May 08, 2018

Senate confirms new member to State System’s Board of Governors

Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu

Harrisburg – The state Senate has confirmed the nomination of Janet L. Yeomans of Philadelphia to serve on the Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. Her appointment runs through Dec. 31, filling the unexpired term of Daniel Meuser, who resigned from the Board last year.
 
Yeomans is a former executive with 3M Corporation, spending nearly 30 years with the company, including as a vice president and treasurer. She also has served as an independent trustee of Delaware Group Income Funds since 1999 and serves on the board of Temple University Hospital. She holds degrees in mathematics and physics from Connecticut College and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Chicago.
 
“I look forward to welcoming Janet Yeomans as our newest Board member; she joins us at a challenging and exciting time as we continue to move forward with our efforts to redesign the State System for the future,” said Board of Governors Chairwoman Cynthia D. Shapira. “The Board, and, in turn our students and our universities, will benefit from the experience and the unique perspective she will bring to our discussions and deliberations.”
 
The State System is undertaking a System Redesign, which began last year with a top-to-bottom review of the universities and the Office of the Chancellor. As a result of that review, the Board established three priorities to guide the redesign: Ensuring student success; leveraging the universities’ strengths; and transforming the System’s governance structure. The Board also affirmed its commitment to ensuring the long-term sustainability of all 14 institutions within the System so that each may continue to serve students, its region and the Commonwealth.
 
The 20-member Board of Governors is responsible for overseeing Pennsylvania’s 14 public universities. The board establishes broad educational, fiscal and personnel policies, and oversees the efficient management of the State System. Among other tasks, it appoints the chancellor and university presidents, sets tuition, and coordinates and approves the State System’s annual operating budget.
 
The Board comprises 11 members appointed by the governor, three students, four legislators, the governor or a designee and the state secretary of education or a designee.