3 min read April 2022 — The nation’s oldest HBCU, Cheyney University has been a stalwart and highly respected institution of higher education since 1837. In an interview with Invest:, President Aaron Walton discussed takeaways during the pandemic, changes in enrollment, the future of higher education, affordability and the outlook for Cheyney University.
For an institution that has been around since 1837, what have been some highlights and takeaways from this unprecedented period?
The main takeaway is that we must be versatile to move quickly in a changing environment. The ability to adapt has been important. We went virtual for a long period, but as soon as we got the green light we went back to face-to-face. Most of our classes are held in the classroom and we work very closely with the faculty to keep them and our students safe. The pandemic has changed our perspective on how we approach things. However, we missed the closeness that in-person interaction brings. We were able to pivot and use virtual platforms but it slowed some processes down. We did discover one thing: the types of businesses that we are engaging with are pandemic-proof because they continued to operate even during the pandemic.
How has the pandemic affected enrollment in comparison to pre-pandemic numbers?
Our enrollment has continued to grow slightly. The pandemic did affect us because many students decided to take a gap year and didn’t enroll. Overall, though, enrollment for the past two years has shown an increase. We were able to mitigate some of the impacts of the pandemic with our hybrid and boutique models. We have been able to grow our bioscience and technology programs. In 2017, our STEM enrollment was about 8%; this past year, it increased to 25%. We are expecting it to reach 30% over the next two years. We are attracting specific students who want to experience the programs we have available, as we are one of the only places where they can get these degree programs and internships that we offer through our on-campus partners.
What are some of the most in-demand professional skills in the region?
As part of the Recharge and Recover initiative by the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, we have identified eight main sectors in the Philadelphia region, including education, technology and several others. We convened with industry leaders to understand what their needs would be and the potential shortages in terms of labor, supply and demand. We have kept a steady focus on the discussions we had because we were able to identify the skill gaps. Education needs to be adaptable because traditional four-year degrees don’t fulfill the needs of some of the jobs in the region. We are beginning our first cybersecurity cohort with nontraditional students. These are adult learners who are being reskilled to meet the needs of the industry. We are looking at the macro-credentials that are necessary to fulfill the current demand.
How do you see the emergence of certifications in comparison to traditional programs?
I think we will see a blend. There will always be the need for traditional programs, as some professions require this type of education. However, it is equally important to address the skill gaps and the jobs that require other forms of training. Where there was a focus on four-year degrees, the pandemic has taught us to be adaptive. The landscape has changed. We have to intentionally look at the needs of our community and reshape what we are doing to meet the demands. If we don’t respond to it, rather than react to it, we’ll be left behind.
How do you envision the future of higher education?
At Cheyney, we are creating a model that is focused on the education environment, which is a nontraditional model. I believe that a lot of things that we are doing are replicable in the educational arena. To adapt to a changing environment, one driven by your ability to sustain yourself, we must move away from the current financing sources and contribute additional revenue opportunities. We are trying to position Cheyney to create an endowment based on relationships and business, our emerging model, instead of tuition and state appropriation.
We are developing a boutique arrangement, which allows us to better challenge ourselves instead of competing with other universities. We want to manage our growth and provide a first-class educational experience for our students. Over the next three to five years, we will increase our student body from 650 to a maximum of 1,000. We are looking to grow yet maintain a size that allows us to provide multiple opportunities for our students.
What actions have been taken toward affordability?
There is no question that cost is an important factor. Even though the state system offers a low-cost model, many of our students struggle with tuition costs. Many of the students we attract are PELL-eligible. We’ve undertaken several initiatives; for example, last year, we invested a portion of money we received from the American Rescue Plan to pay off the balances of all students from March 2020 through December 2021. In many cases, this made the difference in students being able to continue matriculation. We are not unique in the sense that we weren’t the only academic institution to do so, but it was an important initiative. We felt an obligation to share the money we had received with the students, and we want to continue to provide scholarships. We are first in scholarship assistance to our students among the top 25 HBCU’s. We want to continue to be able to provide as much support to our students from a financial perspective as we can.
What is the outlook for Cheyney University over the next two to three years?
The outlook is to stay the course. There is no question that many of the partners we want to move to our campus were slowed by the pandemic. We are in talks with several organizations to move onto the campus to create a biotech hub to support the Chester County region. We work closely with the Chester County Economic Development Corporation; we will continue this strategy as we are trying to solidify the relationships we have with different entities.
We are in a changing environment, and we are not sure what the new normal will look like. We must remain flexible enough to take advantage of opportunities. We are positioning the university so no matter what happens, the university can sustain itself.
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