08/19/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/19/2024 10:14
August 19, 2024
Contact: Kevin Hensil, [email protected]
Harrisburg, PA - Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) received a $10,000 award from the National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH) to support an initiative enabling PASSHE students to take courses from all 10 State System universities without leaving their home campus.
PASSHE is deploying a new unified student information system at each university, which, when complete, will allow course sharing across the university system.
"We thank NASH for this funding and its support of this project," said Chancellor Dan Greenstein. "PASSHE is fortunate to have 10 great universities throughout Pennsylvania. When our new student information system is complete, PASSHE students anywhere will be able to take classes and programs everywhere in the System. It will bring more opportunities from each university directly to every student."
Course sharing will give PASSHE students increased flexibility and access to more programs and courses than ever before, particularly specialized programs such as data science and a variety of graduate programs that are not available at all universities. Faculty members will also gain the opportunity to educate students throughout the State System.
"Course sharing is a transformative initiative that directly addresses some of the most pressing challenges in higher education today," said Jessica Todtman, executive vice president at NASH. "This initiative embodies the essence of systemness, driving student success by promoting on-time graduation, reducing financial burdens, and more. We are excited to witness the impactful work from these systems and the positive outcomes for their students."
Greenstein said course sharing is part of PASSHE's mission to provide students with a quality education at the lowest cost. The initiative aligns with the State System's commitment to student success, university collaboration and supporting a strong workforce in Pennsylvania.
Deployment of the unified student information system is anticipated to be complete in Fall 2025. All students will use the platform to register for classes, track their grades and progress toward a degree, and monitor financial aid, scholarships, tuition and more. Course sharing is expected to begin at a later date.
PASSHE is one of four university systems in the country that received a NASH award for system-level course sharing.