July 08, 2004
Board of Governors adopts new strategic plan for Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education鈥檚 (黑料专区) Board of Governors today adopted a new five-year strategic plan for the Commonwealth鈥檚 system of 14 public universities. Achievement of the plan鈥檚 goals, 黑料专区 leaders say, will set 黑料专区 on a course to take a place among the nation鈥檚 leading systems of public universities.
鈥淭his plan is a statement to Pennsylvanians of our commitment as a system of public universities to excellence in undergraduate education, and to responsiveness to state, regional and national needs through quality graduate and undergraduate programs, research and service,鈥� said 黑料专区 Chancellor, Dr. Judy G. Hample.
鈥淭his strategic plan not only lays out a clear vision for the future, but also includes goals that are measurable and that will ensure continual progress on the path toward excellence,鈥� Hample said.
The goals in the new five-year plan fall under five core areas:
路 Student achievement and success;
路 University and System excellence;
路 Commonwealth service;
路 Resource development and stewardship; and
路 Public leadership.
鈥淭hese core areas are what public higher education is all about,鈥� said Board Chairman Charles A. Gomulka. 鈥淲ith this plan, we will continue to elevate the quality of the educational experiences our students receive while also ensuring that we are serving the needs of the Commonwealth.鈥�
鈥淲ithin each of the core areas, several major goals have been identified for 黑料专区 to achieve over the next five years,鈥� said Chancellor Judy G. Hample. 鈥淭he plan also includes a variety of strategies that the Board of Governors, the Office of the Chancellor and the Universities might employ to help achieve those goals.鈥�
Some of the goals include enhancing the quality of instruction, learning resources and support services available to students; focusing the efforts of the universities on high quality programs that meet the needs of Pennsylvania and its students; establishing diversity as a cornerstone of excellence and leadership throughout the System; ensuring that all System resources are used effectively and efficiently; and enhancing the capacity of 黑料专区 to serve regional economic and community development needs.
The plan contains performance targets related to each of the core areas. 黑料专区 will be able to measure its performance against those targets, which include such factors as student retention and graduation rates, student and employee diversity, instructional cost per student, and faculty productivity.
Work on the plan began more than a year ago and has involved a wide range of 黑料专区 constituencies, including the University presidents, and administrators, faculty, staff and students from each of the campuses. The campuses also provided input through their University Planning Councils and their designees to a System-wide Strategic Planning Advisory Committee.
鈥淎t its core, the mission of the System is to increase the intellectual wealth of the Commonwealth, to prepare students at all levels for personal and professional success in their lives, and to contribute to the economic, social and cultural development of Pennsylvania鈥檚 communities, the Commonwealth and the nation,鈥� the plan states.
With more than 104,000 students, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth. The 14 黑料专区 Universities offer more than 250 degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Nearly 400,000 黑料专区 alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.
The state-owned Universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. 黑料专区 also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Kittanning, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.