Enhancing Student Success
Our Vision
We imagine a Penn State where every student can succeed and thrive in a safe and supportive environment. We strive to be a place where the promise of public education is fulfilled by an accessible, affordable, and transformative educational experience. Our students are not merely recipients of knowledge but active partners in their learning journey, empowered by a robust support system and a vibrant community of peers, faculty, and staff that celebrates their unique talents and aspirations.
We are committed to constantly reimagining and redesigning the Penn State experience to offer a more enriching and inspiring environment inside and outside the classroom. Students of all backgrounds across our undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs will receive personalized guidance, unwavering support, and countless opportunities to explore their passions, discover their true potential, and prepare for a future of purpose and impact—wherever their journey may lead.
Our Goal
Penn State will empower all students to reach their potential by preparing them to be informed, globally aware, engaged citizens, highly employable for in-demand careers and further education, and capable of driving positive change in an interconnected world.
Objectives and Measures
To help us to transform the educational experience for our students, we will concentrate our efforts on the following objectives (what we want to achieve) and measures (how we will evaluate success) to drive impactful change.
Measures in our Strategic Plan are meant to show progress and effectiveness towards achieving the objectives set forth in the plan. Measures may be updated or modified during the life of the plan to appropriately support data-informed decision making or to reflect changes in strategic objectives.
Objective 1: Academic advising, research advising, mentoring, and class experiences that prepare students for their academic and professional futures
How we will measure success:
Advising, mentorship, and support
- Advising experience of students
- Outcomes of student engagement with high-quality academic advising services and mentorship
- Usage of student learning support services
Cost of education
- Overall debt and type of debt at time of departure from Penn State
- Overall student debt as percentage of median salary in graduate’s discipline
Academic performance and progress
- Time and credit hours to degree completion for undergraduate and graduate students
- Junior graduation rate for undergraduates
- Term-to-term retention and graduation rates of students
- Credit hours attempted vs. earned per semester
- Underrepresented student group retention and graduation rate
Student learning
- Student involvement in curricular high-impact practices
- Student learning outcomes as measured through the General Education assessment process
- Student skills and competencies gained from experiences inside the classroom
Post-graduation outcomes
- Student post-graduation outcomes within twelve months, such as employment and/or continued education
- Location of employment post-degree
Objective 2: Students’ co-curricular experiences align their passions, aptitudes, and ambitions to lead them to successful next steps.
How we will measure success:
Co-curricular involvement and experiences
- Student involvement in co-curricular high-impact practices
- Impact of student employment on academic outcomes
Student development and competency building
- Student skills and competencies for career readiness gained from experiences outside the classroom
Career development and networking
- Student participation at involvement fairs, job fairs, networking events, and practice interviews
- Student participation in alumni mentorship programming
Objective 3: Student, staff, and faculty health and wellness are cultivated in a caring community focused on flourishing.
How we will measure success:
Student wellness and academic impact
- Student stress and other factors affecting academic performance
- Student financial literacy and education
Faculty and staff wellness and contributions
- Faculty and staff perception of health and well-being
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