April 25, 2018
State System leadership responds to RAND study
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Harrisburg 鈥� The interim chancellor and the chair of the Board of Governors of Pennsylvania鈥檚
State System of Higher Education offered comments today on a study of the State System
conducted by the RAND Corp. A report on the study was released during a meeting of
the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, which commissioned the review.
鈥淟et me be clear, we are unequivocally committed to the success of all 14 universities
within the State System,鈥� said Board Chairwoman Cynthia D. Shapira. 鈥淥ur 100,000 students
and our entire Commonwealth depend on having access to the high-quality, high-value
educational opportunities that our universities provide. We remain focused on that
mission as we work with everyone鈥攐n our campuses and in Harrisburg鈥攖o continue progress
on our System Redesign efforts.鈥�
The RAND study affirms much of the work conducted last year by the National Center
for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) as part of the Board鈥檚 own top-to-bottom
review of the System and its 14 universities. That effort resulted in a report presented
by NCHEMS that is guiding the State System鈥檚 redesign efforts, beginning with the
adoption by the Board last October of three priorities: ensuring student success,
leveraging university strengths and transforming the governance/leadership structure.
鈥淭he State System is focused on doing the hard work necessary to redesign itself to
be less bureaucratic and more student-focused,鈥� said Interim Chancellor Dr. Karen
M. Whitney. 鈥淭here is no instant solution. Instead, it will take intentional, persistent
and strategic change, and that is exactly what we鈥檙e doing.鈥�
As part of its redesign effort, the State System has affirmed a mission statement
focused on every student graduating in a timely manner with pathways for success;
has eliminated out-of-date and burdensome policies; and has streamlined processes
for academic program approval, facilities planning and real property acquisition and
disposal. The universities are aligning their academic programs with regional workforce
needs, and the System is working to enhance university flexibility to align and achieve
regional affordability through strategic pricing efforts and to develop a more successful
approach to collaborative procurement to capitalize on more strategic sourcing opportunities.
鈥淲ithout a doubt, we鈥檝e moved from System review to System redesign, with an eye toward
System resilience, and we welcome a continued dialogue as we work together to make
that happen,鈥� Whitney said.
While the RAND study鈥攃onducted in response to the passage of a state Senate resolution鈥攃ame
to many of the same conclusions as the NCHEMS review, the consultants from RAND also
suggested several drastic changes to the System, some of which the study states could
significantly raise the cost of tuition while at the same time limiting students鈥�
educational opportunities. The RAND study also acknowledges that there is no guarantee
the recommendations would be successful.
鈥淭his study further validates our efforts to redesign the State System to help ensure
the long-term sustainability, not only of the System, but also of each and every one
of the universities,鈥� said System spokesman Kenn Marshall. 鈥淲e do have serious concerns
about some of the recommendations included in the study because of the negative impact
they could have on students.鈥�
As such, State System leaders believe it would be ill-advised to hastily implement
drastic options that could be costly to both students and their families without providing
any real benefit.
鈥淭he State System should be given the appropriate opportunity to fully realize the
outcomes of our strategic, intentional and thoughtful System redesign efforts, which
already are showing positive results,鈥� Marshall said. 鈥淲e must keep our focus on what
really matters to students and their families鈥攁ffordability and access to relevant
academic programs. We must create additional academic opportunities鈥攏ot limit them鈥攕o
that we can continue to prepare students for success in their lives and careers.鈥�
The State System welcomes the opportunity to continue the discussion of these important
issues, which are vital not only to the future of the State System, but also to the
future of the Commonwealth.
鈥淚f we鈥檝e learned anything for certain over the last year, it is that these universities,
which individually have served students and the Commonwealth for more than a century,
are just as important today as they were when each was founded,鈥� Marshall said.