UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In her remarks to the Penn State Board of Trustees today (Nov. 11), Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi discussed Penn State’s commitment to continuing to advance greater diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) and her four DEIB-focused key metrics; the University’s relatively strong and stable enrollment numbers; and the ongoing success of Penn State’s world-class research enterprise. In recognition of Veterans Day, Bendapudi also thanked all current and former members of the U.S. armed forces and all members of the University community with military ties for their service to the nation.
Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging
Bendapudi affirmed that her commitment to DEIB is a guiding principle that informs her leadership approach to helping Penn State fulfill its academic, research and land-grant missions. She stated that she intends to “move the needle forward” through strategic, deliberate actions focused on specific metrics she will share with the board each year.
“Trust is something you build over time and through concrete actions,” Bendapudi said. “I look forward to building that trust because this work is important to me, and is what truly guides me and my passion for being part of a land-grant university.”
Under Bendapudi’s leadership, Penn State aims to not only enhance recruitment of underrepresented students but to also strategically focus on closing four- and six-year graduation rates for students across all backgrounds and identities. Enhancing support for underrepresented students throughout their academic careers will not only increase graduation rates, but also set up these students for lifelong success. This will be complemented by deliberate efforts to further diversify Penn State’s faculty across all ranks and tracks, by creating communities of support for faculty of all backgrounds, as well as creating equitable professional development opportunities and pathways for advancement for staff. Also on the staff side, Penn State will continue to measure their experiences through avenues like the confidential Living Our Values Survey, in order to monitor progress and areas of opportunity for enhancing a sense of belonging for all community members across the University.
Bendapudi also thanked Jennifer Hamer — Penn State’s interim associate vice provost for Educational Equity and professor of African American studies and women's, gender and sexuality studies — whom she recently appointed as special adviser to the president on institutional equity. In this role, Hamer will lead a University-wide evaluation and inventory of all DEIB-related initiatives and programs currently underway across Penn State, so the University can more effectively and strategically invest in the important work happening across all campuses. Hamer also will support Bendapudi and the University’s leadership in advancing Bendapudi’s key DEIB-focused priorities for the institution.
Enrollment and record-breaking research
The University recently released its latest enrollment snapshot, showing Penn State’s enrollment to be relatively stable despite enrollment challenges for institutions of higher education across the nation. Bendapudi said that Penn State has seen a slight decrease to its total fall 2022 enrollment of 88,116 students, but noted that this 0.4% decrease over the previous year is outperforming the national average of a 1.1% decrease. International student enrollment has increased by 6.7%, with a 5.3% increase to the number of underrepresented students, creating a foundation for the University to continue to build on moving forward.
Bendpudi also celebrated Penn State’s record-breaking $1.034 billion in research expenditures for the 2021-22 fiscal year, which represents an increase of more than 4% over the previous year. This figure includes major, multi-million dollar grants to improve access to clinical trials and new medical treatments for Pennsylvania residents. Other research includes a study of climate change resilience in urban areas, as well as research through the Applied Research Lab that directly supports the national security of the United States.