After spending a recent afternoon at Alverno College, I walked away with a tremendous amount of knowledge and respect for the institution.
Technically, Alverno College is a private Roman Catholic women's college, but women of all religions – as well as all ages, ethnicities, socio-economic statuses and those who identify as non-binary – are welcome. The college also accepts male students on the Masters and PhD level.
Alverno has a long history in Milwaukee. In 1887, it was chartered as St. Joseph’s Normal School; in 1936 it became Alverno Teachers College and in 1946 it adopted its current name.
Education remains one of the main areas of study and Alverno offers education programs on both the Masters and PhD levels – but today has more than 60 majors and minors that range from STEM to fine arts. The teacher-to-student ratio is 9:1.
Alverno’s passionate and progressive faculty do not evaluate students with letter grades; instead they establish criteria for effective performance in each course. The college's approach to learning is based on 8 Abilities that strengthen skills in communication, analysis, problem solving, valuing in decision making, social interaction, developing a global perspective, effective citizenship and aesthetic engagement.
Removing letter grades from the equation also eliminates students competing against each other to focus solely on working on themselves to achieve their personal best. The educational process becomes about deep and lifelong learning rather than whether or not an A was received.
"I read a quote once that I completely agree with: education is what you remember after you graduate," says Sister Kathleen O’Brien, who is the current Provincial Coordinator at School Sisters of St. Francis and the former Senior VP of Academic Affairs at Alverno.
More than 93 percent of Alverno undergraduate students receive financial aid and it was the first college recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. One visit to Alverno confirms the diversity of students along with its dedication to growth and possibility, from the inspiring art and quotes on the walls to the classrooms in the round that promote dialogue between teacher and students rather than an “I talk, you listen” approach.
It’s evident that Alverno College is, first and foremost, dedicated to the success of women which is why they are the perfect partner for OnMilwaukee’s “The Future Is Female” series.
“We teach women to be their own best teachers,” says O'Brien.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
