Constituent Outreach and Engagement

Penn State already excels in constituent outreach and engagement, and many Penn State academic programs are ranked among the United States’ best. The World Campus provides virtual access to students in all 50 U.S. states and more than 80 countries. Penn State’s Global Engagement Network of regional partnerships enables the University to pursue globally its tripartite mission of teaching, research, and service. Penn State’s large and engaged alumni base provides opportunities for outreach and engagement in every corner of the world. The Penn State campuses, Penn State Extension, and technology-transfer programs also provide access and influence across Pennsylvania, serving as a significant economic force advancing the Commonwealth’s long-term vitality by educating students and providing training programs to support business, agriculture, and communities. We will explore further opportunities to translate Penn State’s accomplishments more effectively to benefit the constituencies we have committed to serve.

Focus on impact through partnerships.

More than ever before, Penn State will partner with industry, government, and relevant communities to promote the simultaneous pursuit of human health and well-being, environmental quality, and economic security for current and future generations. All our foundations and thematic priorities require effective internal and external partnerships if we are to succeed.

Provide expanded access to Penn State resources.

Penn State does an extraordinary job through outreach and Extension of providing access to our intellectual capital and practical resources. Nevertheless, we will do more. Penn State is rightly seen as a resource to the community, the Commonwealth, and the nation, and we will continue to expand and enhance access.

Promote contributions through strategic communication.

News regarding Penn State’s accomplishments may still fail to reach many of our constituents. As people are increasingly distracted and overwhelmed by new forms of communication, we will develop methods to convey the positive impacts of University programs more effectively. We will be systematic in our strategy development and use of contemporary communication and marketing vehicles.

Streamline translation of Penn State discoveries.

We will leverage the unique Penn State educational model to strengthen the communities we serve and be a leader in technology transfer and commercialization across the Commonwealth and beyond. Ensuring that our discoveries and creative works find their way to communities (consistent with our mission of research for the public good) demands that we do what is necessary to maximize the likelihood of meaningful translation to the marketplace, policy environment, or community at large.

Support economic development and community renewal.

Penn State will put critical resources, knowledge, and experience to work on the problems of local (and global) communities. With 24 campuses around the Commonwealth, we have a unique presence in, and commitment to, these campuses’ communities. Our health as an institution is drawn from the well-being of these communities, and we have a crucial responsibility to them.