Alverno CollegeAcademics Summary

Written by Katy Kujala-Korpela

Katy Kujala-Korpela

Hometown

Wisconsin

Major

History/Political Science

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Everyone wants students to succeed at Alverno. Professors want students to call them by their first names and will often give out their personal email addresses or home phone numbers. In fact, countless professors say that they feel they are learning from their students just as much as their students are learning from them. Professors at Alverno understand that life happens and are often more than happy to assist students or make other accommodations. However, the professors at Alverno also have high expectations for their students, and the level of everyone's work is challenging. Having an exceptional academic system is what Alverno stands for. Students come to the College as an alternative to the large lecture halls and faceless crowds that are par for the course at many other universities. Coming to Alverno is an investment in not only yourself, but also in the community. Students who graduate from Alverno are prepared with not only the knowledge of the material, but also the interpersonal skills to take them far in their careers.

Alverno is a little different than a "traditional" college. It does not have a standard grading system, and there are quite a few students that are coming back to college after 20 years. Overall, the College makes an extra effort to help female students prepare for their careers. A benefit to not having a traditional grading system is that students are not placed on a scale according to what grades other students are getting—there are no bell curves here! Students can focus on their own progress, instead of comparing themselves to their friends.