Allegheny College Explores New Academic Model to Enhance Outcomes
Our partnership provides strategic insights to help refine Allegheny’s distinctive academic offerings
THE CHALLENGE:
Allegheny College, known for its unique requirement that students complete a major and a minor in distinct fields, considered an even more ambitious evolution of its academic model. The College explored replacing traditional majors with broad, interdisciplinary themes that would integrate academic and co-curricular work, aiming to better connect students' learning to real-world applications and career preparation. This bold initiative posed significant questions about its potential impact on student interest, enrollment, and market positioning.
OUR SOLUTION:
Working closely with Allegheny’s leadership, we set out to assess the market potential of the proposed Allegheny Futures concept, which would introduce contemporary, theme-based learning to enhance the liberal arts experience. Using Simulated Decision Modeling and comprehensive market research, we tested a range of innovations designed to enrich the student experience and improve the College’s ability to attract and retain students. Our research broadened the scope to include evaluating both the proposed thematic structure and other academic enhancements that might create a more personalized, relevant, and distinctive student journey.
Findings indicated that while the thematic approach did not resonate strongly with prospective students, the existing major-minor combination—when combined with an unrelated field of study—had significant appeal. Students valued a customizable, interdisciplinary experience that reflected their unique goals, supported by a robust advising system to help align academic choices with career aspirations. Thus, Allegheny opted to refine its existing academic model rather than pursue a wholesale thematic overhaul. Enhancements focused on strengthening the personalized advising system, emphasizing student-driven customization of majors and minors—expanding the number of major-minor combinations across disciplines by redefining traditional program categories— and clearly articulating the College’s distinctive educational approach to prospective students. This strategy preserved the core of Allegheny’s tradition while sharpening its market appeal and reinforcing its commitment to preparing students for life beyond college.
