deserve.

Go Valley!

James M. MacLaren, M.A., Ph.D. President of Lebanon Valley College

*LaViolet and Fresquez, Tracking Transfer: New Research on Transfer Student Outcomes