The Tower Winter 2020 - 13

On the Move
There are times when looking ahead must be preceded by a reminiscent glance to remind us of our roots,
and planning the future of our College is one of those times. Thaddeus Stevens College's legacy centers on
generationally changing lives through its student-first approach, thanks to our esteemed founder. That vision
is embedded in everything the College does. Our past trustees, instructors, administrators, support staff,
students, and alumni have continued to bring this legacy alive in their forward-thinking, student-centered
decisions. The "Old Abolitionist" is looking down on us saying, "Job well done" helping countless
under-resourced students accomplish their hopes and dreams.

Dr. Timothy Bianchi
Interim Vice President
of Academic Affairs

Dr. William Griscom's leadership during his
23-year tenure as President of Thaddeus
Stevens College has placed the College in
a credible, strong position, not just in
Pennsylvania, but at a national level.
Recent recognition solidifies our
outstanding work, including being named
in Forbes' Top Ten two-year technical
colleges in America, and the Aspen
Institute's top ten percent of two-year
colleges in America. Further recognition
comes from the United States Department
of Education, citing the College's record
for outperforming 28 two-year benchmark
colleges in New York, Maryland, New
Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
In addition, our value proposition is
unmatched. Tuition is half the cost of
seven other leading technical colleges in
Pennsylvania, and the College's graduation
rate is three times that of peer institutions,
while student debt remains low at an
average of $10,000. All of this occurs in an
environment where 98 percent of
employers are "satisfied or very satisfied
with the College's graduates" according to
a recent survey.
Current accolades remind us of the
forward-thinking path our College has
walked and our bright future. We continue
to shape our future with our founder's
vision in mind. We are engaged in
innovative, bold strategic planning to
address current and anticipated workforce
shortages within the framework of
Thaddeus Stevens' legacy. The world of
work is ever changing and consequently
much different from the one we knew just
a few years ago. Our present enrollment is
1,300 students. We anticipate an increase
to 1,500 by 2021-2022 and 1,700 by
2023-2024. This is possible based on our

scalable, educational, and economic
model. Our economic health would not be
possible without our relationships with
government and state agency officials,
industry partners, the work of the
College's Foundation and Development
Office, community organizations and our
dedicated Alumni. With our economic
model and our valued partnerships at the
forefront of our planning framework,
anticipated new programs include
Analytical Lab Technology, Diesel
Technology, and Heavy Civil Engineering.
Additionally, increases include doubling
enrollment in Automotive Technology and
Collision Technology as part of the new
Transportation Center; and, in addition,
doubling Electro Mechanical Technology,
Computer Software Engineering
Technology, Computer Networking
Software Administration, Welding
Technology, and Electrical Construction
Maintenance.
In light of the exciting changes ahead,
particularly increasing enrollment, the
Office of Academic Affairs has added
staff, reorganizing to better plan facility
and curriculum development. Michael
DeGroft is now the Dean of Academic
Affairs, Melissa Wisniewski has been
promoted from Director of Financial Aid
to Dean of Student Enrollment Services,
and Matthew Cooper is the new
Instructional Coach.
Fulfilling the College's growth and looping
it directly back to the College's Mission is
a direct result of doing right by students.
In addition, the endogenous linkages will
strengthen Pennsylvania's skilled technical
workforce to compete in today's and
tomorrow's economy.

The Tower Winter 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Tower Winter 2020