Jefferson University president sees synergy with growing health system and its insurance firm

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Thomas Jefferson University makes history as Susan C. Aldridge is named president of the Philadelphia institution — the first woman to serve in the position.

Aldridge is focusing on fostering synergy between the university, the Jefferson Health network of hospitals and its health insurance arm. She served as interim president for a year and is a former member of the university’s board of trustees from 2022 to 2023.

“Our plans are to build on this unique opportunity that we have with these three entities in order to create jobs for our students and to promote the solid academic programs that we have.”

As Thomas Jefferson University celebrates its bicentennial this year, Aldridge plans to prioritize creating jobs and building opportunities for students and the communities the institution serves.

Thomas Jefferson University — home to the Sidney Kimmel Medical College and the former Philadelphia University, renowned for its fashion-design programs — is experiencing significant growth and transformation. Since acquiring Philadelphia University in 2017, formerly known as Philadelphia College of Textiles and Sciences, the university has expanded its educational offerings and now serves approximately 8,300 students, including more than 1,000 medical students.

The university offers more than 200 academic programs across 10 colleges. And while known for health care and medicine, the institution maintains a diverse portfolio of programs.

Her appointment comes at a time of significant growth for the Jefferson Health system. In August, Jefferson finalized a merger with Lehigh Valley Health System, creating a combined entity with 32 hospitals, 700 clinics and about 65,000 employees. This expansion positions Jefferson as one of the nation’s top 15 nonprofit health systems. Already one of the city’s leading employers, Jefferson Health Plans is also part of the Jefferson enterprise.

At her inauguration Oct. 9, Aldridge laid out several goals for the university: developing a high-impact, real-world learning environment; continuing to build its digital learning tools; fostering a culture of diversity; and cultivating environmental stewardship and sustainability, along with social responsibility.

“So, for example, when we have rehabilitation for patients and rehabilitation research, we also have industrial designers and architects and individuals who can design fabrics and design devices to solve medical problems that patients have,” Aldridge said.

“We have such an innovative and creative university that we can take advantage of this portfolio of programs and my goal is to create this synergy that will help us to continue to be the innovators in the future that we have been in the past.”

Mark Greenberg, an English professor and former provost at Drexel University, says he’s known Susan Aldridge for more than a decade. He complimented her thorough understanding of the issues in higher education in modern America.

Aldridge ran Drexel University Online from 2013 to 2019, and Greenberg described her as a savvy marketer.

“It was mostly graduate students,” Greenberg said. “Susan built that business by tens of millions of dollars and she did it by knowing what’s needed, so we could develop interesting courses, to develop courses that are technologically interesting.”

Aldridge received a bachelor’s degree from Colorado Women’s College and earned a master’s degree and a PhD in public administration from the University of Colorado. She was president of the University of Maryland Global Campus from 2006 to 2012.

Aldridge said she hopes to build on the university’s track record of career placement for its students and wants to create greater access to education for its employees and the community.

She explained that Jefferson boasts a 97% placement rate for graduates who either secure jobs or pursue master’s degree programs. By comparison, the national average is about 86%.

“The university has helped create a profession-focused curriculum that ensures students are prepared for not only the jobs of today, but the jobs that haven’t been created yet,” Aldridge said.

“We also create opportunities for our students to learn about not just the singular profession that they are going into, but even in fashion, they are learning about merchandising; they are learning about business practices as well as sustainability for fabrics. We try to have a well-rounded student that graduates because that makes them much more marketable.”

She explained that Jefferson maintains relationships with community colleges to provide pathways for earning bachelor’s degrees and also permits people to work at Jefferson and receive tuition benefits.

According to Aldridge, about 47% of students at its East Falls campus are members of minority communities. The new president says she insists that the school provide opportunities for local scholars.

“We have more scholarships available for students that are entering medical school for us,” Aldridge said. “We are looking for underrepresented minority students because they are going to serve diverse communities.”