Vision and Mission
91会所’s Saint Joseph’s College (MUSJC) empowers purpose-driven learners to lead, serve, and strengthen their communities. Through our Earn and Learn model - where students attend classes on campus three days a week and gain paid, mentored workplace experience two days a week - our mission is to build a future where graduates emerge both academically prepared and workforce-ready to drive lasting community impact.
Accomplishments
MUSJC is providing Access and Success by continuing to serve a high percentage of low-income, high-achieving, first-generation students by creating clear pathways to education, career advancement, and community leadership. Every student receives a laptop, textbooks, a meal plan, a parking pass, and comprehensive wraparound services designed to address basic needs and support academic and personal success.
- In 2024-2025, MUSJC increased Employer Engagement to include 56 local employer partners.
- With a focus on Academic Excellence MUSJC posted achieved high marks in academic excellence with most students posting a 3.0+ GPA, and a student retention rate of 80%.
- 74% of our students are working after their first semester.
Our staff and faculty were recently recognized:
- Career Development Professional of the Year: Jeermal Sylvester, M.B.A
- Ruth R. and Kevin G. Rodgers Award for Excellence in Student Service: Shawnna Ajeigbe, M.B.A
- LISC Building Bridges Team Impact Award: Bessie Rigakos, Ph.D. DeQuan Jones, Shawnna Ajeigbe, M.B.A, Jeermal Sylvester, M.B.A., and Kenneth Franklin, M.B.A
Challenges
MUSJC serves a student population that is overwhelmingly first-generation, low-income, and working while attending college. There are persistent barriers such as food insecurity, housing instability, lack of reliable transportation, and limited access to mental health services. While our wraparound model helps address these needs, the demand for support continues to grow as enrollment increases. Additionally, building sustainable employer partnerships that offer both meaningful work experiences and pathways to long-term employment remains a challenge. As we scale, maintaining a high-quality, personalized student experience while meeting workforce demands requires continuous investment in staffing, infrastructure, and community collaboration.
Goals and Objectives
MUSJC is focused on scaling our earn-and-learn model to serve more students while deepening the quality of both academic and workforce experiences. In Fall 2025, we aim to enroll over 50 students and expand to 60+ active employer partners, ensuring diverse, mentored placements across high-demand sectors. To support this growth, we will continue to invest in wraparound services, academic support, and career development.
Our primary goals are:
- To ensure at least 75% of students are placed in sustainable, paid earn-and-learn roles that align with high-demand industries.
- Maintain a minimum 70% retention rate among earn-and-learn participants.
- Ensure that at least 50% of students complete industry-recognized certifications while enrolled; and
- Keep curriculum aligned with employer needs and evolving workforce trends, particularly in majors like healthcare, early childhood education, business, and information technology.
Why This Matters to Marian's Mission
Marian’s mission calls us to educate transformative leaders who serve the world with integrity and compassion. MUSJC’s earn-and-learn model gives that mission tangible form: students spend three days in rigorous, values-centered classrooms and two days in paid, mentored roles that map directly to Indiana’s fastest-growing fields (healthcare, early childhood education, IT, and business). By intertwining academic formation with real-time workforce demand, we fulfill the strategic pillar of Access & Success—opening doors for low-income, first-generation students—ensuring our curriculum remains current and future-proof.
Because MUSJC students earn a wage while they learn, receive wraparound support, receive safeguards for their basic needs, and acquire industry-recognized credentials before graduation, they can sustain themselves and their families now—rather than waiting for a distant payoff. This lived experience of security and purpose embodies Marian’s Faith in Action pillar and nourishes the whole person—spiritually, intellectually, and economically. As these students thrive, they become catalysts for their communities, creating a multiplier effect of hope and opportunity that advances Marian’s strategic vision for the common good. Their success validates our call to “educate the whole person for service to the world,” demonstrating that when education, faith, and meaningful work converge, authentic human flourishing follows.