Alvernia University, Penske Partnership Brings MBA Program to Penske Headquarters

READING, PA--Oct. 10, 2013: Starting in October, Penske associates will have a very convenient way to earn a graduate degree. The same faculty who teach in Alvernia's MBA program on main campus will offer classes on location, at the Penske global headquarters in Reading.

Penske employees who enroll in this program start classes on October 23, 2013. Classes will meet once a week and students are generally expected to complete the program in three years. The program follows a cohort model; students start collectively and graduate together.

While Penske spends millions on training each year for the company's 18,300 global associates, and has a long history of promoting educational opportunities to their associates, this is the first time they have partnered with a university to bring classes directly to their associates.

"Every year we host an education fair at our headquarters where we invite all colleges in the area to attend, and our associates bring in their families to explore their school options," said Ken Hurley, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Penske Truck Leasing. "I would call this relationship with Alvernia another progression of our training efforts."

According to Hurley, Penske has had a relationship with Alvernia for a number of years and has quite a few associates who earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Alvernia — "so this partnership is simply an evolution of that relationship."

Penske associates who enroll in this program will receive a discounted tuition rate.

Alvernia has previously offered its MBA program on locations at other area companies such as Carpenter Technology Corporation, First Energy, Godiva, and The Reading Hospital and Medical Center. Its business faculty also conducts leadership and training seminars in the workplace to help managers learn skills to enhance their productivity and performance.

"We really believe that partnerships like this are important for professionals in the community," said Daria LaTorre, Dean of Graduate and Adult Education at Alvernia. "If we can make it easier for Penske employees to gain a career advantage with minimal impact on their busy lives, then it's well worth the effort."