Philadelphia’s Peirce College has been at the forefront of online education for the last 10 years and enrolls a higher percentage of students from Pennsylvania than most other private schools throughout the state.
Still, the school, which offers bachelor’s and associate degree programs in Business Administration, Information Technology and Paralegal Studies, battles a perception problem. Prior to 1997, Peirce was a two-year junior college, and that history remains a hurdle for James Mergiotti, the school’s new president.
Mergiotti, however, has been with Pierce since 1988–first as a college trustee and for the last nine years as COO–and knows all too well the school’s challenges and its plan to overcome them.
“The real issue for me right now is getting the region more acquainted with Peirce,” says Mergiotti, who replaced Dr. Arthur J. Lendo, who retired after 18 years on June 30. “I like saying we’re a hidden gem, but part of me doesnt like saying that. I want us to be less hidden.”
Mergiotti believes the school’s strategic plan for the future will uncover Peirce. Since 2000, Peirce has renovated “every inch” at the school and its final phase includes a nearly $3 million makeover for its library that will make it a state-of-the-art, green facility by next summer.
Peirce is also expanding its curriculum. It is studying new courses and programs that will match up with the forecasts for job growth in the region, including health care, business and financial services. Peirce will also introduce its first graduate programs within the next three years and plans on expanding its services for alumni, from continuing education to career counseling.
Considering 73 percent of Peirce graduates are Pennsylvania residents, the 2,600-student school’s plans should make an impact on the state’s economic landscape.
“Our students tend to stay here after graduation,” says Mergiotti. “We’re not importing our talent to other states.”
Source: James Mergiotti, Peirce College
Writer: Joe Petrucci