October 27, 2016
State System Board chair, chancellor send message to students, faculty and staff
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Harrisburg – Board of Governors Chairwoman Cynthia D. Shapira and Chancellor Frank T. Brogan today sent the following message to students, faculty, staff and friends of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education and its 14 member universities:
Dear Students, Faculty, Staff, and Friends:
A college campus is a remarkable place—a place of discovery, where people of every
background come together to learn more about the world and about each other. This
past week, we had the opportunity to learn that when people of good will find themselves
on opposite sides of an issue, we have the ability to remain civil and treat each
other with respect.
We want to thank the students who showed remarkable poise and patience during those
challenging three days. We witnessed scenes of students studying together to stay
on-track and working together to ensure a positive attitude. To the students, let
us say ‘thank you.’ You made all of us very proud.
To everyone on the campuses, we are so grateful for your contributions as we pull
together to ensure a smooth transition back to normal operations. The number one goal
is to help our students finish the semester strong. And to our faculty—who are the
heart and soul of our institutions—you are vitally important to achieving this goal.
There was a common thread to the many communications that we received over the past
few weeks. So many people—on both sides of the issue—shared personal stories of how
they, their parents, and even their grandparents were forever changed by the time
they spent at one of our 14 universities. Those stories bind us together.
As we look to the days and months ahead, let us remember that the State System and
our universities are stronger when we stand together. Let us harness the intellect,
the will, and the energy of all who know how powerfully important higher education
can be, and—together—work toward a solid future for the State System.
Sincerely,
Cynthia D. Shapira
Chairwoman, Board of Governors
Chairwoman, Board of Governors
Frank T. Brogan
Chancellor
Chancellor
The message also will be distributed via various social media.
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher
education in the Commonwealth, with more than 100,000 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.