UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Three Penn State Board of Trustees committees met virtually on April 20 in a series of off-cycle meetings.
The committees meeting included Governance and Long-Range Planning; Equity and Human Resources; and Outreach Development and Community Relations.
The Committee on Governance and Long-Range Planning:
- Advanced the appointment/reappointment of directors for the Penn State Health board of directors, as well as the appointment/reappointment of directors to the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center board of directors. The full board will consider these appointments/reappointments at its meeting on May 5.
- Advanced the nomination of a student trustee candidate — Kevin Schuyler, a student in the Eberly College of Science. A record high of 41 students applied for consideration for the student trustee role. The full board will consider Schuyler’s nomination at its meeting on May 5.
The Committee on Equity and Human Resources:
- Received an overview and update on the diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) dashboard from Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi and Lance Kennedy-Phillips, vice provost for planning, assessment and institutional research. The dashboard was launched in February to support Bendapudi’s goal of enhancing DEIB across Penn State through a metrics-driven strategy focused on improving DEIB-related outcomes, particularly for Penn Staters from underrepresented or historically marginalized groups, in an accountable and demonstrable way.
The Committee on Outreach, Development and Community Relations:
- Received an update on committee metrics, including alumni trustee elections, current fundraising progress, Advocate Penn State and Outreach activities.
- Heard an overview from Renata Engel, vice provost for online education, on the many student engagement opportunities at Penn State World Campus. She shared how World Campus provides online learners with access to meaningful Penn State experiences that foster a sense of belonging and encourages them to stay engaged and complete their degrees. Some of those student engagement opportunities included:
- Academic student engagement, like securing an internship that allowed one World Campus student to work as an information security analyst for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
- Co-curricular student engagement, which helped a student improve emergency preparedness in his home country of Nigeria.
- Essential student services offered by World Campus, like career services, mental health resources and SmarterMeasure, which students can use to assess their readiness for learning in a technology-rich environment.