Unfolding Understandings: A History of the Alverno Learning Process

Early curriculum changes were described in a report written by Sister Bernarda Handrup in September 1969

1968

• New 15-member Lay Board of Trustees was chartered by the School Sisters of St. Francis (10 lay members, 5 religious)
• Sister Joel Read appointed President by Board of Trustees
• Institution-wide study authorized by Board
• Faculty Senate ratified by faculty
• Nursing Department reorganized

1969

• Board of Trustees expanded to 18 members
• Curriculum review conducted by faculty and students
• September '69, a forum for discussion between students, faculty and administration to effect beneficial changes in the Alverno learning process For more information go to the Sept. '69 page...
• The first Alverno Video: Sister Bernardin Deutsch videotaped music education student Andrea Schwellinger as she led a Christmas chorus rehearsal at Franklin High School in December 1969. The practice of videotaping each student's speaking and social interaction abilities was adopted throughout Alverno in 1973.

1970

• Research Center on Women (RCW) established  Learn more about it from the RCW History exhibit...
• Babysitting, now the Alverno Early Learning Center begun
• Career Services & Placement Office (now the Career Studio) established
• Writing across the curriculum became a requirement starting Fall 1970.

Early in the 1970-1971 school year, then president, Sister Joel Read, challenged the faculty with some critical questions:

-Kinds of questions being asked by professionals in your field?

-Department's position on these?

-Manner of dealing with these problems in general education and major?

-Anything in your field that students cannot afford to miss?

1971

• Internship Program (formerly Off Campus Experiential Learning or OCEL) initiated. Learn more about Alverno's Internship program...
• New Liberal Arts direction drafted by faculty

1971

• May 1971 Faculty Institute: 4 Outcomes are identified:  Communications, Problem Solving, Valuing, Involvement. The minutes from the meetings (a link to which is found below) provide a more detailed description especially on page 3.

• September 1-2, 1971 Faculty Institute on Women and Their Education was held.

• 1971-1972 Curriculum Committee (Administration, Faculty & Students): 4 outcomes were expanded to 8. Learn More about the creation of the abilities...

1972

• New configuration for "liberal learning" designed and "field tested" by faculty

The Academic Task Force or ATF was charged with synthesizing faculty ideas into a blueprint for curriculum. Faculty institutes and meetings during this time focused on critiquing and implementing curricular design. Here is a photo of the academic task force with the then Academic Dean, Sister Bernarda Handrup:

Back row Left to Right: Sister Georgine Loacker, Sister Austin Doherty, Jack Cooper. Front row Left to Right: Brian Nedwek, Sister Bernarda Handrup

1972

• The Student Development Office (Now Academic Advising) along with a new advising system were inaugurated.
• The Assessment process was designed with assistance from AT&T loaned executives. Learn more about the history of assessment at Alverno...

Assessment and learning for integration of content and abilities provided for all entering students

1973

• Gordon Cook, James Rodney, Nancy Moews, and Sister Celestine Schall were amongst nine total new staff members who were hired in conjunction with the launching of Alverno's new curriculum.

• New Competence-based Learning Program (now known as Ability Based Learning) was inaugurated. Alverno Today covered the launch on the front page of its September/October 1973 issue.

• The Assessment Center was established. Learn more about the establishment of the Assessment Center at Alverno...
• The “Green Bible” (the first listing of ability statements and developmental levels for all eight abilities, printed on green paper) was published in August 1973.

• FIPSE (Fund for the the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education) grant in the amount of $496,700 was awarded to Alverno College.
• A Ford Venture Grant of $120,00 was received.

1974

• Academic programs were reorganized into discipline/competence (now ability) departments
• A second article on Alverno's new curriculum appeared in the January-February 1974 issue of Alverno Today.

Assessment process, including external, continually refined. Advanced levels of abilities developed through specialization in disciplines

1975

• Alverno received national coverage in The New York Times, Fortune magazine, and The Chronicle of Higher Education.
• The first "A Day at Alverno" was held for educators to learn about Alverno's teaching methods.

1976

• Kellogg Conference Center established with Kellogg grant of $426,000. Read an Alverno Today article about it from the May/June 1976 issue.

• Center for Instructional Communication (now known as the Media Hub) was established. Learn more about the Media Hub...
• Educational Research and Evaluation (ERE) established; longitudinal study begun. Learn more about the work of Educational Research and Evaluation...
• The first edition of Liberal Learning at Alverno College was published.
• A National Invitation Education Conference, co-sponsored by FIPSE, was held at Alverno.
• Alverno celebrated its 25th anniversary of accreditation as a four-year liberal arts college.
• The Business/Management Department (now the School of Business) was established.

1977

• In May 1977, the first class that went through Alverno's Ability Based Learning Program, graduated. Read about it in this Alverno Today article from the April/May 1977 issue.

• National Institute of Education (NIE) grant of $423,978 awarded for research.
• Complete accreditation granted by North Central Association (NCA), National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), and National League of Nursing (NLN).
• Weekend College, later known as Alverno on the Weekend, was established; the first students enrolled in September.
• Communication began being offered as a major

1978

• Alverno celebrated the 25th anniversary of its location between 39th  and 43rd Streets.

1979

• Assessment at Alverno, Nursing Education at Alverno, and Valuing at Alverno were published by Alverno Publications.

1980-1981

• A dual degree program in Engineering was established between Alverno and MSOE (Milwaukee School of Engineering) in 1981. The program ended in 1996.
• Computer Science minor created.
• Humanities curriculum redesigned and integrated into academic programs.
• Instructional Services Center (ISC) established.
• Alverno Institute (now part of the Outreach & Assessment Center) was established in 1980 to support research and development by faculty. Learn more about Institute...
• The first four-year Weekend College class graduated in May 1981.
• The first annual Valuing Workshop was held.
• The second edition of Liberal Learning at Alverno College was published in 1981.

1981-1982

• Academic discipline and competence divisions were restructured.

1982-1983

• The first Educator's Newsletter was published by the faculty.
• Alverno received eight-year accreditation from the National League of Nursing.

1983-1984

• The Midwest Performance Assessment Center, sponsored by the New York Board of Regents, was established at Alverno. (It closed in 1988.)
• The seven-year longitudinal alumnae study sponsored by the national Institute of Education (NIE) to test effectiveness of ability-based education was completed in 1984. The disseminated report was applauded by the academic world. Read about it in this Alverno Magazine article from the Winter 1984 issue.

• The New York Times Selective Guide to Higher Education listed Alverno as one of the five top-ranking colleges in Wisconsin.
• Faculty created a 3-year National Critical Thinking Network funded by FIPSE.

1984-1985

• Education, Computer & Information Studies Division created.
• National Association of Secondary School Principals Assessment Center formed connection with Alverno.
• Nijenrode University in the Netherlands formed a connection with Alverno.

1985-1986

• U.S. News & World Report survey cited Alverno as a top liberal arts college.
• Professor Georgine Loacker honored by Change Magazine as national outstanding educator.

• The third edition of Liberal Learning at Alverno College was published in 1985.

1986-1987

• Alverno College began its centennial celebration.
• Maximum accreditations received from North Central Association (NCA) and National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
• Carnegie Institute for Advancement of Teaching named Alverno one of five top educational institutions in the nation in 1987.

1987-1988

• Alverno recognized in Money Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, The New York Times, and Changing Times as an educational leader.
• Business & Management became Alverno's seventh discipline division.
• The Fine Arts Division redesigned the music major.

1988-1989

• The Chronicle of Higher Education featured Alverno's method of assessing student learning and institutional effectiveness.
• The fourth edition of Liberal Learning at Alverno College was published in 1989.

1989-1990

• The college received the CAEL (Council for Adult Experiential Learning) Service Award for innovative programming and contributions to adult higher education.
• Multicultural approach incorporated into programs; student population was 18% minorities.
• The 100th commencement ceremony was held in December 1989.
• An annual survey revealed that over 90% of Alverno graduates were employed within 6 months of graduation.

1990-1991

• Alverno ranks high in U.S. News & World Report survey for the fifth time.
• The Education Division developed a new form of assessment for education majors; featured in a documentary produced by WMVS-Channel 10 and the Journal of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

1991-1992

• In order to promote better understanding of differences in all peoples, the College sponsored a semester of "World Link-Global Action." Some of the activities held that semester included playing "the World Game" on March 25, an international film festival, a World Lunch, talks and demonstrations by students who have lived and studied abroad along with the 18 international students then studying at Alverno,and artistic, musical and cultural exchanges.
• Alverno featured in The New York Times, Change Magazine, Competence & Assessment and also the Governor's Task Force Report on College Quality.
• The Education Division strengthened its collaborative efforts by sharing Alverno's outcome-based education methods with Iowa Success Network; Garfield Elementary School in Milwaukee began to implement performance-based assessment as a means to improve learning for its large minority population.
• The fifth edition of Liberal Learning at Alverno College was published in 1992.

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1992-1993

• Asian bilingual teacher certification program developed by Education Division.
• Alverno College Institute (now the Alverno Institue for Educational Outreach) was expanded to become a professional service, sharing expertise in ability-based education and performance assessment through a $400,000 grant from the Pew Charitable Trust.
• Alverno College Commission on Education in the 21st Century inaugurated.
• The College received a $257,000 grant from the Joyce Foundation to assist in the redesign of K-12 instruction practices in the Milwaukee Public Schools.

1993-1994

• Alverno cited for "measuring results that in itself motivates the faculty and sustains their interest" in The Cost of Talent by Derek Bok.
• Alverno selected as a recipient of the Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for "faculty development to enhance undergraduate teaching."
• The Alverno College Commission on Education in the 21st Century concluded its study and presented its report to the Board of Trustees.

1994-1995

• A Management Accounting Speciality was added to the Business and Management program in Weekend College.
• Alverno began to offer certificate programs in the areas of Business and Management, Professional Communication and Computer Studies. The certificates were designed to enhance the career opportunities of people with bachelor's degrees.
• A new program in Spanish Language and Cultures was introduced. The program involved the completion of an immersion experience. Completing the requirements can lead to a certifiable support area for teaching Spanish.
• Alverno was identified by Money Magazine among top 10 private commuter colleges in the country as a best buy.

1995-1996

• Alverno's first graduate program, a Master of Arts in Education, was fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and the Wisconsin State Department of Public Instruction.
• Alverno launched its first new major in Weekend College since 1977. The new major, Community Leadership and Development (now known as Community leadership), is a combination of social science and management courses.
• A new Weekday College major, International Business, was launched integrating international management theory with an understanding of how businesses operate in various intercultural settings. It included a semester abroad and an internship in an international business setting.
• Alverno's web page was launched.

1996-1997

• The MacArthur Foundation gave Alverno a grant of $750,000 over three years for its "distinctive approach to liberal arts education."
• Alverno College was honored as one of three colleges to receive a PEW Leadership Award for the Renewal of Undergraduate Education ($250,000 over three years).
• The college was cited by the Kellogg Foundation as a "Model of Institutional Transformation" ($1.5 million over three years).
• The National Science Foundation awarded Alverno College a $200,000 grant to ensure that all Alverno students demonstrate quantitative reasoning in non-mathematics/science courses beyond freshman year.
• Alverno received the maximum 10-year re-accreditation from the North Central Association.
• Collaboration with other institutions regarding developing strategies to assist the learning of intermediate students.

1997-1998

• The Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Teaching, Learning and Technology Center (now the Sister Joel Read Center) took place on October 15, 1997.
  
  

The Teaching, Learning and Technology Center (now the Sister Joel Read Center) under construction in January 1998.
 

• The campus network was completed.

1998-1999

• The grand opening of the Teaching, Learning and Technology Center (now known as the Sister Joel Read Center) was held on April 17, 1999.
• Southeastern Wisconsin Assessment Collaborative (SEWAC) grant was awarded to fund workshops focusing on K through 12th grade performance assessment.
• Alverno began offering a new Weekday College major in Environmental Science.
• A new Weekend College major Communication, Management and Technology (CMT) was approved.

1999-2000

• Alverno College ranked in the top tier of liberal arts colleges in the Midwest region as well as first in the "Campus Diversity" category in the U.S. News & World Report Year 2000 College Guide.
• The Templeton Guide: Colleges that Encourage Character Development named Alverno College one of the nation's leading colleges that encourages student character development.
• The New York Times, on New Years Day, 2000, cited Alverno College as an institution that higher education experts expect to be on the cutting edge in higher education.
• Alverno College was cited as one of the two programs in the nation for excellence in undergraduate teacher preparation in the recently published book Studies in Excellence in Teacher Education: Preparation in the Undergraduate Years, edited by Linda Darling-Hammond, Professor of Teaching and Teacher Education at Stanford University.
• The Alverno Diagnostic Digital Portfolio (DDP), a web-based electronic tool that allows a student to save and access selected key performances related to her learning as well as internships and volunteer work, was introduced in the Fall 1999 and Spring 200 terms.
• Alverno College added majors in: Global Studies, an undergraduate program; Reading Specialization in the Master of Arts in Education program; and the Master of Arts in Administrative Leadership, a training program to prepare effective principals.
• The W. K. Kellogg Foundation awarded Alverno College a two-year grant of $325,000 to continue participation in the Kellogg Network for Institutional Transformation (KNIT), a consortium of colleges and universities collaborating to strengthen higher education and mobilize its resources to address societal needs.
• Alverno College received a $1.18 million grant from the PEW Charitable Trusts to improve the use and understanding of student learning outcomes in higher education.
• Learning that Lasts, the results of two decades of longitudinal studies, was published in Spring 2000. An article announcing its publication was in the Spring 2000 issue of Alverno Magazine.

2000-2001

• Alverno College received the new U.S. Department of Education National Award for Effective Teacher Preparation for its elementary education program. Read more about it in this front page article from the March 2001 issue of Alverno Today.

• 25th Anniversary of the Workshop on Assessment-as-Learning. In celebration, this article was published in the October 2001 issue of Alverno Today.

• AERA (American Educational Research Association) Division I Outstanding Research Publication Award presented to Learning that Lasts.

2001-2002

• Publication of a report and collection of institutional practices of the PEW funded Student Learning Initiative.
• Alverno College received a prestigious Experiential Education Program of the Year award from the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE).
• Alverno freshmen and seniors participated in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) conducted by George Kuh and the Indiana State University and rank 99% better than any institution that participated in the survey.

2002-2003

• Fostering Professional Development Through Experiential Learning was published by the Alverno College Experiential Learning Committee.
• New majors were introduced into the curriculum of Weekday College: Political Science, Division of Behavioral Sciences; Marketing, Division of Business and Management.
• Sister Joel Read, celebrating her 35th year as President of Alverno College, announced her retirement from that position, effective 2003.
• The 25th Anniversary of Weekend College was celebrated.

2003

• Alverno was selected as one of twenty institutions for the Documenting Effective Educational Practices (DEEP) project by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Institute.

2004

• The United States of America Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks grants a patent to Alverno College for the Diagnostic Digital Portfolio (DDP).
• Mary J. Meehan, Ph.D., is inaugurated as President of Alverno College, the first lay president in the College's history.

2005

• Disciplines as Frameworks for Student Learning: Teaching Practice of the Disciplines was published.
• The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program was launched in Fall 2005.
• The 6th edition of Liberal Learning at Alverno College was published with a new title, Ability-Based Learning Outcomes:Teaching and Assessment at Alverno College.

2006

• In Fall 2006, Alverno began offering a Master of Business Administration.

2007

• The George Lucas Foundation named Alverno Collge one of the nation's ten leading schools for teacher education.

2008

• Alverno awarded $395,00 Joyce Foundation grant to fund education project. This brief article from the Spring 2008 edition of Alverno Magazine provides some additional information.

2009

• In October 2009, U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan "singled out Alverno College as a shining star; a school that does an exemplary job in training and preparing teachers for the classroom." Read about it in this article from the Spring/Summer 2010 issue of Alverno Magazine.

2010

• Two new specialties in the Master of Arts program were launched in Fall 2010: a Special Education Licensure-to-Masters program and a World Humanities specialization.
• Two new undergraduate minors were added to the curriculum: Asian Studies and Chinese Language and Culture. Both for weekday students.

2011

• A new specialty in the Master of Science in Nursing program: Family Nurse Practitioner was launched in Fall 2011.
• Alverno began offering a new Master of Science in Community Psychology and Counseling in Fall 2011.

2012

• Alverno College Celebrated its 125th Anniversary.

2013

• The Master of Science in Nursing program was expanded with a new Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Track in Fall 2013.
•  Alverno launched a newly-designed RN to BSN program in June 2013.
• In October 2013, a BA Completion program in Management was begun.
• On December 10, Alverno College announced a $30 million expansion and renovation project. Called Promise & Power, it was the largest in the college's history.

2014

• The end of phase 1 of the Promise & Power expansion and renovation project was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the new La Verna Commons on August 25.

2015

• Alverno completed construction on the $30 million Promise & Power expansion and renovation project, the largest in Alverno's history.
• Alexia Hall, named for School Sisters of St. Francis Foundress, Mother Alexia Hoell, opened its doors in January. Take a Virtual Tour!
• On February 8, Sister Austin Doherty former Vice President of Academic Affairs and a mother of Alverno's innovative ability based curriculum passed away. View the exhibit, Sister Austin Doherty SSSF: A life of service and education [PDF], and learn more about her.
• In June, Alverno announced a new flexible Adult Evening and Online degree program would be launched in Fall.
• A new Communication degree program that combines communication strategy with emerging technology was launched in Fall.

2016

• Dr. Mary J. Meehan, Alverno's 7th President and the first lay person to hold that title, retired in June.
• Also in June, Alverno announced the launching of two new degree programs in Fall, one in Health Education and another in Kinesiology.
• In July, Dr. Andrea Lee, IHM, began her tenure as Alverno's 8th President. 
• Alverno's first doctorate offering, a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) was anounced in October. It was launched in January 2017.

2017

• Alverno College Celebrated its 130th Anniversary.
• A new teacher licensure program for paraprofessionals was announced in May and launched in August.
• On May 25, President Emerita, Sister Joel Read passed away at the age of 91. View the exhibit, 130 Years and Counting and learn about her accomplishments as Alverno's sixth president.
• Alverno's Hispanic enrollment surpassed 25% in November and Alverno was designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education.

2018

• Alverno launched Wisconsin's first Master in Music Therapy (MMT) program in the fall of 2018.
• In July 2018 it was announced that Alverno College had partnered with the Montessori Institute of Milwaukee to create a dual licensure program that integrates a Bachelor of Arts in Education with a Montessori teacher preparation program.
• To help fill a growing need, Alverno College launched a new School Psychology graduate program in Fall.
• In September 2018 it was announced that Alverno College was awarded a $974,698 grant from the National Science Foundation to fund and support the college's New Futures in Science and Mathematics Program, which is designed to help high-achieving, low-income women graduate with a degree in a STEM discipline.

2019

• In February 2019 Alverno College and the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) established a formal partnership that streamlines the transfer process for female students who want to become social workers, allowing them to complete their associate degree in human services at MATC and transfer to Alverno to complete their Bachelor of Social Work.
• In August 2019 Alverno's partnership with Arizona-based premiere service provider Synergis Education to launch a Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.) degree and a Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing (DEMSN) degree was announced. Both programs began enrolling students in January 2020.
• To strengthen the existing collaboration in the shared goal of educating Montessori-prepared teachers, the Montessori Institute of Milwaukee  relocated to Alverno College effective September 1, 2019.

2020

• In January 2020 it was announced that Alverno College had launched two new Master of Science in Nursing programs — a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner program and a Dual Adult-Gerontology Primary and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program — both designed to educate nurse practitioners who will serve vulnerable populations.
• In mid March 2020, Alverno pivoted to virtual teaching and closed its doors to all but essential personnel as the COVID-19 Pandemic hit. Reopening began slowly in June 2020. The 2020-2021 school year was offered primarily in virtual or hybrid format  except for classes such as labs and clinicals that had to be offered face-to-face.
• Responding to a critical need in the Milwaukee area, Alverno College announced on May 12, 2020 the launch of a new substance abuse counseling certificate program which began in the fall. The program would be an area of specialization for social work majors, while non-social work students could opt to take it as a minor.
• On May 19, 2020 Alverno College announced the launching of Alverno Accelerate, an accelerated, affordable and flexible pathway to earning a bachelor's degree in three or fewer years. Designed for working adults who may be juggling a family and a career, the program is open to women and men and is offered completely online.
• The Higher Learning Commission approved the incorporation of the Columbia College of Nursing into Alverno College, and the transaction closed on June 30, 2020.
• In July it was announced that Alverno would be launching the Early Childhood Outdoor Preschool Environmental Education Program (ECOPEEP) in partnership with Milwaukee's Urban Ecology Center in the fall. It would be the first nature-based early childhood education program for urban settings in the United States.
• On September 9, 2020 it was announced that Alverno College would be partnering with the A. O. Smith Foundation to construct a greenhouse on campus, offering students an exciting new opportunity to engage in hands-on learning and explore new career paths.
• Also in September Alverno College announced that it had launched the Thea Bowman Institute for Excellence and Leadership, a program designed to serve Black women through academic and leadership programming.
• In October 2020, Alverno College was awarded a prestigious Title III grant from the U.S. Department of Education to integrate and strengthen key advising functions and to develop three new health care programs for in-demand fields.

2021

• On February 11, 2021 it was announced that Alverno College was planning to expand its nursing program to Arizona and, in August 2022, pending regulatory approvals, would open a second location dedicated to health care there.
• In October 2021, Alverno College received the 2021 Trudy W. Banta Lifetime Achievement in Assessment Award, given to national leaders in assessment work.The award has previously only been given to individuals, making Alverno the first institution to receive it. The award was presented at the 2021 Assessment Institute in Indianapolis, hosted by Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) from October 24–27. 

2022

• On March 25, a ceremonial grand opening ribbon-cutting was held at the new Nursing Education Center in Mesa, Arizona. Sister Andrea Lee, Alverno College President cut the ribbon. Classes will begin in August.
• Sister Andrea Lee, IHM, Ph.D., one of the nation’s longest-serving and accomplished college leaders, announced on April 4 that she would end her service as President of Alverno College and retire, effective June 30, 2022. Joseph Foy, Vice President of Academic Affairs at Alverno, will serve as interim president while a search committee conducts a national search for a successor.
• In June, Alverno College was selected by the Institute of International Education (IIE) to receive an IIE American Passport Project grant that will enable up to 25 Alverno students to obtain a U.S. passport and support their study abroad journeys.
• On October 11, Alverno celebrated the grand opening of its new greenhouse with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

2023

• In July, Christy L. Brown, JD began her tenure as Alverno's 9th president.