President’s Message

Vaughn College is committed to providing our 1,200 students with an unparalleled educational experience. We continue to enhance our learning environment, degree programs and resources to add value to a Vaughn education, helping to put each student on the path to individual success. Despite challenges as a result of the pandemic, students, faculty and staff all worked together to continue to provide a high-quality teaching and learning experience.

Many of the learnings from this “new normal” of education will be incorporated into future semesters. We have recently completed a yearlong strategic planning process and are continually working to deliver on our vision of providing a transformational education that creates a lifetime of opportunity for every student while building the pipeline of the workforce of tomorrow.

Why should you consider Vaughn for your higher education aspirations? Vaughn’s outcomes and the value we deliver are an important place to start.

We were ranked #1 in the nation in upward mobility in a study published in The New York Times and were the best at helping students move from the lower income brackets to the top.

This is evidence that a Vaughn degree is transformational, and our outcomes are further proof. Ninety-two percent of our graduates―76 percent in their field of study―are employed or continue their education within one year of graduation.* An early and continuous focus on career services throughout your time with us, coupled with strong academic programs, will provide you with the same success.

From our learning communities that pair diverse classes in an intersecting curriculum to our Federal Aviation Administration programs and certificates, Vaughn infuses support from industries where graduates are employed to maintain our innovative educational offerings. For example, our leading-edge bachelor of science degree in mechatronic engineering is recognized as one of only four such accredited programs in the country by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET (abet.org). Engineering graduates of this major have gone on to work on automated vehicles at Toyota, medical devices at Medtronics and avionic systems at Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky.

Vaughn is also home to one of the only master’s degrees in airport management in the Northeast via a program uniquely targeted to a growing industry and we also offer a master of business administration in aviation management to provide students with the business acumen that students want to take their next professional step.

Our campus was completely renovated in the last several years and the latest addition is a new cafeteria and student lounge opening this fall. Our labs are designed to support your learning with hands-on experiences and include a 3D printing innovation center,  $1-million, state-of-the-art flight simulator laboratory, an air traffic control laboratory and recently renovated engineering, chemistry and physics laboratories all in support of our engineering and aviation degrees. Outside the classroom, our two-story library and academic success center provide support for Vaughn students throughout their academic journey.

I was recently selected to chair the Youth Access to American Jobs in Aviation Task Force (YIATF) that was charged with addressing a workforce shortage in aviation that has touched every part of the industry. The taskforce’s recommendations, resulting from two years of work by 21 task force members was presented to the Federal Aviation Administration this year. The recommendations include initiatives to open pathways for underserved and underrepresented groups who have much to gain and give an industry that needs to capitalize on their potential. This supports the work we have been accomplishing with our students who are prepared with a Vaughn education to fulfill this shortage. The YIATF report can be found here.

Vaughn College provides its students with the resources they need to succeed here―and throughout their professional lives. I encourage you to join our community.

To see more about our vision for the future, you can access Vaughn’s strategic agenda here.

*Outcomes include data within one year of graduation for graduates who reported via survey. There were a total of 237 graduates in 2020. 178 reported an outcome for an 75% response rate. The 2020 graduate class includes September 2019, December 2019 and May 2020 graduates.