January 11, 2016

Season 2 of ‘Infinite Opportunities’ to premiere January 17th

Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu

Harrisburg – “Infinite Opportunities,” a half-hour, public affairs program featuring Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education universities, will premiere for its second season at 9:30 a.m., Sunday, on the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN).
In its inaugural season, the program introduced viewers to the 14 State System universities and the broad array of academic programs they offer. The new season will delve even deeper into the many opportunities Pennsylvania’s public universities provide.
“In the second season, we will go more in-depth, providing viewers the opportunity every week to learn even more about the programs and services the universities offer, not just to our more than 100,000 students, but to all of the residents of the Commonwealth,” said State System Chancellor Frank T. Brogan, who regularly serves as the program’s moderator.
The first episode in the new season will focus on honors programs offered by four of the State System universities—Cheyney, Edinboro, Lock Haven and Shippensburg. It also will feature interviews with Sarah Latch, an honors student at Shippensburg University, and Marie Conley, vice chair of the State System’s Board of Governors and an alumna of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.
“I have been involved with the State System since I was a student at Bloomsburg,” said Ms. Conley, who previously served on the Council of Trustees at her alma mater and has been a member of the Board of Governors since 2003. “My education and degree from Bloomsburg was a springboard to a successful career.
“The opportunities students have at any of the State System universities to prepare themselves for their own success throughout their lives truly are limitless. ‘Infinite Opportunities’ gives each of the institutions a forum to showcase all they have to offer students and the people of the Commonwealth.”
The second episode of Season 2, which will air Jan. 24, will examine international programs offered by Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, Millersville and West Chester universities. Chancellor Brogan will kick off the episode with a discussion on international education with Dr. Kirsten Bookmiller, professor of government and political affairs and international studies and director of the Center for Disaster Research and Education’s Global Partnerships Initiative at Millersville University of Pennsylvania.
Additional topics to be covered during the second season will include athletics, online learning, service learning, liberal arts, internships, health and wellness, diversity, alumni success, economic impact, supporting higher education and succeeding in college. The season will conclude with 14 university-specific episodes.
For the complete Season 2 schedule, or to view episodes from Season 1, go to www.passhe.edu/infiniteopportunities.
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, with about 107,000 degree-seeking students and thousands more who are enrolled 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.