July 21, 2017
State System consultant provides final report; Board of Governors to craft action plan for the future
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Harrisburg 鈥� The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) today delivered
its final report on the strategic review of Pennsylvania鈥檚 State System of Higher
Education鈥攁 report commissioned by Chancellor Frank T. Brogan and the Board of Governors.
The NCHEMS report builds on the consultant鈥檚 public presentation to the Board of Governors
last week by providing additional information regarding each of its recommendations.
"Chancellor Brogan and the Board of Governors have demonstrated real courage and leadership
in choosing to undertake this system review鈥攍ooking at every level of the organization
and beyond," said NCHEMS President Sally Johnstone. "They recognized that decades
of mounting issues had to be addressed in a new way and have taken action to bring
them to the forefront."
鈥淲ith the final report in hand, we will be able to take a much deeper look at the
findings and recommendations as we determine the path forward for the State System,鈥�
said Board of Governors Chair Cynthia D. Shapira. 鈥淲e will review the report thoroughly
in the coming weeks and use it to help shape an action plan for the future that focuses
on students first, and ensures they continue to have access to high-quality, high-value
education that leads to a career path, at each of our 14 universities.鈥�
The report is the result of a widely inclusive process that included more than 120
meetings across the state, including sessions held on each of the State System campuses
with students, faculty, staff, alumni, business and community leaders and elected
officials. In addition, more than 800 individuals offered comments and suggestions
through the website established for the project. NCHEMS also analyzed student, program
and financial data, as well as regional and national trends in higher education and
workforce demands to provide insights and recommendations.
鈥淭he NCHEMS recommendations are rightly focused on the overall organizational challenges
facing our System鈥攊ncluding its complicated governance structure,鈥� said Ms. Shapira.
鈥淲e must tackle these foundational issues in order to ensure a strong future for our
universities. Several of the recommendations focus on issues that the board, Chancellor
Brogan and I have pointed to as critically important.鈥�
As examples, the report calls for treating the State System more like other higher
education entities rather than like a government bureaucracy鈥攖hus reducing the regulatory
burden that accompanies its status as a state agency. The report also recommends giving
the role of the chancellor鈥攕upported by the board鈥攎ore authority in the area of policymaking.
鈥淲e asked for an unvarnished, candid perspective, and we got one,鈥� Chancellor Brogan
said. 鈥淚鈥檓 fond of saying if a report has things you love and things you hate, then
you probably have a pretty good report. There are some tangible, actionable options
for the Board of Governors to pursue as it prepares for the future.
鈥淣ow that the final report is done, we can all see much more detail behind the very
good recommendations we heard last week from the NCHEMS team. The next step is to
decide which to put into action.鈥�
鈥淎fter just a brief review, it鈥檚 clear that this document pulls no punches,鈥� said
Ms. Shapira. 鈥淭hese recommendations take on decades of systemic issues that must be
addressed now. None of us can afford to ignore the hard questions, which is why we
began this process last year. I鈥檓 convinced the Board of Governors is prepared to
face those big issues head-on.鈥�
"To be clear, this report is not a criticism of board members, Chancellor Brogan,
or any individuals," said Johnstone. "Instead, it reflects our recommendations regarding
the System鈥檚 outdated processes and governance roles, structures, and traditions that
have amassed over years and years."
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.