JEFF Metaphorically, Thomas Jefferson University president Susan C. Aldridge, PhD, has an amazing vista around her: Founded in 1824 as one of the nation’s first medical schools, the first to open a clinic for the poor and in 1884 the first Textile School in the U.S., her institution enables her to view a 200-year legacy of leadership in higher education, research, clinical care and community engagement. Turning 180 degrees, Dr. Aldridge, the leader of one of the nation’s most innovative and effective institutions of profession-focused higher education, envisions Jefferson’s path forward, mapping out its opportunities and responsibilities to be a model for preparing graduates for career-long success in the dynamic, 21st century. At this historical pivot point, Jefferson today is a national doctoral research university with 10 colleges and more than 200 academic programs. It’s also a powerhouse of research discovery, translation and application, scholarship and clinical investigation. Dr. Aldridge is exactly the right leader at the right time. An accomplished higher education executive, strategist and futurist, she previously served as President of the University of Maryland Global Campus, President of Drexel University Online, and Vice Chancellor of Troy University. She was a member of the Jefferson Board of Trustees when she accepted appointment as interim president in June 2023, and was formally named president a year later. “People have asked me why I took on a university presidency at this time, when higher education is experiencing tectonic shifts that are shaking the foundations of hundreds of colleges and universities,” Dr. Aldridge says. “My answer is this: Our goal at Jefferson is to redefine ‘possible,’ and that’s exactly what’s called for in higher education today. The world desperately needs what our institutions are best-positioned to offer: New knowledge and the capacity to prepare the skilled and adaptable workforce required to apply that knowledge — enabling them to help solve complex, thorny global challenges.” A FOCUS ON THE FUTURE The post-World War II model of higher education served well for many decades, Dr. Aldridge observes, and its graduates drove extraordinary advances in the life and physical sciences, engineering, architecture, design, medicine and public health and biomedical research. “But that model is untenable in this century,” she explains. “Today, universities must be flexible and innovative, creative and courageous. We must stay aligned with society’s evolving needs — ensuring that our graduates have the kinds of knowledge, skills and personal capacities they need to succeed for decades to come.” Judging by some key metrics, Jefferson is doing just that: In the first year after earning their bachelor’s degree, 98% of Jefferson graduates are employed in their field or have been accepted to graduate school. Unlike most U.S. colleges and universities, Jefferson’s admissions are growing and it’s been launching new degree programs. Dr. Aldridge attributes its studentsuccess rates and program growth to the university’s future-focused and award-winning model for educating professionals, its commitment to pedagogical innovation that leverages both new technologies and the science of cognition and learning, and to dedicated faculty who excel in both their classrooms and their professions. Jefferson has another advantage: It’s one of the few multifaceted universities closely allied with a major academic health system and a non-profit health insurer. “The close relationship between the university, Jefferson Health and Jefferson Health Plans creates myriad opportunities for students’ hands-on engagement in professional activities and research,” Dr. Aldridge explains. “Those opportunities are not just in biomedical disciplines, they extend to students in fields ranging from industrial and textile design to arts and humanities to business and public policy.” Thomas Jefferson University is Pioneering Professions-Focused Education for a Dynamic Century
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