Going the distance

You may know I’m an avid cyclist. In warmer weather, I may even be maniacal about it.

Few things are quite as invigorating, liberating, even therapeutic as a 50- or 60-mile bike ride along the winding country roads of Central PA. While it can be exhausting, I always feel a sense of accomplishment when I return home.

Five months—and many bike rides—into my job as chancellor, I am more passionate than ever about being here and about the future of public higher education in Pennsylvania. As you may know, System Redesign Phase 2 is well underway as we transform the State System to serve our students and the Commonwealth far into the future. In support of that effort, Gov. Wolf reaffirmed his commitment to our universities during his recent budget address—proposing a $7 million increase for the State System. Given the economic challenges Pennsylvania continues to face, we are grateful that the Governor continues to see our state-owned universities as one of his priorities.

This time of year, the State System is required to provide to the General Assembly our own appropriations request. This process affords an opportunity to take a critical look at ourselves, to think together with legislators about our future, and to analytically make the case for public investment in higher education. I have embraced that opportunity, much as I embraced the opportunity to visit our universities last fall. I am meeting with legislators, individually, in small groups, and—of course—with the House and Senate appropriations committees to lay out where we are and where we are going, all while listening to their concerns and their questions.

Here’s a thumbnail sketch of what I am learning.

I sense among our legislators a real and genuine commitment to public higher education and to the State System. Everyone I have spoken to wants to see us succeed. Everyone I have spoken to recognizes the unique role our 14 universities play in their communities and in providing affordable, high-quality, and career-relevant educational pathways. And—just as I experienced during my university visits—so many legislators I’ve met refer fondly to their own time at one of our universities or to the experiences of a parent, sibling, or child.

There is also real concern that the State System has spoken about—but has yet demonstrated progress on—four issues that are well known: 1) aligning our costs with our enrollments; 2) relieving the financial pressures on our students; 3) finding sustainable solutions to the financial and other challenges facing our low-enrolled universities; and 4) holding ourselves accountable—through our strategies, budgets, and performance—to measurable student success and university success goals.

Our work in service to the people of this Commonwealth is conducted in partnership with the state. To make real and lasting progress, we must work side-by-side. If done right, that will result in a stronger, more sustainable university system that can serve as a foundation of success for all Pennsylvanians. In doing so, we reaffirm our commitment to the Commonwealth—our commitment to providing students with access to high-value, in-demand programs that prepare them to meet Pennsylvania’s employment needs, as well as prepare them for successful lives as contributing, responsible citizens.

In that partnership, right now, the ball is in our court. And, with it, we must not only demonstrate that we understand the challenges we face, but that we are willing—together—to make the tough trade-off decisions necessary to address them.

At the recent House Appropriations Committee hearing, Chairman Saylor summarized this when he said:

We all have great pride in the schools that we go to…[but] until PASSHE restores its integrity with the general assembly, I think there’ll continue to be struggles. It’s not that we don’t love our schools that we came from…but it really comes down to accountability.

Okay. Game on. Saddle up. Let’s ride.

I face this task of transforming our system—restoring the public trust—with the same intensity, drive, and determination as a century (100-mile) bike ride. Yes, this is going to be a tough, sometimes grueling ride. But the payoff—measured in terms of the students and the communities that we serve—is the opportunity to not only survive but to thrive as the great public system of this Commonwealth. That is worth riding for, long and hard. I’m ready to go the distance.

Who’s with me?