Improved accessibility, expanding lifelong learning opportunities goals of service

HARRISBURG, Jan. 30, 2015 – Named as one of the newest members of the organization that governs Pennsylvania’s 14 state-owned universities, Sen. Judy Schwank today said she intends to focus on making college more affordable and expanding opportunities for lifelong learning.

“The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education was created to deliver affordable, high-quality instruction and it is a mission that must be refocused,” Schwank said after being appointed to the PASSHE board by Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa. “Our 14 universities suffered financially during the past four years because their mission wasn’t supported.

“As we are looking to modernize and improve the way the state is funding basic education, so must we re-examine how we are valuing higher education,” she said. “I believe the emphasis on post-secondary schooling has been missing for too long.”

The State System of Higher Education’s 20-member board of governors is responsible for the planning and coordination of the development and operation of the 14-university network. While 11 of the governors require appointment by the governor and confirmation by the senate, three of the board members are students and four are from the Pennsylvania legislature.

One of the system’s universities, Kutztown, is located in Schwank’s 11th Senatorial District.

“Auditor General Eugene DePasquale has raised some troubling financial flags about our state-owned and state-related universities but the problems are not the direct result of how these great schools have managed their resources. To the contrary, their work has kept each institution running,” Schwank said.

“I intend to work with the board of governors to ensure that good changes and new ideas help to propel forward our 14 universities,” she said.

Schwank said another idea of hers is to work to bring more adult-level learning opportunities to Pennsylvanians, no matter how long it’s been since they graduated from college.

“While we are all happy ‘to be done’ with school when we graduate from college, many people want to keep learning new things throughout their lives. The State System of Higher Education can focus on delivering these opportunities,” Sen. Schwank said.

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More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.