This week on The Upswing, Jeff Sherman welcomes Alverno College President Christy Brown for an honest, personal conversation about the future of higher education in greater Milwaukee – and the future of the college on Milwaukee’s southwest side.
Brown says Alverno’s focus is not limited to the time students spend in the classroom. The college is equally focused on what happens after graduation: ensuring students are prepared to contribute from day one. Employers such as Northwestern Mutual and ManpowerGroup are not only represented on Alverno’s board, she said, but are also among the largest employers of its graduates.
“We help supply leaders and drivers in our community.”
Brown discusses Alverno’s push to build students’ AI-related communication and problem-solving skills, while also teaching them to question the technology and use it responsibly. That balance reflects the college’s longstanding practice of adapting to the needs of its students and the moment.
Since the 1970s, Alverno has used a no-traditional-grades, ability-based learning model – an approach Brown says remains an effective way to measure student growth and success. The college is also working to help students rebuild skills that may have been disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When you come to Alverno, you will have a distinctive learning experience that prepares you for the world.”
Brown also shares her personal commitment to advancing women in leadership, shaped in part by her previous role as CEO of Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast. If she had a magic wand, she says, she would eliminate poverty and the barriers that keep people from succeeding. Access to higher education, she believes, is a vital part of that work.
The conversation also covers Alverno’s move into the NCAA Division III Coast to Coast Athletic Conference. Student-athletes, Brown notes, are an important part of the roughly 15% to 20% of students who live on campus.
On Alverno’s financial challenges, Brown says the college is becoming more efficient while investing in technology, online programs, and digital teaching tools designed to strengthen its long-term sustainability.
Alverno continues to deepen its local partnerships as well. It became the first private college to establish a direct-admit program with Milwaukee Public Schools and has similar relationships with other area districts. Its newest partnership is with Curally, the Brookfield-based nurse-led employee health and care-coaching company, reflecting continued student interest in health care careers.
“Success is achieving what you desire,” Brown concludes.
The Upswing is presented by Horicon Bank.
