UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “Advancing the Arts and Humanities” will be the topic of the next in a series of public forums focused on implementing the University’s long-range Strategic Plan. The forum will take place from 1-2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, in Room 103 of the Tomezsko Building at Penn State Brandywine.

Faculty, staff and students from across the University are invited to participate, either in person or via livestream. To watch via livestream, go to the event page online: strategicplan.psu.edu/events/Brandywine-022317. Community members also can participate by sending questions or comments to strategicplan@psu.edu, and putting “Advancing the Arts and Humanities” in the subject line, or by tweeting, using the hashtag #PSUplan.

“By hosting this forum, Penn State Brandywine is stepping up to promote broad discussion of our Strategic Plan and its key thematic priorities," said Kristin Woolever, chancellor of Penn State Brandywine and a co-chair of the steering committee focused on the arts and humanities. "This forum offers a valuable opportunity for meaningful dialogue about these disciplines and their value not only at Penn State, but also in communities across the Commonwealth.”

The forum will include an overview of the Strategic Plan implementation process and key ideas and initiatives being considered that relate to advancing the arts and humanities. Participants will have time to ask questions and offer comments.

Among the many ideas and questions to be discussed during this forum are:

• Fostering Research Innovation. How can we make the arts and humanities a signature component of Penn State’s research enterprise?
• Facilitating Interdisciplinary Education. How can we create opportunities for participation in interdisciplinary projects that integrate arts and design disciplines with other fields, enabling new knowledge and skills that can be applied to address complex contemporary issues?
• Cultivating Informed and Ethical Decision-Making. How can our arts and humanities offerings help students to cultivate critical thinking skills and engage in highly informed and ethical behaviors, which will help them to thrive in today’s fast-paced and diverse workplaces and communities?
• Optimizing Resource Allocation and Utilization. While Penn State has resources to support the arts and humanities, where and how can we invest more assets and time across all of the University’s campuses to enhance units, departments and programs in meaningful ways?
• Boosting Access and Engagement. Penn State’s campuses are vital multicultural hubs, so how can we elevate awareness and recognition of what is already occurring University-wide in the arts and humanities, and then promote access to these assets and experiences throughout the Commonwealth and beyond?

“We have many ideas for Penn State-led programs and initiatives that would advance our institutional focus on the arts and humanities,” said steering committee co-chair Kathleen Bieschke, interim dean of Penn State’s Schreyer Honors College. “We are eager to share these initial thoughts with members of the University community to get their reactions and seek additional recommendations.”

Fellow steering committee co-chair Damian Fernandez, chancellor of Penn State Abington, added, “The forum at Penn State Brandywine gives us the opportunity to engage individuals in the plan implementation process and hear their thoughts. Informed feedback is essential to identifying ideas we should pursue and ultimately bring to fruition in support of the Strategic Plan.”

The Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost and the Office of Planning and Assessment are co-hosting the series of strategic planning forums. For more information, visit strategicplan.psu.edu/events.