Lackawanna College - Dr. Jill Murray A Year of Milestones It's been a year of growth, in- novation and collaboration at Lackawanna College. Among the College's milestones, I reached a milestone of my own: celebrat- ing five years as President and Chief Innovation Officer. A lot can happen in five years. We successfully navigated a global pandemic, enhanced virtual learning modalities, assisted over 2,000 students to graduation, welcomed five new cohorts of traditional undergrads to our campus, successfully completed a merger with Peirce College, grown into Division II (PSAC) athletics, added master's degrees to our portfolio and launched three new trade schools across our great Commonwealth (with more to come)! Lackawanna College continues to transform our community and the 8,000 students we're proud to serve each year. We've implemented impactful commu- nity programs like our Level Up career-focused pathway for high school students, expanded our reach into more communities in Pennsylvania, and reaffirmed Lackawanna College as a "Best Place to Work in PA" for 10 years in a row and a "Great Place to Work" in the country for the last three years. As I reflect on these short five years as President, I'm proud of the great accomplishments we've made and the strides we've taken at Lackawanna to meet students where they are. But what truly stands out to me from the past five years is the change I've seen develop across the higher educa- tion industry. Institutions of all sizes face a convergence of unprecedented challenges from declining enrollment and rising operat- ing costs to regulatory changes and scrutiny. But perhaps the toughest challenge we face is that the very value of higher educa- tion is increasingly being called into question. With the cost of post-secondary education today, just having a degree is no longer enough to offset the burden of student loans that come with hefty interest rates. The ROI is less tangible, and students have become more intentional about what schools they attend and what programs they pursue. This shift in student and com- munity needs has motivated us at Lackawanna College to continue to be a place where students of all backgrounds, ages and goals can find a footing and a pathway to a brighter future. A Life-Minded Approach to Higher Education At Lackawanna College, we have always responded to our students' needs and the needs of the communities we serve. We view education as a resource for life - we're always there at any point of someone's journey as an avenue to achieve higher economic or social fulfillment, whether that's embarking on a whole new field or a simple career pivot. Lackawanna College is built for this new reality, with a life-mind- ed approach to higher education that allows us to adapt, evolve and transform in tandem with our students and community. Through our Life-minded Model, we are shifting the traditional mode of higher education into one that works for all of us, with a core focus on three key areas: strategic pathways, purposeful partnerships and hyper-local progress. We are committed to pursuing meaningful growth that is centered on the needs of our current and future students as well as our communities. We continue to leverage partnerships in our communities to create opportunities for our students and staff that drive meaningful results. And we proactively seek programming in new industries that are growing in our com- munities. We know that life is always changing for our students and our communities, and at Lacka- wanna, we want to be here to say "yes" to their shifting goals and dreams. We believe that everyone deserves a fulfilling life and career, and higher education has a duty to help make that possible. In 2025, we announced a handful of new initiatives that are helping us bring this life-minded vision to life. Investing in Community Needs We are always looking for ways that we can make an impact in our community by creating pathways in fields that offer ca- reers right here in Pennsylvania. This year, we invested further in critical industries including technology and trade work. We broke ground at the site of our new Center for Technology Innovation (CTI) in Scranton that is slated to open for the fall 2026 semester. The CTI answers a critical need in northeastern Pennsylvania and across the Commonwealth for skilled work- ers in fields including cyberse- curity, automotive, robotics and communications technology. The location will offer undergraduate degree programs and corporate training, as well as short term, stackable certificates, helping to build a thriving workforce that will support the industrial eco- system of our communities. We also announced the opening of three new satellite centers for trade programs in Bethlehem, Chambersburg and Greensburg, expanding access to the College's technical education and manu- facturing programs in communi- ties throughout southern and western Pennsylvania. We're seeing a high demand for skilled trade workers across the Commonwealth, and these cen- ters will help create a pipeline of skilled graduates for employers across the region. Creating More Pathways for Students As students look for new ways to obtain degrees, Lackawanna College has sought out strategic partnerships that can help us provide as many pathways as possible for our students. In 2024, we announced our merger with Peirce College, and this year, we began the full integra- tion process. This collabora- tion has allowed us to broaden our presence from northeast Pennsylvania to Philadelphia and online, and to add pathways for students to obtain master's degrees and even more industry- certified certificates with us. The more pathways we can offer our students, the more successful they will be, and the more suc- cessful our communities will be in return. We're equally focused on creat- ing more opportunities when it comes to student life and activi- ties at Lackawanna College. We announced this year that we have been invited to join the Pennsyl- vania State Athletic Conference, an NCAA Division II conference. This is an incredible opportunity for our students, as we transition from a two-year to four-year athletics program, providing student-athletes the ability to complete a bachelor's degree while competing at an elite level of collegiate sports. These accom- plishments and new pathways are a direct result of Lackawanna College's life-minded model. Continued Momentum in 2026 As I look back on 2025, it has become crystal clear that students today need flexibility. At Lackawanna College, we see it as our duty to meet them where they are and help them get to where they want to go - whether that means offering adult learn- ing programs, certificates, online degrees, or simply just making it easier for students to change their path without having to start over. As we head into 2026, I'm excited to build on our momen- tum at Lackawanna College and continue to discover innovative ways to make the higher educa- tion experience more accessible and rewarding for our communities. Lackawanna College - Dr. Jill Murray A Year of Milestones It's been a year of growth , in- novation and collaboration at Lackawanna College . Among the College's milestones , I reached a milestone of my own : celebrat- ing five years as President and Chief Innovation Officer . A lot can happen in five years . We successfully navigated a global pandemic , enhanced virtual learning modalities , assisted over 2,000 students to graduation , welcomed five new cohorts of traditional undergrads to our campus , successfully completed a merger with Peirce College , grown into Division II ( PSAC ) athletics , added master's degrees to our portfolio and launched three new trade schools across our great Commonwealth ( with more to come ) ! Lackawanna College continues to transform our community and the 8,000 students we're proud to serve each year . We've implemented impactful commu- nity programs like our Level Up career - focused pathway for high school students , expanded our reach into more communities in Pennsylvania , and reaffirmed Lackawanna College as a " Best Place to Work in PA " for 10 years in a row and a " Great Place to Work " in the country for the last three years . As I reflect on these short five years as President , I'm proud of the great accomplishments we've made and the strides we've taken at Lackawanna to meet students where they are . But what truly stands out to me from the past five years is the change I've seen develop across the higher educa- tion industry . Institutions of all sizes face a convergence of unprecedented challenges from declining enrollment and rising operat- ing costs to regulatory changes and scrutiny . But perhaps the toughest challenge we face is that the very value of higher educa- tion is increasingly being called into question . With the cost of post - secondary education today , just having a degree is no longer enough to offset the burden of student loans that come with hefty interest rates . The ROI is less tangible , and students have become more intentional about what schools they attend and what programs they pursue . This shift in student and com- munity needs has motivated us at Lackawanna College to continue to be a place where students of all backgrounds , ages and goals can find a footing and a pathway to a brighter future . A Life - Minded Approach to Higher Education At Lackawanna College , we have always responded to our students ' needs and the needs of the communities we serve . We view education as a resource for life - we're always there at any point of someone's journey as an avenue to achieve higher economic or social fulfillment , whether that's embarking on a whole new field or a simple career pivot . Lackawanna College is built for this new reality , with a life - mind- ed approach to higher education that allows us to adapt , evolve and transform in tandem with our students and community . Through our Life - minded Model , we are shifting the traditional mode of higher education into one that works for all of us , with a core focus on three key areas : strategic pathways , purposeful partnerships and hyper - local progress . We are committed to pursuing meaningful growth that is centered on the needs of our current and future students as well as our communities . We continue to leverage partnerships in our communities to create opportunities for our students and staff that drive meaningful results . And we proactively seek programming in new industries that are growing in our com- munities . We know that life is always changing for our students and our communities , and at Lacka- wanna , we want to be here to say " yes " to their shifting goals and dreams . We believe that everyone deserves a fulfilling life and career , and higher education has a duty to help make that possible . In 2025 , we announced a handful of new initiatives that are helping us bring this life - minded vision to life . Investing in Community Needs We are always looking for ways that we can make an impact in our community by creating pathways in fields that offer ca- reers right here in Pennsylvania . This year , we invested further in critical industries including technology and trade work . We broke ground at the site of our new Center for Technology Innovation ( CTI ) in Scranton that is slated to open for the fall 2026 semester . The CTI answers a critical need in northeastern Pennsylvania and across the Commonwealth for skilled work- ers in fields including cyberse- curity , automotive , robotics and communications technology . The location will offer undergraduate degree programs and corporate training , as well as short term , stackable certificates , helping to build a thriving workforce that will support the industrial eco- system of our communities . We also announced the opening of three new satellite centers for trade programs in Bethlehem , Chambersburg and Greensburg , expanding access to the College's technical education and manu- facturing programs in communi- ties throughout southern and western Pennsylvania . We're seeing a high demand for skilled trade workers across the Commonwealth , and these cen- ters will help create a pipeline of skilled graduates for employers across the region . Creating More Pathways for Students As students look for new ways to obtain degrees , Lackawanna College has sought out strategic partnerships that can help us provide as many pathways as possible for our students . In 2024 , we announced our merger with Peirce College , and this year , we began the full integra- tion process . This collabora- tion has allowed us to broaden our presence from northeast Pennsylvania to Philadelphia and online , and to add pathways for students to obtain master's degrees and even more industry- certified certificates with us . The more pathways we can offer our students , the more successful they will be , and the more suc- cessful our communities will be in return . We're equally focused on creat- ing more opportunities when it comes to student life and activi- ties at Lackawanna College . We announced this year that we have been invited to join the Pennsyl- vania State Athletic Conference , an NCAA Division II conference . This is an incredible opportunity for our students , as we transition from a two - year to four - year athletics program , providing student - athletes the ability to complete a bachelor's degree while competing at an elite level of collegiate sports . These accom- plishments and new pathways are a direct result of Lackawanna College's life - minded model . Continued Momentum in 2026 As I look back on 2025 , it has become crystal clear that students today need flexibility . At Lackawanna College , we see it as our duty to meet them where they are and help them get to where they want to go - whether that means offering adult learn- ing programs , certificates , online degrees , or simply just making it easier for students to change their path without having to start over . As we head into 2026 , I'm excited to build on our momen- tum at Lackawanna College and continue to discover innovative ways to make the higher educa- tion experience more accessible and rewarding for our communities .