Finishing what we started

Let me take you back in time nearly a decade. During my time as president at West Chester University, PASSHE undertook a comprehensive system redesign effort. We began by examining our system from top to bottom — in great detail — to understand where change was needed.   

It was a phenomenal effort that gathered input from thousands of students, faculty, staff and others over the years. When PASSHE began the process, we were already experiencing a significant decline in enrollment, making it clear that we could not continue with business as usual and expect to thrive.    

In the years since, we made bold decisions and substantial changes including integrating six universities into two, leveraging our scale and collective strength through shared services, and launching a systemwide student information system that would open the door to program sharing and course sharing like never before. While we should celebrate the progress we have made, it’s apparent that we still have much work to do.     

This recognition led me to reflect on PASSHE from a long-term perspective and to throw my hat into the ring during the national search for a chancellor. I felt we hadn’t yet reached an inflection point that would allow a new chancellor — from somewhere else — to come in and define the next chapter of PASSHE’s future while this chapter is still being written. Apparently, the Board of Governors agreed, and we are getting to work.     

We need to finish what we started before we can think about the future. Along with so many of you, I was involved in the system redesign from the beginning and understand the components, processes, and people that shape the system. And, like you, I care deeply about PASSHE’s mission and want to lead the effort to complete the remaining work to ensure we finish strong.     

However, let me be clear: these final steps in the system’s redesign do not represent our ultimate mission; it is simply the necessary work we must do to prepare for the future. This involves a series of intentional actions that ensure we use our resources wisely by optimizing around academics, finances, and engagement. (Stay tuned for more details in the weeks and months ahead.) 

We need to maintain a thoughtful approach to reach the finish line and prepare for our next race. This work is crucial because we are racing against time and facing unprecedented challenges to ensure that the next generation of Pennsylvanians has access to more opportunities than we did.  

This fall, I look forward to visiting all our universities, sharing my thoughts on our priorities, and hearing from our students, faculty, and staff about their perspectives on how we can build our future. In doing so, we will remain committed to our mission of ensuring every student succeeds — empowering them to run their own race and maybe even change the world in the process.  

Chris

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