July 17, 2017
Chancellor Frank T. Brogan to retire from State System Sept. 1
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Harrisburg 鈥� Chancellor Frank T. Brogan today announced he will retire Sept. 1 from Pennsylvania鈥檚
State System of Higher Education. The Board of Governors will name interim leadership
pending a national search for Mr. Brogan鈥檚 successor.
鈥淔rom the moment he arrived, Chancellor Brogan has shined a bright light on the challenges
facing our universities and the State System鈥攑rompting important public dialogue about
the need to do things differently,鈥� said Board of Governors chair Cynthia D. Shapira.
鈥淏ecause of his leadership, we are better positioned to make important decisions about
the future of our System.鈥�
Chancellor Brogan informed board members just prior to last week鈥檚 Board of Governors
meeting of his decision to retire.
鈥淲e are all very sad to see Frank leave, but we can鈥檛 thank him enough for leading us through some very difficult days and creating an environment for real change,鈥� said Board Vice Chair David M. Maser.
鈥淲e are all very sad to see Frank leave, but we can鈥檛 thank him enough for leading us through some very difficult days and creating an environment for real change,鈥� said Board Vice Chair David M. Maser.
The chancellor and Board of Governors last year initiated an independent, comprehensive
review of the System that resulted in a set of recommendations for the State System
to consider as it develops an action plan for the future.
鈥淭he strategic system review is perhaps the most important effort this System has
ever undertaken,鈥� said Chancellor Brogan. 鈥淚鈥檓 extremely proud of the work we鈥檝e done
to better serve students today and far into the future. This is the System鈥檚 opportunity
to make bold choices that will ensure our universities are here to meet the needs
of our current and future students and the Commonwealth for decades to come, and beyond.
鈥淲hile there is never a perfect time for a transition such as this, my family and I know we leave behind a system that is primed for the future, led by a team that is committed to making sure our students always come first.鈥�
鈥淲hile there is never a perfect time for a transition such as this, my family and I know we leave behind a system that is primed for the future, led by a team that is committed to making sure our students always come first.鈥�
Since Chancellor Brogan鈥檚 appointment in 2013, the State System has refocused its
efforts toward putting students first. Within months of his arrival, the Board of
Governors adopted a new strategic plan focused on academic excellence, student success,
financial stability and transparency. Nearly one-third of the objectives in 鈥淪trategic
Plan 2020: Rising to the Challenge鈥� already have been met鈥攖hree years ahead of schedule鈥攁nd
measurable progress has been made on the vast majority of the others.
鈥淭hough there is more work to be done, we didn鈥檛 expect to achieve so much, so quickly,鈥� Chancellor Brogan said. 鈥淓ven amid some very serious challenges, the progress we have made on these goals proves that our universities are positioning themselves to better organize around student success.鈥�
鈥淐hancellor Brogan is a tireless champion for students, and it has been my honor to serve with him,鈥� said Shaina Hilsey, student body president at California University of Pennsylvania and a member of the Board of Governors. 鈥淗e has laid the foundation for the System鈥檚 future鈥攐ne from which we, as students, will benefit for years to come.鈥�
Prior to arriving at the State System, Mr. Brogan served as chancellor of the State University System of Florida, president of Florida Atlantic University, lieutenant governor of Florida and secretary of education of Florida. He began his career as a fifth grade teacher, then served as assistant principal, principal and superintendent of the Martin County School District in Florida.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a real pleasure to work with a leader who is an educator at heart and who has worked at all levels of education,鈥� said Indiana University of Pennsylvania President Michael A. Driscoll, who also serves as the chair of the presidents鈥� council for the 14 State System universities. 鈥淔rank鈥檚 passion for students and his vision for our ability to transform their lives through education guides every decision he makes.鈥�
鈥淲e wanted a change agent when we asked Frank to come here four years ago, and we got one,鈥� said Guido M. Pichini, chair emeritus of the Board of Governors. 鈥淲hile we are all deeply sad to see him leave, we all know that鈥攂ecause of his leadership, courage, and dedication鈥攖his System is better poised for success than when he arrived.鈥�
鈥淎s a long-time university trustee, I want to thank Chancellor Brogan for fostering true respect for the role of the local campus voice in the important decisions that the System makes,鈥� said Board Vice Chair Harold Shields, who also serves on Edinboro University鈥檚 Council of Trustees and as president of the Pennsylvania Association of Councils of Trustees. 鈥淭he PACT organization and I personally thank Chancellor Brogan for his strong support and his candid sharing of system issues with us. He has carved a pathway for us to follow into the future鈥攐ne that will help us better serve students for years to come.鈥�
Among the accomplishments achieved during Chancellor Brogan鈥檚 tenure, the State System:
鈥orked with the Governor and General Assembly to increase public investment in the State System for the past three legislative sessions鈥攔esulting in the first new state funding in seven years;
鈥淭hough there is more work to be done, we didn鈥檛 expect to achieve so much, so quickly,鈥� Chancellor Brogan said. 鈥淓ven amid some very serious challenges, the progress we have made on these goals proves that our universities are positioning themselves to better organize around student success.鈥�
鈥淐hancellor Brogan is a tireless champion for students, and it has been my honor to serve with him,鈥� said Shaina Hilsey, student body president at California University of Pennsylvania and a member of the Board of Governors. 鈥淗e has laid the foundation for the System鈥檚 future鈥攐ne from which we, as students, will benefit for years to come.鈥�
Prior to arriving at the State System, Mr. Brogan served as chancellor of the State University System of Florida, president of Florida Atlantic University, lieutenant governor of Florida and secretary of education of Florida. He began his career as a fifth grade teacher, then served as assistant principal, principal and superintendent of the Martin County School District in Florida.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a real pleasure to work with a leader who is an educator at heart and who has worked at all levels of education,鈥� said Indiana University of Pennsylvania President Michael A. Driscoll, who also serves as the chair of the presidents鈥� council for the 14 State System universities. 鈥淔rank鈥檚 passion for students and his vision for our ability to transform their lives through education guides every decision he makes.鈥�
鈥淲e wanted a change agent when we asked Frank to come here four years ago, and we got one,鈥� said Guido M. Pichini, chair emeritus of the Board of Governors. 鈥淲hile we are all deeply sad to see him leave, we all know that鈥攂ecause of his leadership, courage, and dedication鈥攖his System is better poised for success than when he arrived.鈥�
鈥淎s a long-time university trustee, I want to thank Chancellor Brogan for fostering true respect for the role of the local campus voice in the important decisions that the System makes,鈥� said Board Vice Chair Harold Shields, who also serves on Edinboro University鈥檚 Council of Trustees and as president of the Pennsylvania Association of Councils of Trustees. 鈥淭he PACT organization and I personally thank Chancellor Brogan for his strong support and his candid sharing of system issues with us. He has carved a pathway for us to follow into the future鈥攐ne that will help us better serve students for years to come.鈥�
Among the accomplishments achieved during Chancellor Brogan鈥檚 tenure, the State System:
鈥orked with the Governor and General Assembly to increase public investment in the State System for the past three legislative sessions鈥攔esulting in the first new state funding in seven years;
鈥mplemented a new general education policy that reaffirms the significance and value
of general education by focusing on essential student learning outcomes that ensure
students acquire and demonstrate a variety of essential skills;
鈥mplemented a transfer policy that respects prior learning experience and includes
guaranteed admission for graduates from Pennsylvania鈥檚 14 community colleges and adopted
the first system-wide reverse transfer agreement;
鈥ncreased online learning opportunities available for students at the universities
to better serve all students, especially adult learners;
鈥mplemented a supply/demand gap analysis system to assist the universities in aligning
their academic program array with the needs of students and employers in their regions,
and the Commonwealth;
鈥nhanced system-wide accountability and transparency by instituting multi-year action
plans that require the universities to outline their goals and aspirations, strategic
priorities, challenges and opportunities;
鈥mplemented a system-wide protection of minors policy that requires all System employees
to obtain criminal background checks and to receive training regarding how to detect
and report suspected abuse of minors;
鈥eveloped and instituted university financial risk dashboards that provide easy-to-use
data regarding institutional financial health and financial stability;
鈥liminated outdated or burdensome regulations and instituted new policies to encourage
local flexibility and enhance shared governance鈥攁llowing local universities to approve
new minors, certificates and letters of completion;
鈥ncreased efficiency within the Office of the Chancellor by reducing the number of
vice chancellors from five to two and reinvesting in front-line resources that better
serve the universities; and
鈥etter organized advocacy efforts across all 14 universities, resulting in three
consecutive years of increased state funding for the State System.
Pennsylvania鈥檚 State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher
education in the Commonwealth, enrolling more than 100,000 degree-seeking students
and thousands more in certificate and other career-development programs. Collectively,
the 14 universities that comprise the State System offer more than 2,300 degree and
certificate programs in more than 530 academic areas. Nearly 520,000 State System
university alumni live in Pennsylvania.
The State System universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg,
Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery
Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The universities also operate
branch campuses in Oil City (Clarion), Freeport and Punxsutawney (IUP), and Clearfield
(Lock Haven), and offer classes and programs at several regional centers, including
the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg and in Center City in Philadelphia.