Salem College Rising as America’s Health Leadership College
Winston-Salem, NC (September 23, 2024) – Salem College, the oldest educational institution for women in the United States, continues to chart a new path forward that is paying dividends for the 253-year-old institution. Prior to the start of the pandemic in 2020, the college announced a plan to pursue a different approach to liberal arts education – a distinctive focus on health leadership – in an effort to differentiate Salem from other liberal arts colleges in the country.
As part of its new health leadership focus, Salem College has set itself apart by preparing students to understand the power, importance, and complexity of health in today’s society. The focus on health is broad and interdisciplinary, preparing students for a range of career paths and graduate programs. Salem recruits and graduates students who want to make the world a better, healthier, and more equitable place.
Salem’s reimagining of what a liberal arts college can be in modern society included a curriculum revamp with major revisions of the general education curriculum and 11 new academic programs to date. Salem hired eight new full-time faculty members to support the transformation and Salem’s faculty reimagined more than 75 existing courses to focus on health and leadership.
Outside the classroom, Salem’s approach to health and wellness is captured in its recently launched four-year student leadership development program, RISE, which is focused on the competencies and experiences aspiring women leaders need to be successful in health-related careers and communities. The student experience is centered around health and leadership to prepare students for a range of career paths and graduate programs that focus on building healthy communities.
To date, Salem is the only liberal arts college in the nation with an exclusive focus on health leadership and institutional leaders believe it is serving Salem well. Salem has expanded its national reach by partnering with major national corporations to offer new internships and career opportunities, created new articulation agreements with colleges and universities around the nation, and launched an annual health leadership forum, bringing some of the nation’s top women leaders to Salem’s campus to share current trends and leadership lessons in health.
Salem has experienced significant enrollment growth over the last three years including setting multiple institutional records during a challenging higher education enrollment environment. Salem experienced record-setting growth for three consecutive years in student applications and acceptances. Total undergraduate enrollment has grown, after a decade of decline, by more than 15%.
Under the leadership of Salem’s 22nd President, Dr. Summer J. McGee, a nationally recognized expert in public health, health policy and bioethics, who came to Salem specifically because of this new strategic vision for the institution, she believes Salem’s growing health leadership emphasis has provided the college with more national recruitment opportunities; especially with aspiring health leaders, which has increased geographic diversity nationally and internationally.
“What Salem has been able to accomplish in just three short years is nothing short of remarkable. We have distinguished ourselves among our liberal arts college peers as an institution that has reinvented itself to make liberal arts education relevant, compelling, and inviting for prospective students and their families with our health leadership focus,” Salem Academy and College President Dr. Summer McGee said.
“What a thrill to lead an institution forward to reinvent itself strategically while holding true to its core values and identity,” she added.
Over the last three years, increased interest in STEM and health related fields among incoming students has risen from approximately 40% prior to the transformation to an average of 70% of incoming majors. Yet, Salem College remains a place with vibrant arts and humanities programs as well.
“While the primary major of interest has shifted on the part of our incoming students, we continue to see these students wanting to take advantage of all a liberal arts education has to offer. More than 50% of Salem College students double major, often combining a STEM or health related major with one in the arts or humanities,” President McGee said.
While it is still early to assess graduation outcomes, Salem has begun to access the impact on student experience due to its focus on health by conducting a campus survey and found a successful transformation is taking place on campus. For example, 86% of students agreed that Salem College is a liberal arts college focused on health leadership and more than 70% of students expressed a medium-to-high level of understanding of Salem’s approach to health leadership – just two years into the transformation. Over 70% of students learn about health topics in classes and in their coursework, in every class or at least every week. In terms of leadership, more than 78% of students agreed they feel that their experiences at Salem College has prepared them to be a leader.
As a double major in biochemistry and health sciences, Salem College sophomore Adley Keim believes that Salem is preparing her to become a leader in health as she prepares to pursue a career as a medical oncologist.
“Salem is focused on developing each student into being a well-rounded adult. We are educated in not only our chosen major, but about the inequities and disparities within our healthcare system. Salem is sending out the next generation of health leaders who will be educated, authentic, and humble providers in their fields,” Keim said.
Building on the success of students like rising sophomore Adkley Keim, President McGee believes Salem stands out among its peers and competitors as an institution that knows who it aims to serve and who Salem wants their graduates to become. This new academic path Salem is charting forward has translated into enrollment and fundraising success.
“I hope other institutions will look at Salem’s resilience and consider it a model for an exciting future in liberal arts education,” President McGee said.
For more information about Salem College’s health leadership focus, visit salem.edu/health-leadership.
About Salem College
Salem College provides women a liberal arts education with a distinctive focus on health and leadership ensuring our graduates understand the power, importance, and complexity of health in our society. Salem College prepares students for a range of career paths to lead in making the world a better, healthier, more equitable place. Salem College is the only national liberal arts college exclusively focused on developing the health leaders of tomorrow.
News media contact
Meagan Coughlin, APR
(336) 721.2665
meagan.coughlin@salem.edu