This paper should be at least 7 but no more than 10 pages, exclusive of sources and cover page. The paper should reflect careful consideration of the history and mission of a particular institutional type and should show how the interviewee’s institution “lives” their history and historical mission. While the interview should serve as the primary source for the paper, the paper should also demonstrate the use of additional sources to further understand the history, foundation, and mission of the particular institutional type. 

Below are the interview questions and answers to be included in the paper:

• How does your institution fair with meeting the needs of its student population?
  • Due to Peirce’s local alignment the needs of our student population stretch beyond the classroom into areas of food at home in security mental health joblessness and other social-economic avenues that go beyond the classroom. Peirce has struggled to provide strong services for our students to ensure that they not just have the support in the class but in life.
• What are some positive attributes of your institution?
  • A strong positive for my institution is it’s and wavered focus on adult and non-traditional learners since its inception. It’s woven into the fabric and heart of all that we do and it’s seen with all of the work and partnership that Pearce offers.
• If given the opportunity what would you change to add value to your institution?
  • If given the opportunity I believe that critical self-assessment is needed though Peirce holds a strong foothold on its mission I believe that it is overextended itself into trying to be all things for all people. I think a challenging look at the overall institution is needed to make strong choice points on what should be kept what should be enhanced and what should be shed going forward with the institution. It would be my challenge MI endeavor if given the opportunity for Peirce to take a strong look inward before doing any further looking outward.
• Outline how your institution has persevered to remain viable and relevant throughout the ups and downs of higher education. How have they “weathered the storm”?
  • Over the years my institution has weathered the storm by when believing its offering by providing choice on how students can attend, in person or online, partnering with social institutions like YearUp as well as the center for literacy and various other institutions that go beyond higher education.
• Describe the institution’s history in your own words.
  • The institution was founded on the return of Civil War veterans looking to gain useful skills that will prepare them for the workplace. Going forward Peirce college was one of the 1st institutions to admit and educate women in Grant degrees for women. We were also an early adopter of online learning for a non-profit accredited college.
• Tell me what the institution’s mission means to you.
  • The institution’s mission to me means delivering on a promise. Peirce College has a history of responding to his community by providing life-changing opportunities and that is something that I stand for.
• How do the mission and history of the institution shape your work?
  • The mission in history of institution shapes my work through the delivery of a promise to tangible and attainable credentials. Peirce College has a history of service and commitment to that service which aligns with not just our degrees but our partnerships with the community. Where a local institution with deep roots in the city of Philadelphia and have never wavered or ran from that and in these times have doubled down on that relationship to bring education and opportunity to the community that serves.
• What current challenges is the institution facing?
  • Adult and nontraditional learners were once a small niche group and a population that was overlooked by many. It has now become the main focus of universities on a global level which has caused large amounts of competition that wasn’t always there. Going forward we face obstacles in resource and market share that we have not always faced. Also, the pandemic has brought about a level of uncertainty that could bring about a loss of our identity and trying to be all things to all people and trying to bring about support and all areas of the community that we serve.
• How do you see the institution developing in the next 10 years? 
  • Over the next 10 years, I see Peirce college needing to look critically at all offerings and how they align with the mission and by jettisoning some offerings that me no longer further align. Also by increasing its collaboration with other higher Ed institutions to provide more resources into its online learning. I also see Peirce needing to take a deeper dive into his work with employers to work with them on a baseline level to not just provide credentials to employers but training and partnership on a deeper level.

https://www.peirce.edu/about-peirce

Peirce College at a Glance:

About Us

Nonprofit. Flexible. Career-focused. Exclusively for adults.

Peirce College is a senior private, nonprofit institution located in the heart of Philadelphia with approximately 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in wide range of programs that are offered online and at the school’s Center City campus.

A History of Innovation and Breaking Barriers

Peirce College was established in 1865 as Union Business College to provide career-focused education for soldiers returning from the Civil War and was one of the country’s first schools to embrace women as students.

Today, Peirce continues its tradition of serving the unique needs of working adults and employers through the ongoing evolution of its programs in business, information technology, healthcare, leadership and legal studies that provide students with academic excellence, flexibility and personalized support. In addition to taking online and on-campus courses, students can earn credit for college-level knowledge gained through years of work, professional and military training and other experiences.

Peirce is Philadelphia’s only institution of higher learning dedicated exclusively to serving adults.

https://www.peirce.edu/about-peirce/leadership-at-peirce/mission-vision

https://www.peirce.edu/about-peirce/our-history/150-year-timeline