Board Statement of Affirmation

The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education affirms its steadfast commitment to ensuring the entire State System operates from a foundation of values that: 

• fosters the success of all students, faculty, and staff;
• expects that our universities be places where human dignity is never compromised and every student that enrolls and employee or contractor we engage is welcomed and has access to the support they need to succeed; and
• affirms the transformative power of higher education including its ability to expand knowledge, challenge assumptions, improve lives, strengthen communities, and disrupt generational poverty.
  

In acting upon these values, and creating and maintaining a strong State System that meets the multi-cultural needs of students, faculty, staff, and the Commonwealth, now and into the future the Board specifically affirms its commitment to: 

• Ensuring the race and ethnicity of students, employees, and appointed trustees and Board members reflect the diverse composition of this Commonwealth
• Eliminating gaps between various groups of students as measured in terms of their enrollment, affordability, and educational progress
• Advocating for student experiences - curricular and co-curricular activities -  designed in part to support the university community’s ability to engage with, learn about, develop appreciation, acceptance, and compassion for the wide range of perspectives that appropriately exist in a multi-cultural and diverse society.
• Fostering environments where all members of the community treat one another with the respect and dignity they deserve as fellow human beings, even as they explore, debate, discuss their different perspectives and world views. 
• Ensuring our policies and practices are informed by evidence testifying to their potential in enabling that all members of our community are able to thrive.

As Pennsylvania’s public system of higher education, we have the responsibility to be the beacon of opportunity and hope for the countless students from all corners of the state and all walks of life who turn to us to find a pathway to their brighter tomorrow.  This is a responsibility that we fully uphold with the highest levels of integrity and acute focus, and pursue with solemn and singularly-focused purpose.