Introducing the 2015-2018 Peirce College Strategic Plan

Since our founding, Peirce has been committed to providing working adults with the employer-valued skills and knowledge they need to achieve workplace success and advance in their careers. As we celebrate our 150^th anniversary, we are further exemplifying that commitment with the launch of our 2015-2018 Strategic Plan.

There are many exciting developments included in the plan.  One of the most innovative is our new intra-course flexible delivery model.  Peirce has long been a pioneer in online course offerings, and, for quite some time, students have had the option of choosing online or on campus delivery on a course by course basis. This certainly gives some flexibility to students who are juggling jobs, families, and other responsibilities.  Our new flexible format will allow students to choose between in person or online attendance on a week-by-week basis.  This will provide an unprecedented level of convenience as they pursue their degrees.  The new intra-course flexible delivery option will be available for all Healthcare and Graduate programs beginning in fall 2015 and will be offered across our entire curriculum by September 2016, making Peirce the first in the region and possibly the first in the nation to offer this type of flexibility curriculum-wide.

The research findings which informed the new Strategic Plan indicated that, at times, students and alumni were required to take fewer courses per session because they were challenged to commit to eight and fifteen week course schedules while balancing personal, professional, and community obligations. To alleviate this issue and provide opportunities for students to accelerate their pace to graduation, Peirce will start offering weekend intensive classes in May 2015 that allow students to complete an entire three-credit course in only three weeks. 

Our new strategic plan also includes many other innovations that reinforce our commitment to working adult students, local businesses, and the community at large, including:

• Competency-based learning: A key plan initiative is the development of a competency based learning platform which recognizes and grants credit for competencies mastered by students outside of the classroom setting.  The platform will be introduced for selected degree programs at Peirce in 2017.  
• Expanded business partnerships: To expand our existing relationships with companies such as Comcast, Independence Blue Cross, and SEPTA, and create more value for them as well as other employers throughout the region, the plan sets a course for a more strategic approach to employer partnerships which will assist regional businesses in fulfilling their human capital development needs.
• Guidance and support: The plan calls for the transformation of the College’s support model to offer a broader range of services that are customized to provide each student with the academic, career, and life management services needed to succeed.

These new initiatives have already caused excitement in the media and have been covered by the Philadelphia Business Journal, the Chronicle of Higher Education, CBS Philly, and Fusion.

The 2015-2018 Strategic Plan underscores our vision to become the recognized higher education leader in providing adult learners a direct and customized path to employer valued skills and credentials.

If you would like to view information about the strategic plan in more detail, please visit www.peirce.edu/strategic-planning.