July 14, 2016

Board of Governors approves new degree programs in urban and environmental planning, human resource management

Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu

Harrisburg – The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education today approved a new Bachelor of Science degree in urban and environmental planning and a Master of Science in human resource management, both to be offered by West Chester University of Pennsylvania.
The Bachelor of Science in urban and environmental planning was designed to prepare graduates to work as professional planners, geographic information systems (GIS) analysts, and environmental specialists and in related fields. The program will ensure students are trained with cutting-edge geospatial technologies and with a deep knowledge of local and regional sustainability concerns.
The Master of Science in human resource management will be offered online and will be targeted toward working HR professionals looking to advance their careers. It will focus on the development of core competencies in the areas of compensation and benefits, employee and labor relations, ethics, global human resources, human resource metrics, leadership and change management and workforce planning.
Both of the new degree programs will be offered beginning this fall. For more information on either of the programs, please contact the university.
The universities continually review their academic programs to ensure they line up with the educational and career-readiness needs of students and their future employers. As those needs changes, universities must adapt their program offerings.
Since June 2010, the State System universities have added 86 new academic programs; placed 141 programs into moratorium, during which no new students are accepted into the program is reviewed to determine whether it should be reinstated, reorganized or eliminated; and discontinued 189 programs.

Board recognizes NCAA champions in field hockey, swimming, diving
The Board of Governors recognized the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II national championship field hockey team from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, as well as two individual national champions.
The East Stroudsburg University field hockey team completed the 2015 season with a school record 19 wins, capturing its first-ever Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and NCAA Division II national championships. The team led all of Division II in both winning percentage and scoring margin. The Warriors defeated Merrimack College 1-0 in overtime in the championship game to win the title.
The championship marked the 22nd time in 25 years a PSAC team has won the NCAA Division II field hockey title.
Collin Vest, a junior at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, won the 3-meter dive at the NCAA swimming and diving national championships held earlier this year in Indianapolis. Vest, from Larksville, is a six-time All-American and three-time NCAA Division II national champion, having won both the 1- and 3-meter dives last year. He was named the NCAA Division II Male Diver of the Year for the second year in a row.
Victor Polyakov, a junior at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, won the 200-yard individual medley at this year’s swimming and diving championships, giving him five gold medals in five different events in three years of collegiate competition. Polyakov, who is from Taganrog, Russia, was named the PSAC Swimmer of the Year for the third straight season.
Board of Governors extends contracts of chancellor, 10 university presidents

The Board of Governors extended the contracts of Chancellor Frank T. Brogan and 10 university presidents. The extensions run through June 30, 2019.

Presidents receiving one-year extensions to their contracts were David L. Soltz, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania; Karen M. Whitney, Clarion University of Pennsylvania; Marcia G. Welsh, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania; Michael A. Driscoll, Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Kenneth S. Hawkinson, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania; Michael Fiorentino Jr., Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania; Francis L. Hendricks, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania; John M. Anderson, Millersville University of Pennsylvania; George F. “Jody” Harpster, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania; and Cheryl J. Norton, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.
Cheyney and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania are being led by interim presidents, who usually serve until a permanent president is hired and are not eligible to be considered for an extension. Two presidents, Geraldine Jones at California University of Pennsylvania, and H. Fred Walker at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, were appointed earlier this year and also were not considered for contract extensions. Both of their contracts already run through June 30, 2019.
Long-time Board member recognized
The Board recognized the long-time service of Marie Conley, who resigned from the Board in April after having served since November 2002. One of the longest-serving Board members in the System’s history, Conley was first appointed by Gov. Mark S. Schweiker and later was reappointed by both Gov. Edward G. Rendell and Gov. Tom Corbett.
“Marie’s contributions to the Board of Governors and the State System are immeasurable,” said outgoing Board Chair Guido M. Pichini. “She was a tireless advocate for students and public higher education in Pennsylvania.”
During her tenure, Conley served as Board vice chair and as chair of both the Human Resources and Academic and Student Affairs Committees and as a member of the Executive Committee. She led the development of numerous Board polices and directed the System’s efforts to align academic programming with student and Commonwealth needs. She was especially dedicated to efforts designed to help ensure campus safety, highlighted by her support for and development of the Stop it Now! initiative.
Conley also was a member of the Council of Trustees at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, her alma mater.
In addition to adopting a resolution honoring her service, the Board named Conley Governor Emerita, a recognition awarded to only three other prior Board members.
Shapira elected chair; Maser, Walton, vice chairs
The Board elected Cynthia Shapira of Pittsburgh as chair and David Maser of Philadelphia and Aaron Walton of Allison Park, vice chairs. All three will serve one-year terms.
Ms. Shapira is president of the David S. and Karen A. Shapira Foundation and a community activist. She previously was a management consultant, providing strategic management services to education and non-profit institutions. She is chair of the Greater Pittsburgh Jewish Federation and serves on the boards of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Point Park University and Brandeis University in Massachusetts.
She sits on the Governor's Advisory Board for Education and Workforce Development and previously served on the Pennsylvania Women’s Commission under Governor Tom Corbett. Ms. Shapira has been a board member of the United Way of Allegheny County, The Pittsburgh Promise, WQED and Vibrant Pittsburgh. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Wellesley College and a Master of Public Administration degree from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.
She is the fifth individual to serve as chair of the Board of Governors, succeeding Guido M. Pichini, who served as chair for the last five years.
Mr. Maser is of counsel with Chimicles & Tikellis, which has offices in Haverford and Wilmington, Del. He is a member of the firm’s Client Development Group and works closely with institutional clients. He has worked in both law and government for 17 years and has been involved with multiple presidential campaigns and numerous other federal, state and local campaigns.
He previously worked with the Major League Baseball Players’ Association and as a government affairs specialist, representing numerous clients, including Fortune 500 companies, and counseling them on legislative issues, appropriation requests and business development opportunities at the federal, state and local levels. Mr. Maser is a graduate of Temple University School of Law and Pennsylvania State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in marketing. He also is chair of the Board’s Academic and Student Affairs Committee.
Mr. Walton is a retired senior vice president of Highmark, Inc. of Pittsburgh, where he had accountability for Highmark’s public relations and social mission strategies. Additionally, he had oversight of the corporation’s Community Involvement, Strategic Health Initiatives and its joint venture affiliate, Gateway Health Plan. Mr. Walton recently joined the leadership team of Silver Eco-Solutions of Indianola as a senior vice president. Silver Eco-Solutions supplies products to the oil and gas industry.
He is a member of California University of Pennsylvania’s Council of Trustees, which he chaired from 1999 to 2003. Mr. Walton holds a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and audiology from California University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University. He also is chair of the Board’s Human Resources Committee.
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.