Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses and the state’s community colleges have announced a new collaboration aimed at expanding educational opportunities in Pennsylvania and removing barriers to degree completion among college students. The collaboration builds upon long-standing relationships between the campuses and the community colleges and a shared commitment to access and affordability in higher education.
Megan Nagel has been named chancellor and chief academic officer of Penn State Greater Allegheny, effective Jan. 1, 2024. Nagel has served in the role in an interim capacity since June 2022.
At an event held on Oct. 31, leaders from the Student Philanthropy Network announced that the class of 2024 has voted to create the University Park Undergraduate Association Basic Needs Endowment as their class gift. The fund will provide sustained support for students facing hardships in pursuit of their degree.
A series of seed grants from the Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses has provided Penn State campus leaders with the support to implement transformative initiatives and best practices that have been successful at other University campuses.
Roger Brindley, vice provost for Penn State Global; Andrea Dowhower interim vice president for Student Affairs; and Renata Engel, vice provost for online education, share resources available for individuals who have been impacted by the earthquake in Syria and Turkey, as well as ways to help with the rescue and recovery.
This semester, with support from the Penn State University Libraries Open and Affordable Educational Resources Leads Grant Program, faculty from eight Penn State campuses collaborated with librarians to identify a combination of open and library-licensed course materials that would save their students tens of thousands of dollars by replacing commercial textbooks.
Thanks to Penn State’s Returning Seniors Fund, senior Maddie Holmberg Nickal was able to return to the track – and return to the University for a master’s degree in nutritional science through World Campus. It’s one of the many ways that supporters of “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence” have helped Penn State students and faculty to pursue their ambitions.
Brandon and Mahreen Short and family are honoring their late daughter, Karli Short, through the Karli Short Better Tomorrow Foundation. The foundation will provide financial assistance through a scholarship for Penn State Greater Allegheny undergraduates grappling with the fallout of gun violence, and the Shorts are inviting other donors to support the fund.
A new look and feel will greet visitors to Penn State’s Commonwealth Campus websites beginning June 21. The refreshed websites, which apply to each of the University’s Commonwealth Campuses, are the result of in-depth research on user needs and best practices, resulting in modern, mobile-friendly and engaging sites that highlight the power of Penn State’s campus communities.
