Advancing transformational, mentorship-centered higher education
May 2026 – The LearningWell Coalition is pleased to welcome Drew University as its newest member. Drew joins through its newly-launched college, an ambitious initiative designed to reimagine higher education around human connection, purpose, and lifelong learning.
Founded in 1867, Drew University has a long history of innovation in teaching and learning. Its new college builds on that tradition with a model that places mentoring relationships, applied learning, and student purpose at the center of the educational experience.
This approach reflects a growing recognition that student flourishing depends not only on academic achievement, but also on the development of identity, belonging, agency, and purpose. Drew’s model brings these elements together in a cohort-based, experiential environment where students work closely with faculty mentors to tackle complex problems while exploring and articulating their sense of purpose.
Drew’s first prototype cohort, launched in January 2026, offers an intensive, mentor-guided experience focused on two core elements: developing real-world problem-solving capabilities and cultivating a sense of personal mission. Students then use this foundation to design individualized learning pathways for the remainder of their undergraduate experience.
This work is part of a broader vision to create a flexible, mentorship-driven learning model that extends across a 60-year learning journey, supporting individuals as they adapt to changing personal and professional landscapes over time.
“Drew’s future success depends on the success of our transformational innovation work, just as the entire higher education sector depends on embracing the transformational work and thinking the Coalition is doing and promoting,” said Hilary L. Link, President of Drew University. “I believe there is no more important thinking and doing for our sector, and I am grateful for the opportunity for Drew to be part of the LearningWell Coalition’s urgently-needed transformational and essential work.”
As a member of the LearningWell Coalition, Drew will both contribute to and benefit from a national network of institutions advancing evidence-based, learner-centered approaches that prepare students to flourish in work and in life.
“We are excited to welcome Drew University into the Coalition at such an important moment in the university’s history,” said Keith W. Buffinton, Executive Director of the LearningWell Coalition. “Their new college represents exactly the kind of bold, learner-centered innovation the Coalition seeks to advance, grounded in strong relationships, real-world learning, and a deep commitment to student flourishing.”
About the LearningWell Coalition
The LearningWell Coalition is a national network of colleges and universities committed to transforming higher education so every student is prepared to flourish in work and in life. Through research, collaboration, and the sharing of best practices, the Coalition advances approaches that foster lifelong wellbeing, purpose, and engagement.
About Drew University
Drew University, a Phi Beta Kappa liberal arts university, includes the College of Liberal Arts, the Drew Theological School, and the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies. Drew is located on a beautiful, wooded campus in Madison, New Jersey, a thriving small town close to New York City. It has a total enrollment of more than 2,200 students and has 143 full-time faculty members, 98 percent of whom hold the terminal degree in their field. The Theological and Caspersen schools offer master’s and doctoral degrees, and the College confers BA and BS degrees in 40 disciplines, and offers 69 minors, 17 Dual-Degree programs, and seven New York Semesters.
