The Alvernia Advantage: Our Strategic Pillars
Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s direction is guided by five strategic pillars, the enduring priorities that shape every decision, investment and initiative across the university. Rather than a fixed plan with a start and end date, these pillars represent how Alvernia operates and grows, year over year.
Together, these pillars — not a single strategic plan — are how Alvernia charts its course forward.
Franciscan Identity and Values
Our Bernardine Franciscan mission and heritage remain the foundation of everything we do, guiding how we teach, serve and build community.
- Alvernia's SOLAR: Culture of Care (Support, Opportunity, Love, Access, and Resources) is the university's unique network of services, support and opportunities that ensure students have the resources they need to succeed.
- Guided by the core Franciscan values – service, humility, peacemaking, contemplation and collegiality – Alvernia is a rigorous, caring, and inclusive learning community committed to academic excellence and to fostering ethical leaders.
- SUCCESS STORY: Alvernia's Culture of Care helped nursing major Youyi Ma '27 find a community.
Academic Experience
We deliver a rigorous, career-ready education across our three colleges, continually evolving our programs to meet student and workforce needs.
- We have a bold commitment at Alvernia: No student leaves without a transformational experiential learning opportunity.
- At the Total Experience Learning (TExpL)® Institute, learning isn’t confined to the classroom, it’s an adventure that connects knowledge to the real world.
- SUCCESS STORY: Three Â鶹¹ÙÍø mechanical engineering students turned an idea born in the classroom into an award-winning healthcare innovation, securing both a provisional patent and first place in a regional business plan competition.
Community Engagement
Through initiatives like Reading CollegeTowne and the Holleran Center, we deepen our partnerships with the communities we serve in Reading, Pottsville, Philadelphia and beyond.
- Guided by Alvernia’s core value of service, the Holleran Center for Community and Global Engagement empowers students to engage with the community through service, learning, and leadership, creating meaningful impact in Reading and beyond.
- The O'Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship is Alvernia’s transformational engine for changing the model and execution of higher education, creating public and private partnerships that develop a talent pipeline needed to aid business growth in the region.
- SUCCESS STORY: Transfer student Lilibet Perez '26 followed her mother's footsteps to Alvernia to find community and a full-time job.
Student Experience
From orientation through graduation, we invest in a supportive, personalized experience that helps every student thrive.
Stewardship
We manage our resources responsibly to ensure Alvernia’s long-term sustainability and its continued ability to serve the underserved.
- A look at sustainability at Alvernia, including the Office of Institutional Sustainability and the Bog Turtle Creek Farm, a student-supported regenerative agriculture project helps to increase access to healthy, affordable food in the City of Reading.
- Solar panels, student ambassador program herald Alvernia’s amplified focus on sustainability
- Sustainable honeybee hives unveiled at John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne
Ways to Support Alvernia
Make a Gift Online
Gifts of Stock and Securities
Call the Advancement Office at 610-796-8259 or email Associate VP of Institutional Advancement Meggan Hannigan-Kerber.
Planned Giving
while receiving tax savings and other benefits.
Hope Fund
The Hope Fund assists all students (undergraduate, graduate and adult) and families in financial need and provides the university with the flexibility and resources necessary to address student hardships as they arise.
Recent News
Academic Success Center Welcomes Record Number of Peer Tutors
46 students to serve their peers for the 2026-27 academic year
Alvernia Marks 25th Anniversary of Sept. 11 Through Service and Interfaith Remembrance
University launches new Franciscan Fridays service series and gathers faith and community leaders to honor the lives lost and legacy of service
2026 Hispanic Heritage Month at Alvernia
