UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Three Board of Trustees committees met virtually on Jan. 19 in a series of off-cycle meetings.
The committees meeting included Legal and Compliance; Governance and Long-Range Planning; Outreach, Development and Community Relations.
The Committee on Legal and Compliance:
- Reviewed the annual application and renewal of the University’s liquor license, as required by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
The Committee on Governance and Long-Range Planning:
- Received an update on the request-for-proposal process for a board assessment external reviewer; and
- Reviewed the committee’s 2022-23 goals and confirmed plans for the remainder of the year.
The Committee on Outreach, Development and Community Relations:
- Heard a fundraising progress update from Richard Bundy, vice president for Development and Alumni Relations. Bundy reported that Penn State has bucked the trend in which universities experience a significant reduction in giving the year after a fundraising campaign ends. He said Penn State’s fundraising remains strong after the close of the ‘A Greater Penn State’ campaign;
- Received an update on the Advocate Penn State effort from Zack Moore, vice president for Government and Community Relations. Moore reported that more than 6,080 people signed the petition supporting increased state funding for the University (since his report, the number of signatories has surpassed 7,000). He added that this petition drive has added 5,000 new advocates to Advocate Penn State, bringing the total number of advocates to more than 17,300 — a 30% increase in the past year.
- Justin Aglio, interim vice president for Outreach and executive director of the Readiness Institute at Penn State, talked to the committee about how Penn State Outreach engages and empowers the commonwealth. He provided an overview and impact of Penn State Outreach’s various programs, including:
- Educational events hosted by Conferences and Institutes;
- Professional development of law enforcement and public safety professionals through the Justice and Safety Institute;
- Ongoing learning for adults through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute;
- The impact of the Penn State Center Philadelphia in the Greater Philadelphia region;
- Energy innovation at the Penn State Center Pittsburgh;
- Educational and recreational opportunities at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center;
- The Student Engagement app developed through the Student Engagement Network that is used across all campuses;
- The support and promotion of artificial intelligence (AI) through the Nittany AI Alliance;
- Children’s messages of hope to be sent aboard a spacecraft headed to the moon aboard the Hope Moonshot through the Readiness Institute;
- Educational outreach through the K-12 Engagement Network;
- Popularity of the Arboretum at Penn State as a Centre County destination; and
- Digital innovation at the Emmy Award-winning WPSU.
Aglio also introduced incoming Vice President for Outreach Larry Terry, who begins his tenure on Jan. 23.
The Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet next Feb. 16-17 at University Park campus.