Point Park University has launched an ambitious strategic plan that, among other goals, wants to see an enrollment jump of up to 30% at the downtown Pittsburgh school by 2030.
Other hefty goals include the creation of six new academic programs, six new sports teams, a downtown Community Events Center and a campus veterans’ resource center.
Point Park President Chris Brussalis, who officially took the school’s helm in July, hopes the plan will be “transformational.”
“We have six major initiatives, and they’re all set up to help us fulfill our mission and achieve our vision,” Mr. Brussalis told the Post-Gazette in an interview last week. “We’re all about inspiring imagination and creativity through experiential learning — that’s our sweet spot — in order to advance society.”
Those six initiatives, which the plan is structured around, are program excellence, student experience, community engagement, growth, advancement and capacity. Point Park’s board of trustees approved the plan, dubbed Pioneer Vision 2030, at a meeting last week.
With the plan officially underway, here’s what university officials would like to see at the school in the next seven years.
Enrollment goals amid a years-long downturn
Despite facing numerous years of enrollment declines, Point Park officials are confident that, through Pioneer Vision 2030, they can increase overall campus enrollment by up to 30%.
The campus enrolled 3,299 students in fall 2023. If the school’s goals come to fruition, it could enroll nearly 1,000 more students by 2030.
The university envisions this goal would largely be accomplished by boosting enrollment at its Conservatory of Performing Arts up to 30% by fall 2024. Mr. Brussalis touted the Conservatory as a nationally renowned institution with a waitlist.
School leaders also want to increase transfer student enrollment by 15% in the next two years, which, per the plan, would be accomplished by creating “innovative transfer-friendly policies and processes.”
And by 2030, school officials want to see a 10% bump in both athletic enrollment and enrollment of students within a five-hour radius of Pittsburgh. The former would in part be accomplished by adding six new varsity sports teams to the university’s roster: men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s lacrosse, and men’s and women’s wrestling.
Meanwhile, regional enrollment numbers could be boosted by expanding Point Park’s targeted recruitment region and encouraging students to tour the downtown campus, said Marlin W. Collingwood, Point Park’s vice president of enrollment management and marketing. Point Park started those efforts this year and has already seen success: Campus visits are up 20%.
“Reaching new markets, talking about coming to visit and actually experience what our campus is like downtown, and talking about that city educational experience that we give students — I think it's already starting to make a difference and we're very optimistic,” Mr. Collingwood said.
But those enrollment goals come as many private universities across the country, including Point Park, see enrollment downturns, and northeastern states face population declines.
Between fall 2018 and fall 2022, Point Park’s enrollment dropped nearly 20%, from 4,099 students to 3,288.
This fall, enrollment is up slightly — by less than 1% — compared to 2022 numbers.
Mr. Brussalis acknowledged these hurdles, but expressed confidence that the university’s strategy will lead to success.
“It’s a challenge, particularly regionally,” he said. “That’s why we’re developing this strategy and leaning into our strengths that are already very successful.”
Mr. Collingwood said he believes the university’s enrollment goals will take “focus and work.” He hopes that expanding the school’s recruitment region will draw more students in.
“There are not enough graduating high school seniors two hours around Pittsburgh for us to be able to reach these goals,” he said. “There are students well outside of that two-hour area that I believe are going to have a real interest in learning more about Point Park and hopefully visiting and applying.”
Academic endeavors
As Point Park aims to draw more students in, it also wants to give these students new academic opportunities.
The university plans to develop at least one new, in-demand program at each of its six schools: the Conservatory, Rowland School of Business, School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Communication, School of Education, and School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Mr. Brussalis did not specify what types of programs could be created.
Point Park also wants to develop a signature program in each of its five non-Conservatory schools that would correspond with the Conservatory’s expertise. For example, an existing minor in theatrical engineering blends the Conservatory’s disciplines with the university’s Department of Natural Sciences and Engineering.
This deep dive into the school’s academics will involve identifying programs for “reinvention or discontinuation.” If programs are discontinued, Mr. Brussalis indicated he does not envision faculty layoffs.
“We’re trying to grow the university,” Mr. Brussalis said. “To grow the university, we need all hands on deck … I’ve always had a philosophy during my career that it’s very difficult to cut your way to prosperity.”
In addition to examining the areas of study that students can pursue, the university also plans to bolster how these students learn. Mr. Brussalis repeatedly brought up the school’s experiential learning efforts that give students hands-on learning opportunities outside of the classroom.
Point Park plans to continue bolstering these efforts, with a goal of tripling co-op opportunities and quadrupling internship opportunities. The school also intends to revise degrees to allow students to use co-ops and internships to fulfill graduation requirements.
Mr. Brussalis called the school’s experiential learning efforts the “differentiator” that makes Point Park stand out compared to other universities.
“We think that we are one of the few universities that really [does] a great job of walking the talk around experiential learning,” the president said. “We firmly believe that adults learn best by doing.”
Campus and community involvement
Other efforts to support students in the next seven years will include the creation of the veterans’ resource center, a University Welcome Center and a “one-stop” Student Services Center that will house the university’s student success center, registrar’s office and financial aid hub.
Additionally, university officials plan to continue bolstering their relationship with the Pittsburgh region through the downtown construction of mixed-generational housing and a Community Events Center. Point Park also has plans to develop more partnerships with area schools.
The plan also outlines alumni outreach efforts and strategies to bolster fundraising.
School officials are now preparing for execution of the lengthy plan. Seven years from now, Mr. Brussalis hopes that the plan helps the school “fulfill its mission.”
He hopes to see Point Park as “one of the most dynamic urban universities in America,” he said.
First Published: October 30, 2023, 7:00 p.m.
Updated: October 31, 2023, 3:00 a.m.