Paul Taylor, President, Saint Vincent College

In an interview with Invest:, Father Paul Taylor, president of Saint Vincent College, discussed the institution’s regional and global influence, and emphasized its role in fostering cultural and educational exchange. He also highlighted the college’s commitment to balancing modern academic programs with traditional liberal arts to develop well-rounded thinkers. “We are engaging the best of these emerging fields while maintaining the foundation necessary for a bright, critical thinker to engage the world and have a successful and meaningful life,” he said.

How do you assess Saint Vincent’s overall economic and cultural impact on the region?

Saint Vincent is a regional, national, and international institution that has monks, faculty, and students from around the world, and yet most of them are from our region here. It is important that we maintain an international perspective so that our students have the opportunity to learn about the entire world.

We are a strong destination for cultural, sporting, and educational events. A survey done a few years ago showed the number of guests who come to visit Saint Vincent totals 294,000 per year. People come from all over to be a part of our campus and to visit. That is important to us, both because our mission and Benedictine values are built on hospitality and community, and because it shows how Saint Vincent and our region mutually support each other economically. 

How we welcome our guests and the quality of events they experience also matter. We strive to make every experience the best we possibly can so that the welcome and engagement with our guests is at the highest level.

What have been some of the significant milestones and achievements for the college over the past year?

We provide an education that is not swayed by fads. Our strong mission and Benedictine stability mean that people can trust us to deliver the highest possible quality according to the needs around us. For instance, we recently established new majors and expanded existing academic programs in nursing, engineering, aviation management, data science, business data analytics, and cybersecurity because those are what is needed by our society and our world. Yet, we refuse to eliminate the most crucial, centuries-old, tried-and-true humanities, liberal arts, philosophy, and theology programs that are so important for critical thinking among our students.

Additionally, we engage the world positively with growth that is based on centuries of stability, allowing us to provide the best possible service to our students. In both our students and our faculty, we are attracting the best of these emerging fields while maintaining the foundation necessary for a bright, critical thinker to have a successful and meaningful life. That is what is important to us.

We are also very grateful for the many people and organizations that support us. With their help, we will soon have three new buildings under construction: the Dunlap Family Athletic and Recreation Center, Rhodora and John Donahue Hall for our nursing program, and a project to expand our library and media center. With the help of our alumni and friends, we continually strive to provide opportunities for our students to grow.

What makes Western Pennsylvania’s academic environment different from other parts of the country?

There are many colleges and universities throughout Pennsylvania, and there are many independent colleges and universities in southwestern Pennsylvania. This reflects the broader landscape across the state, so there are many choices for students. What is important about all these institutions, including Saint Vincent, is that each has a unique mission and approaches student engagement differently. At Saint Vincent, we believe in the strength of our stability, community, and academic quality. Students will appreciate what they can find here amid the choices available in our region.

We believe the quality of education and the combination of our academic majors with a strong core curriculum in the humanities are critically important for student success. As we look at the region and higher education as a sector, we believe Saint Vincent stands out among others because of our unique mission and the way we care for our students.

As a faith-based institution, how are you integrating Catholic identity into the student experience and institutional mission?

In faith, religion seeks the truth, and in education, study and the scientific methods also seek the truth. Because both faith and reason seek the truth, their purposes and goals cannot be in conflict. At Saint Vincent, we ensure faith and reason walk hand in hand with our students, guiding them in their pursuit of truth.

We encourage them to ask every possible question, even questions they never thought they would ask, and to keep working toward the truth: the truth about their academic subject, the world, themselves, and God. Discovering all the good things before them is the truth that matters.

Are there specific partnerships with regional employers or new collaborations that enhance career readiness and experiential learning?

Saint Vincent College engages numerous partnerships that benefit our students, faculty, and community. These collaborations are mutually beneficial. For example, our long-standing partnership with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have held their annual summer training camp on our campus since 1966, has positively impacted the region economically and culturally. We also partner with the city of Latrobe and surrounding areas for economic development, employment, and student engagement. Additionally, I am proud of our new partnership with Pepperdine University. They approached us due to our strong programs in political science, public policy, and business. This partnership allows our students to more easily pursue master’s degrees at a top-ranked national university in Pepperdine University, broadening their perspectives.

Our international partnerships, including those with Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan, Sogang University in South Korea, and monasteries worldwide, connect our community globally, advancing education and society for both our students and the world around them.

What is your outlook for higher education in the region, and what are Saint Vincent’s top priorities for the next few years?

We will continue to push back against the idea that liberal arts are not valuable. On the contrary, liberal arts prepare students for better jobs and advancement, due to skills in reading, writing, communication, and critical thinking. Misconceptions in media and public opinion can hurt students’ choices, but Saint Vincent College stays focused on its core purpose.

The higher education landscape is changing, and institutions face many challenges. Colleges swayed by trends risk instability, which is why a strong mission is essential, l and we will continue to work together to overcome these challenges. The higher education sector is best served when institutions clearly articulate their mission, educational value, and student outcomes. At Saint Vincent, we believe our community, degree programs, and holistic education provide students with successful careers and meaningful lives.