Alvernia College Names New Director of Financial Aid

Alvernia College announces the promotion of Rachel Gordon to the new Director of Financial Aid. Rachel’s promotion to Director follows a year in which she assumed increasing responsibilities due to the Director position being vacant since last July. Rachel previously served as the Assistant Director since 2003.  Bill Spelman of Spelman Executive Search conducted a national search for this position. Rachel emerged from numerous national candidates to become the Director.
 
Many of you know Rachel as the leader who took Alvernia from an “unpleasant” 2006 summer to building a strong team of talented professional staff that has normal operations throughout. This dramatic change in customer service and the emerging model of student financial planning has shaped the future for this critical student service area of the institution.  Her ability to communicate, motivate, and engage the enrollment staffs in both undergraduate and graduate admissions division has been widely recognized and admired. Rachel has also been invaluable this year in leading the Financial Aid team through automating the award packaging system so that all student packages are processed in less than 48 hours.  This is almost unheard of in the higher education industry.

Rachel Gordon now joins Jeff Dittman, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, and Joan Lewis, Dean of Graduate and Continuing Education as Alvernia’s leaders of the core Enrollment Management team. This team headed up by John McCloskey, Associate Vice President, is poised to begin implementing an integrated enrollment management model for Alvernia.

Alvernia is also pleased to announce that the Office Financial Aid will be changing its name to the Office of Student Financial Planning. This name change will reflect the new model of service that transcends awarding financial aid to our students to a broader perspective of financial planning.  This is evident with new offices, new evening hours, staffing the satellite campuses, collaboration within the institution, and an emphasis on external engagement with the community. Rachel Gordon will be the new leader to continue advancing this planning and service model as she now assumes responsibility as the Director of Student Financial Planning.