Mission Statement
Guided by Franciscan values and the ideal of “knowledge joined with love,” and rooted in the Catholic and liberal arts traditions, Alvernia is a rigorous, caring, and inclusive learning community committed to academic excellence and to being and fostering:
- broadly educated, life-long learners
- reflective professionals and engaged citizens
- ethical leaders with moral courage
To Learn, To Love, To Serve
Vision Statement
To Be a Distinctive Franciscan University, Committed to Personal and Social Transformation, Through Integrated, Community-Based, Inclusive, and Ethical Learning:
Integrated Learning - combining liberal arts and professional education, and blending rigorous inquiry, practical experience and personal reflection in the classroom, on campus, and in society;
Community-Based Learning - engaging the local, regional and global communities as partners in education and service;
Inclusive Learning - welcoming people of diverse beliefs and backgrounds; responsive to the educational needs of recent high school graduates, working adults and established professionals, and senior citizens; respectful and self- critical in our dialogue about differences in values and perspectives;
Ethical Learning - challenging individuals to be values-based leaders by developing habits of the mind, habits of the heart, and habits of the soul
Institutional Heritage
The heritage of ALVERNIA UNIVERSITY and its foundational Franciscan values can be traced to the growth of three religious orders who owe their origin to the preaching of St. Francis of Assisi - the Friars Minor, the Poor Clares, and the “Third Order” which has two distinct branches: a secular order for the laity, and a regular order for women and men living an evangelical life with religious vows. The Bernardine Franciscan sisters, founders, and sponsors of Alvernia University are members of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.
In the thirteenth century, the growth of the Franciscan Order was enriched by a desire for learning among the first friars and early Franciscan scholars, including the earliest Franciscan theologian, St. Anthony of Padua, followed by St. Bonaventure and Blessed John Duns Scotus, long associated with the great medieval universities of Paris and Oxford. The early Franciscans easily recognized the need to provide sound training in philosophy and theology for the growing members of the rapidly expanding Order; from this awareness developed the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition, founded on the spirituality and vision of Francis and Clare of Assisi. A distinguishing trait of this tradition, making it singularly different from other great western religious traditions, is the intellectual view described by Saint and scholar Bonaventure as “knowledge joined with love.” Franciscan education recognizes the importance of love complementing understanding and learning, and the primacy of works-oriented active love that gives the intellectual life a practical context for implementation.
Alvernia University reflects the visionary leadership and uncommon perseverance of its founding president, Sister Mary Zygmunta Froncek, and the dedicated religious and lay faculty who laid the groundwork for academic excellence, intellectual curiosity, and learning linked with charity, service, and social justice. As pioneers in the field of Catholic education, the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters were part of the 20th century movement in the Catholic Church to serve the poor and immigrant populations in America by founding and staffing schools and hospitals throughout the U.S. Their inclusive embrace positioned the congregation to serve beyond the needs of the Polish settlements, anticipating Alvernia’s present-day outreach to the growing Latino community in Reading. On the campus of Mt. Alvernia, the sisters opened an orphanage and a high school housed in Francis Hall. As the Order grew and the education of its members became a priority, the congregation founded a liberal arts college for women religious in 1958, graduating its first class of four sisters in 1961. With the increase in lay enrollment and expansion of academic offerings, it received final accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in November 1967.
Within a few decades, paralleling the history of the early Franciscan movement in Italy, the college grew beyond the original three educational buildings to an expanding campus with additional professional programs to complement a strong liberal arts core. Alvernia’s founding mission provided the opportunity to develop new programs such as nursing, business, allied health, criminal justice, and social work. This distinctive service niche afforded the college regional recognition for liberal learning and practical application and has provided the impetus for continued dynamic growth. Since 1990, a library, physical education center, student center, science center and additional residence halls have been added to the main campus facilities to support the long-range commitment to building a strong residential learning community. At the same time, educational outreach to adult learners has expanded, including the launch of off-campus centers in Philadelphia and Pottsville, and a Seniors College, which provides life-long learning opportunities to retired citizens in Berks County.
Today, Alvernia brings together students diverse in age, background, belief, and educational interests to pursue academic excellence in a range of undergraduate, graduate, and non-degree programs, including an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program with concentrations in corporate, community and educational leadership. Across all programs, the hallmark of an Alvernia education is a conception of learning as grounded in values, connecting classroom and community, and linked to leadership and service. With the purchase of the Upland Center in 2006, Alvernia strengthened its commitment to lifelong learning and community outreach by creating a new home for graduate and adult education and launched two new initiatives: a Center for Ethics and a Center for Community Engagement, helping to incorporate the broader community into the curriculum of higher education. As we move into the second decade of the Twenty First Century, Alvernia’s CollegeTowne Initiative expands the reach and influence of the University into Downtown Reading. Heralding the Bernardine Sisters’ earliest missions to outreach and minister to the surrounding community, Alvernia seeks to expand its relationship and community partnership with our diverse local community. Rooted in the liberal arts tradition of rigorous, open inquiry, Alvernia is faithful to its Catholic identity and the vision of Pope John Paul II as expressed in Ex Corde Ecclesiae. The university “possesses [necessary] institutional autonomy … and guarantees its members academic freedom,” while the mission of Catholic higher education privileges “(a) the search for an integration of knowledge, (b) a dialogue between faith and reason, (c) an ethical concern, and (d) a theological perspective” (Ex Corde Ecclesiae, I, A, 12 and 15). Alvernia is also proud of its role as an educational resource for members of the Allentown Diocese and its active involvement in the national associations of both Catholic and Franciscan colleges and universities.
True to its Franciscan heritage and mission motto “To Learn, To Love, To Serve,” Alvernia’s Franciscan values have shaped its character and history since its founding. Service, humility, collegiality, contemplation, and peacemaking are institutional core values woven through the academic, co-curricular, and spiritual culture of Alvernia. Francis of Assisi, an agent of spiritual change in the Middle Ages, gave to the Franciscan Movement and all humanity a legacy that is timeless and universal. To be Franciscan is to respect the dignity of each human person and all creation; to be open to the world and its diversity of cultures, faiths, traditions, races, and peoples; to honor right relationships; and to seek peace through action for justice.
Core Franciscan Values
Alvernia’s mission and Franciscan identity are the source of the five Core Values: service, humility, peacemaking, contemplation, and collegiality. They are rooted in the traditional values of the Gospel even as they speak to our culture and time. They have continued throughout the centuries to inform a way of life, a view of the world, and a definition of our relationship with God and others that is perhaps more relevant in our society than ever before. At Alvernia, these values build a foundation for ethical decision-making, for curriculum development, for thoughtful reflection, and for mutually respectful personal relationships as we pursue our goals in higher education. As members of the Alvernia community, each of us can live these values and be transformed - discovering a life of meaning, purpose, and eternal promise.
The University Shield
The University Shield, rich in the symbolism of Franciscan heritage, projects the ideals and traditions of Alvernia. The apex on the lower portion of the shield represents LaVerna, the mountain where Saint Francis of Assisi received the Stigmata, or Sacred Wounds, of Christ. This mystical favor is indicated by five drops of blood arranged in the form of a cross.
The circular plate in the upper left of the shield bears the monogram of the name of Jesus, IHS. This is the symbol popularized by Saint Bernardine of Siena, the titular patron of the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters who sponsor the university.
In the upper right, the monogram of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, IHM, serves as a reminder of the Blessed Virgin, patroness of the Franciscan Order. The crown used as the crest of the shield is taken from the coat of arms of Reading, Berkshire County, England, after which the city of Reading, Pa., was named.
The torches at either side of the shield represent the ideal of service in education to which the faculty of Alvernia University is dedicated. The university colors are maroon and gold. Maroon, a deep red color, represents charity to all. Gold, the ancient symbol of royalty and strength, represents courage to uphold truth, beauty, goodness, and faith in God and country.
Finally, the banner beneath the shield proclaims, in Latin, “May Christ teach you what is yours to do.” These are the final words attributed to Francis of Assisi, spoken to his brothers shortly before he died. May they inspire all at Alvernia to fulfill this worthy mission.
Federal Policies
Nondiscrimination and Harassment in the Workplace
Alvernia University complies with all applicable federal, state, and local nondiscrimination laws in the administration of its educational programs, services, and employment relationships. We are committed to equality. Continued and responsible growth of our University results from enhancing and utilizing the abilities of all individuals to their fullest extent practicable within the framework of our environment. All employment decisions advance the principle of equal employment opportunity. In addition, personnel activities such as recruitment, interviewing, selection, promotion, training, benefits, transfers, lay-offs, demotion and discipline are administered according to good business practices, the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972, Executive Orders concerning equal employment opportunity, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regulations and guidelines, all of which require that all persons have equal employment opportunities and strictly prohibit discriminatory and harassment practices.
The participation of women and minorities in management by employment and promotion will continue to be emphasized so that they may be given the opportunity to contribute to the success of the
University. All employees of Alvernia University will continue to approach this responsibility with the sensitivity and human concern they have in the past.
The Human Resources Office is charged with the responsibility to maintain the necessary programs, records and reports to comply with all government regulations, and with the goals and objectives of our equal employment opportunity program. Any employee, student, or applicant of this University who feels that he or she has been discriminated against in employment or recruiting should contact the Human Resources Office to pursue the proper discrimination complaint procedure.
Harassment Policy
Alvernia University strives to maintain an environment where all employees and students are free from harassment. The University will not tolerate harassment of any type. No employee or student will be discriminated against or retaliated against for bringing alleged issues of harassment to the attention of
the University, and employees and students are encouraged to do so. Employees of the University are encouraged to consult with the Human Resources Department in determining if they have grounds for an EEO or sexual harassment complaint. Students are encouraged to consult the Dean of Students for assistance. These individuals have been trained in issues involving EEO and sexual harassment.
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