So, as I approach the end of my freshman year as chancellor, I can’t think of a better way to wrap it all up than with a sequel of my own—another round of visits to our campuses. My objective is the same—to listen. I want to listen to you and to everyone who cares about our universities. Last fall I listened so I could learn from you about your hopes and dreams, about our opportunities and challenges, and about your thinking about what we should become as a system of 14 incredible universities.
In January, I integrated what I learned during my fall visits into a vision for a sharing system – a framework for our System Redesign. I wrote about that vision in my last blog describing a system that will:
• allow our students easier access to programs across the System
• double-down on retaining and graduating students
• expand educational programs that meet workforce demand and provide pathways for adult and returning students
• preserve our distinction as the high-quality, affordable higher education option for every Pennsylvanian.
During this spring’s campus visits, I want to explore that vision with you, understand more deeply how—by greater collaboration among our 14 universities—we can prepare our students for their best possible future, address our many challenges, and position our universities not only to survive but to thrive in the 21st century. What opportunities should be expanded? How do we improve the student experience? How can we keep the cost of attending a State System school affordable? How do we effectively tap the talent and creativity of our faculty and staff to support our nearly 100,000 students—students who chose to come to our universities because of the life-changing opportunities we have to offer? Those are just some of the important questions I will want to tackle head-on, while also having an opportunity take your questions and address your issues.
In this next round of campus visits, I’ll also want to dive deeper into our culture and seek to better understand how we can strengthen it. Why am I so fascinated by our culture? Because the research demonstrates what we all know: organizations aren’t great places to work with strong organizational cultures because they are high performing – they are high performing because they are great places to work with strong cultures.
As last time (as ever), I hope for and expect open, honest, and courageous conversations that will propel our System Redesign forward and build on our historic mission of providing all students—from every walk of life—access to high-quality, affordable educational experiences that open pathways to successful lives and careers.
With your help, this sequel will be a blockbuster.