Abstract
The lasting sense of connection that a graduate feels for his or her alma mater is often rooted in those especially memorable aspects of the college experience--the times spent bonding with friends and faculty, practicing and playing on athletic teams, collaborating with professors on research, and serving as leaders in student government. Such fond memories may enrich the graduate's life, both personally and professionally, but do they really reflect the achievement of an institution's mission? Author Devorah Lieberman, president of the University of LaVerne, writes that at La Verne, they hope to give students more than "fond" memories. They want to ensure that all receive a high-quality education and are well prepared to meet the needs of twenty-first-century employers. Yet, variables such as campus geography and student demographics can present challenges to meeting these goals. Spread across eleven campuses and distributed among more than seventy different academic majors, the University of La Verne's approximately 8,700 students reflect the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of Southern California. Approximately 40 percent of the students are Latino, 9 percent are African American, 6 percent are Asian, and 50 percent are the first in their families to attend college. Faculty and administrators at La Verne asked themselves how can they ensure that all students can benefit from a consistent pedagogical approach. Ultimately this question resulted in the La Verne Experience launched in 2012, and this signature program is the cornerstone of the university's new long term strategic vision for every student.