National Center for Higher Education Management Systems to Assist State System with Strategic Review

The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) will assist Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education in conducting a strategic review of the System’s overall operations—including those at each of the universities and in the Office of the Chancellor—and will make recommendations for changes that may be necessary to help ensure the System’s long-term future.

The review is being undertaken at the direction of the Board of Governors as the System works to ensure the 14 state-owned universities are prepared to meet the needs of students and employers in every region of the Commonwealth. It comes at a time when the State System universities are facing unprecedented challenges, fueled largely by lagging state funding and decreasing numbers of high school graduates, leading to declining enrollments at many universities.

“This is our opportunity for bold, strategic thinking,” said Board of Governors Chairwoman Cynthia D. Shapira. “If we are willing to work together and challenge each other, we can shape a stronger future for our universities. This review will be comprehensive and all-inclusive, and with NCHEMS’ assistance, I’m confident we can achieve an even greater level of excellence for our students.”

NCHEMS in recent years has worked with several other higher education systems facing similar challenges, including systems in Colorado, Missouri, New Jersey, Oregon and Tennessee. The non-profit organization has extensive experience in collecting and analyzing data and in the areas of student success, enrollment management, financial planning and system governance.

This next phase of the strategic review will examine every aspect of the universities’ and the System’s operations, and look for ways to enhance them. Students, faculty, staff, university trustees and alumni will be asked for their input, as will other interested system stakeholders, including business and community leaders and elected officials.

The review is expected to conclude by the end of the summer, after which NCHEMS will provide its recommendations for the State System.

“NCHEMS knows about the challenges facing the State System and the future of higher education in Pennsylvania,” said NCHEMS Vice President Patrick Kelly, who indicated the strategic review will involve a thorough examination of issues including access, affordability, and the availability of resources and their sources—all within the context of the higher education marketplace in which the campuses operate.

“All of these and other varying conditions and challenges will be analyzed and tied together in such a way as to help the State System make the decisions necessary to create a path to sustainability for Pennsylvania’s future that continues the promise of providing access to affordable higher education to students in all parts of the state,” Dr. Kelly said.

“Our universities, with their dedicated faculty and staff, do a tremendous job providing outstanding educational opportunities to students, and have done so for many years,” Ms. Shapira said. “We have the opportunity to do things even better as we move forward into the future.”

Citing NCHEMS as a leader in the field of higher education management, Chancellor Frank T. Brogan called the upcoming review “a real opportunity to make some dynamic changes.”

“We can’t just tinker around the edges; this is our chance to shape the future of our 14 universities and the future of our students’ lives, which is what matters most,” Mr. Brogan said.

The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems has more than forty years’ experience in providing the information and tools necessary to assist policymakers in states and higher education systems to make the right decisions for their students and communities.

Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, enrolling more than 100,000 degree-seeking students and thousands more 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.

Kenn Marshall | Media Relations Manager
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education

Office of the Chancellor
2986 North Second Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110-1201
717.720.4054; 717.329.0809
kmarshall@passhe.edu

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