Page 49 - MLT December

CHASING
Saint Joseph’s University is vying for students—and an identity—in an ever-changing collegiate landscape that includes its high-profile Catholic counterpart down the road. The Hawks aren’t the only ones.
By Michael Bradley Photographs by Tessa Marie Images
the
CATS
As president of Saint Joseph’s University, Mark Reed could hardly be blamed for focusing all of his attention on its City Avenue campus. But Reed is by no means a myopic man. Though he spent much
of his professional career away from
the area, he grew up in Montgomery County, went to St. Joseph’s Prep and is quite familiar with the crowded Catholic collegiate landscape in our region.
So, while his primary focus is obviously Saint Joe’s, he can’t help but see the university in a greater context. And these days, that can be a little scary.
As tuition costs rise, and state schools become more enticing options for college-bound students and their sticker-shocked families, the glut of Catholic institutions suggests a coming shakeout that could lead to mergers
or closings.
continued on page 84
www.mainlinetoday.com | December 2019 47