Bryn Mawr’s founding commitment to academic excellence is at the core of the College’s identity. The College is dedicated to the support of a full range of liberal arts disciplines, the scholar-teacher model, and an engaging undergraduate experience that prepares women for long-term success.
President Cassidy's vision centers on support of a world-class, diverse faculty whose research advances knowledge and informs dynamic teaching. Bryn Mawr is measured among the top liberal arts colleges for its support of research and percentage of faculty receiving prestigious awards.
She advocates for the importance and expansion of undergraduate research and other high-impact educational practices that engage students in higher level study and complex problem-solving. The College offers numerous opportunities to achieve an advanced degree at the College or with partner institutions, and substantial funding for summer research projects. Bryn Mawr is consistently rated among the top 10 liberal arts colleges in its percentage of students who choose to pursue advanced degrees.
Curricular innovation has been a hallmark of her work as both provost and president. In collaboration with faculty colleagues, she has led development of a rich array of educational experiences that integrate rigorous coursework and complex problem solving in settings in and beyond the classroom, including 360° course clusters and the Praxis program (within Bryn Mawr's Leadership, Innovation, and Liberal Arts Center), as well as new majors and minors.