next gen penn state report - dept.psu.edu

Next Gen Penn State Advisory Group ReportJune 2021

2Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.

More than 14,000 voices were heard through Next Gen Penn State

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, thank you to the members of the Next Gen Penn State Advisory Group for actively soliciting input and participation from your constituency groups to help inform the selection of Penn State’s 19th president.

In addition to your outreach, we were able to reach an astonishing number of community members for their input through:

• A series of virtual discussions with Spencer Stuart;

• Feedback on the nextgenpsu.edu website;

• Comments and nominations sent to a dedicated email [email protected]; and,

• Responses to our online Next Gen Penn State survey.

The major themes we heard were well aligned across all modes of input and are outlined on the following pages. Both the website and Spencer Stuart email mailbox will be left open should you or members of your constituency group have additional comments or nominations.

We look forward to your feedback on the major themes and input into the final report to be submitted to the Presidential Recruitment and Selection Committee. Thank you again for your time, energy, and commitment to this important work/process.

David Kleppinger


• Julie Anna Potts, Trustee (Co-Chair of the Presidential Selection and Recruitment Committee)

• Tracy Riegel, Penn State Alumni Association Alumni Council Executive Board

• Rick Roush, Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences

• Matthew Schuyler, Chair of the Board of Trustees

• Damon Sims, Vice President for Student Affairs

• William Sitzabee, Vice President of Facilities Management and Planning/Chief Facilities Officer

• Richard Sokolov, Chair of “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence” fundraising campaign (donor representative)

• Bonj Szczygiel, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture and Women’s Studies (Chair-Elect of University Faculty Senate)

• Nico Terry, Graduate Student• James B. Thomas, Mount Nittany Health

Board Member• Steven Wagman, Trustee• Sean Walsh, Undergraduate Student• Craig Weidemann, Retired Vice President for

Outreach and Vice Provost for Online Education

• Lora Weiss, Senior Vice President for Research

• Marcus Whitehurst, Vice Provost for Educational Equity

• David Han, Trustee and Vice Chair for Educational Affairs, Department of Surgery

• Madlyn Hanes, Senior Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses/Executive Chancellor

• Marie Hardin, Dean of the Bellisario College of Communications

• Shannon Harvey, Director of the Office of the Board of Trustees/Associate Secretary (executive support)

• Dr. Darrell Kirch, Former Dean of the Penn State College of Medicine and CEO of Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

• David Kleppinger, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees (Advisory Group Chair)

• Clarence Lang, Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts

• Lawrence Lokman, Vice President for Strategic Communications

• John Mason, Chancellor of Penn State Harrisburg

• Keith E. Masser, Former Trustee (Penn State Health representative)

• Stephen Massini, Chief Executive Officer of Penn State Health

• Zack Moore, Vice President for Government and Community Relations

• Bhargava Motupalli, Undergraduate Student (President of the Penn State Harrisburg Student Government Association)

• Noe Ortega, Trustee• Alice Pope, Trustee

• Francis Achampong, Chancellor of Penn State Mont Alto

• Kathleen Bieschke, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

• Squire Booker, Evan Pugh Professor of Chemistry and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

• Richard Bundy, Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations

• Bryan Culler, Student Trustee• Mark H. Dambly, Trustee (Co-Chair of the

Presidential Selection and Recruitment Committee)

• Daniel Delligatti, Trustee• Valerie Detwiler, Trustee• Michele Duffy, Assistant Teaching Professor

of Kinesiology• Jacqueline Edmondson, Chancellor of Penn

State Greater Allegheny• Robert Fenza, Trustee• Ronald Filippelli, State College Borough

Mayor• James Franklin, Head Football Coach• Mary Frecker, Riess Chair of Engineering• Shaun Gabbidon, Distinguished Professor of

Criminal Justice at Penn State Harrisburg• David Gray, Senior Vice President Emeritus

for Finance and Business/Treasurer• Frank Guadagnino, Vice President for

Administration (executive support)• Laura Guay, Undergraduate Student• Laura Guertin, Professor of Earth and Mineral

Sciences

Next Gen Penn State Advisory Group


Next Gen Penn State OutreachBy the numbers

SMALL GROUP MEETINGS WITH UNIVERSITY GROUPS• 36 virtual stakeholder input sessions conducted by

the Spencer Stuart team• 276 individuals participated across a range of

constituency groups including the Board of Trustees, President’s Council, Council of Chancellors, Council of Academic Deans, Senate Leadership, Senate Standing Committee Chairs, Senate Council, Staff Advisory Council, Student Leader’s Roundtable, Alumni Council Executive Board, President’s Commissions for Equity, which includes the Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Equity; the Commission on Racial/Ethnic Diversity (CORED); and the Commission for Women

• 57 candidate nominations captured in thestakeholder sessions

NEXT GEN PENN STATE SURVEY AND WEBSITE

• Penn State community members across everycampus location invited to access the websiteand participate in the survey

• Survey link accessible to 157,225 students,

faculty, staff and 429,148 alumni as well asother community stakeholders

• Received 14,243 survey responses betweenApril 12-30

• Received 305 responses via Penn Statewebsite

• Received 1,764 candidate nominations via thesurvey


Questions asked stakeholders via interviews, survey, and Next Gen Penn State websiteKey Questions Method of Inquiry

What is most distinctive about Penn State?What words describe Penn State’s most distinctive characteristics?

Stakeholder interviewsSurvey

What are the challenges facing the university over the next 3-5 years? Stakeholder interviewsSurvey

What are the opportunities for the university over the next 3-5 years? Stakeholder interviewsSurvey

What are the key priorities for Penn State’s next President? NGPS Website

What are the qualifications, experience, and qualities of the ideal candidate? NGPS Website

What are the critical skills and leadership capabilities needed for Penn State’s next President?

Stakeholder interviewsSurvey


Penn State has many distinctive attributes on which to build.


The combination of these distinctive attributes is powerful.

AccessPenn State’s commitment to access is reflected in its broad palette of teaching and learning opportunities through a flexible and contemporary framework that supports student access.

CollaborationEducators, researchers, staff and students work seamlessly across a vibrant, complex, and unique campus network of significant scale. This network binds and leverages a highly engaged community.

Land grant mission There is tremendous commitment to, and pride in, fulfilling Penn State’s land grant mission which has enormous impact to the citizens of the Commonwealth and serves as an economic driver of the communities they serve.

One Penn StatePenn State’s 24 geographically distributed campus network structure is distinctive from other institutions and provides access for a vast range of students across the state, resulting in a diverse community of faculty, staff, and students. In addition to on-campus stakeholders, the network is critically important to surrounding communities.

Interdisciplinary research and academicsA real standout for the university, Penn State has received the highest rating for research universities. Recognized internationally, the interdisciplinary nature of Penn State’s research and curriculum is culturally embedded and fosters a richer academic experience and new research discoveries.

Shared governancePenn State’s rich history of faculty and administration working together consistently and productively, is evidenced by engrained governance structures, such as the Faculty Senate.

Strength of alumniPenn State’s enormous and committed alumni base has the largest dues paying Alumni Association in the world. A key strength of the university, there is exceptional alumni support for students as mentors and career advisors, enthusiastic engagement in the athletic programs, and robust philanthropy resulting in three successive fundraising campaigns in excess of $1 billion.

World CampusAt the forefront of virtual delivery of a college degree program, World Campus increases access and is widely recognized as a model within higher education.

Honors CollegePenn State’s highly ranked honors program is globally recognized for excellence and a national leader in honors education.

Innovation hubsThe hubs enable entrepreneurial thinking that aim to generate ideas to spur and accelerate economic development in the region and local communities.


There is an enormous sense of pride and community in Penn State’s unique identity.

Words/themes used more than 250 times in the Next Gen Penn State survey.


Looking ahead, while there are challenges facing our university and higher education, there is a strong sense of opportunity for

Penn State.


Opportunities and innovation emerge from challenges.CHALLENGES OPPORTUNITIES

Resources and funding

With state funding static, like other institutions in higher education, Penn State will need to identify alternate sources of revenue and manage costs to support its aspirations and infrastructure needs.

Capitalize on research strength & elevate funding

Already a significant asset, expand interdisciplinary research, potentially in areas aligned with Penn State’s mission – health sciences, biotechnology, agriculture and other disciplines – to spur economic development and revenue growth.

Changing demographics

Facing higher competition for shrinking pool of students, faculty and staff.

Evolve land grant mission

Build on the foundation of the land grant mission to address changing student demographics; leverage the network of campuses to advance with and in their communities and drive economic growth. There is opportunity for significant further outreach across the network.

Diversity, equity & inclusion

Fostering diversity and ensuring a welcoming and supportive environment across the University in all its forms.

Advance DE&I efforts

Continue to expand efforts to support equity, racial justice, and diversity to build a culture of inclusion for students, faculty and staff.

Affordability Maintaining a level of sustainable tuition and costs of attendance while investing in growth and innovation.

Improve affordability

Within the land grant mission, enhance access for citizens of the Commonwealth to attend the university and demonstrate the value and outcomes of a Penn State education for the dollars spent.

Education & student experience

Increasing focus on student needs and the student experience in which creativity is furthered in both on-campus and on-line experiences.

Innovate in education & student experience

Foster innovation and ways of teaching that enhance the student experience, prepare students for life and work, and enable access to education and learning over their lifetimes.

Brand/identity and reputation

Increasing awareness of Penn State’s academic strengths, research excellence, and robust community to draw additional attention to the university’s distinctiveness and potential.

Differentiate brandCreate competitive advantage by building on Penn State’s rich tradition as a proud, loyal, supportive community committed to excellence in all areas while furthering the highest values of integrity and service.

Internal processes and structure

Accelerating the pace of change and decision-making to increase nimbleness.

Innovate ways of working

Explore and embrace change in areas such as technology, service orientation, communications and decision-making to increase organizational agility.

Scope and scale of multi-campus structure

Fully appreciating the scope and scale of the University’s distinctive multi-campus structure. Each campus expands the University’s reach and connections; their individual and collective potential is vast and should be leveraged.

Leverage scale for increased impact

Given its scale, diversity of programs, 24-campus structure and geographic reach, Penn State has the platform and opportunity for greater impact on the landscape of higher education and the citizens it serves, more than any other institution.


There was relatively high consistency across major stakeholder groups in the key challenges and opportunities.Top 3 survey responses by stakeholder group in alpha order (full supporting survey data begins on slide 14)

Alumni Faculty Staff Students

Chal

leng

es Advance reputation and profile

Financial sustainability

Sustainable tuition

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Entrenched campus culture




Sustainable tuition

Advancing reputation and profile


Sustainable tuition

Opp

ortu

nitie

s Drive innovation in teaching and education delivery

Enhance student experience

Strengthen research profile

Improve internal processes

Promote DE&I

Strengthen research profile

Improve internal processes

Promote DE&I

Strengthen financial sustainability

Drive innovation in teaching and education delivery

Enhance student experience

Promote DE&I


These opportunities help shape the ideal set of experiences and leadership attributes needed in

Penn State’s next President.


PENN STATE PRESIDENT

Ideal presidential criteria

Career Experience Leadership Capabilities Personal/Professional Attributes Demonstrated leadership of a complex enterprise

Academic leadership experience and/or deep understanding and appreciation of scholarly and academic values

Demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Stewardship of a breadth of assets and a demonstrated record of making sound financial decisions and judgment on behalf of an organization or institution

Complex stakeholder engagement – internally and externally

Transformational/change leadership

Track record and commitment to student success

Strategic thinking and entrepreneurial vision

Empowering leadership that results in strong teams

Collaboration and influencing

A sense of accountability and responsibility

Values-driven

Integrity/authenticity

Transparent and effective communications

Builds trust/confidence

Appreciation for shared governance

Capacity for decision making

Empathy and humility

Inspirational


Appendix: Next Gen Penn State Survey Results(Note: the following pages include survey data only. They do not include input from the

Next Gen Penn State website comment form or feedback from stakeholder meetings.)

Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.

University President Search Survey Results Briefing

Contents:

• Survey Background

• Executive Summary

• Key Findings—President Search

• Key Findings—Institutional Context

PENN STATE PRESIDENT SEARCH: SURVEY RESULTS BRIEFING 15

Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.

Survey Results



Survey Administration and Participation CountsSurvey Administration Window• Survey open: April 13, 2021• Survey close: April 30, 2021

Affiliation with Penn State Response CountAlumni 6,594

Staff 3,248

Student 2,081

Faculty 1,845

Other Affiliation Groups 475• Parent/guardian of current or former student(s) 251

• Donor 96

• Community Member 49

• Board Member (not from Board survey link) 45

• Volunteer 27

• Board Member (from Board survey link) 7

Overall 14,243



Search Survey Best Practices

Directional guidance: The results from this survey should provide directional guidance about the characteristics to look for in the next President of the University.

Themes are key: Each stakeholder group has a different perspective and plays a unique role in this process. The key themes are derived from the top priorities of each stakeholder group.

Additional information: The results from this survey are being used in addition to the information gleaned from one-on-one interviews and small group discussions. The survey is one piece of the larger data collection process.



Executive Summary



Executive Summary—OverallWhat makes Penn State unique:• Pride, community, and excellence

Challenges and opportunities for the next President:• Themes of diversity, equity & inclusion, student focus, and financial stability

– The top four challenges are related to sustainable tuition, financial stability, advancing Penn State’s reputation, and concerns about diversity, equity &inclusion

– The top four opportunities are related to promoting diversity, equity & inclusion, driving innovation, enhancing the student experience, and strengthening theUniversity’s research profile

Capabilities, experience and attributes of the next President:• Themes of strong leadership ability, character/integrity, and experience in academia

– Most important capabilities include strategic thinking, leading people and being values driven– Most important experience include enabling student success, creating organization vision, and complex academic leadership– Most important attributes include deep integrity, effective communication, building trust, and making difficult decisions

University Emphasis• Strong agreement that appropriate emphasis is being given to academics and research, but low agreement* that appropriate emphasis is

being given to diversity, equity & inclusion, community relations, the Arts, and fulfilling the Land Grant mission


* Low agreement implies only that the current amount of emphasis is not perceived as appropriate and might be too high or too low.


Key Findings: President Search


Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.PENN STATE PRESIDENT SEARCH: SURVEY RESULTS BRIEFING 22

Unique BrandWhat two words would you use to describe Penn State's most distinctive characteristic as a higher education institution? (words/themes used more than 250 times)

Word/Theme Overall Alumni Staff Student Faculty OtherPride/Proud 1,501 757 348 255 94 47Community 1,405 535 319 373 134 44

Tradition 867 505 231 51 50 30Excellence/Excellent 866 492 181 39 129 25

Research 849 263 284 83 208 11Education 599 363 128 47 44 17

Loyal 586 382 105 26 52 21Family 573 334 107 83 26 23Quality 569 354 80 35 68 32

Large 560 182 155 99 103 21Academics 515 311 68 52 68 16

Football 499 212 128 78 72 9Diverse/Diversity 424 150 121 104 39 10

Big 410 119 89 80 110 12Integrity 405 217 104 37 40 7

Innovative 392 141 133 50 62 6Honor/Honorable 390 277 69 24 6 14

Leader 327 154 107 19 34 13Inclusive 320 123 86 73 32 6

Respected 314 171 74 30 30 9Opportunity 305 150 46 62 30 17Prestigious 277 117 80 49 21 10

Color: Number of times word/theme was used

6 1,501


ChallengesWhat are the top three challenges for the next President of Penn State during their first three years? (% of respondents who selected challenge)

Challenge Overall Alumni Staff Student Faculty Other

Sustainable tuition strategy 52% 59% 44% 56% 35% 57%

Financial sustainability; competing priorities for limited funds 42% 44% 48% 28% 36% 41%

Advancing Penn State's reputation and profile 38% 49% 25% 32% 26% 42%

Diversity and inclusion concerns 38% 31% 42% 47% 50% 26%

Entrenched campus culture 25% 19% 31% 26% 36% 21%

Penn State's structure/operating model 22% 15% 34% 17% 32% 20%

Competing academic priorities 19% 19% 13% 25% 19% 21%

Penn State's technology/infrastructure 16% 15% 21% 18% 11% 16%

Drive for interdisciplinary learning and research 13% 13% 9% 16% 14% 16%

Demographics of the state of Pennsylvania 12% 10% 15% 11% 15% 9%

Other (please specify) 10% 10% 7% 10% 13% 15%

Improving the endowment 5% 6% 4% 4% 6% 4%

Color: Percent of respondents who

selected challenge

4% 59%


OpportunitiesWhat are the top three opportunities for the next President of Penn State during their first three years in the position? (% of respondents who selected opportunity)

Opportunity Overall Alumni Staff Student Faculty Other

Promoting diversity and inclusion in all aspects of the university 39% 32% 41% 50% 49% 23%

Driving innovation in teaching and education delivery 37% 40% 27% 45% 32% 44%

Enhancing the student experience 35% 35% 25% 57% 22% 49%

Continuing to strengthen the university's research profile 31% 36% 21% 26% 40% 27%

Strengthening the financial sustainability of the institution 28% 31% 31% 18% 23% 25%

Improving internal processes, structure, ways of working 27% 15% 48% 26% 34% 23%

Supporting the Land Grant Mission and the economy of Pennsylvania 26% 29% 30% 12% 28% 22%

Building trust among all stakeholder groups 22% 28% 20% 7% 21% 22%

Other (please specify) 15% 16% 11% 18% 15% 19%

Implementing the One Penn State 2025 vision 14% 12% 19% 12% 14% 15%

Strengthening Penn State Health 10% 6% 17% 12% 12% 10%

Strengthening the athletic program 7% 11% 3% 8% 1% 9%

Color: Percent of respondents who

selected opportunity

1% 57%


Leadership CapabilitiesHow important are the following leadership capabilities for the next President of Penn State? (average score)

Capability Alumni Staff Student Faculty Other Overall

Strategic thinking 4.64 4.60 4.52 4.57 4.68 4.61

Leading people 4.62 4.64 4.55 4.51 4.65 4.60

Values driven 4.45 4.51 4.39 4.43 4.54 4.45

Collaborating and influencing 4.32 4.43 4.43 4.39 4.38 4.37

Building organizational/ talent capability 4.29 4.26 4.19 4.22 4.37 4.26

Leading change 4.11 4.36 4.31 4.21 4.20 4.21

Driving results 4.27 4.12 4.20 3.89 4.33 4.18

Business/ financial acumen 4.09 4.12 3.76 3.78 4.24 4.01

Cultural agility around diversity and inclusion 3.53 4.09 4.08 4.14 3.53 3.82

Color: Average score on a scale of

1 (not at all important) to 5 (extremely important)

3.53 4.68


Career Experience How important are each of the following types of career experience for the next President of Penn State? (average score)

Experience Alumni Staff Student Faculty Other Overall

Enabling student success 4.48 4.43 4.73 4.28 4.59 4.48

Creating and executing organizational vision 4.37 4.36 4.23 4.13 4.37 4.31

Complex academic leadership/ understanding shared governance 4.15 4.29 4.25 4.58 4.25 4.25

Financial growth/ stabilization 4.23 4.28 3.94 3.90 4.30 4.16

Innovation and entrepreneurship 4.10 4.05 3.99 3.68 4.17 4.02

Other (please specify below) 4.13 3.88 3.80 4.32* 4.56 4.07

Business/ executive leadership of organizations of comparable scale 4.07 4.05 3.65 3.33 4.22 3.91

Working with a Board of Trustees 4.04 3.93 3.68 3.66 4.10 3.92

Change management 3.84 4.03 3.80 3.76 3.92 3.87

Advancing diversity and inclusion 3.43 3.97 3.99 4.03 3.43 3.71

Fundraising 3.71 3.75 3.57 3.82 3.84 3.72

Global perspective/ international experience 3.54 3.76 3.90 3.80 3.63 3.68

Nonprofit leadership 3.09 3.41 3.44 3.02 3.18 3.21

*Academic, faculty and research experience were most cited in the “other” comments



3.02 4.73


Professional AttributesHow important are each of the following types of executive experiences and professional attributes for the next President of Penn State? (average score)

Attributes Alumni Staff Student Faculty Other Overall

Deep integrity 4.80 4.77 4.69 4.76 4.85 4.78

Transparent and effective communication 4.70 4.77 4.75 4.76 4.76 4.73

Building trust/ confidence 4.72 4.73 4.57 4.63 4.71 4.69

Making difficult decisions 4.70 4.69 4.60 4.50 4.69 4.66

Establishing and attaining goals 4.49 4.44 4.55 4.29 4.53 4.46

Innovative thinking 4.42 4.45 4.49 4.31 4.52 4.43

Compelling communication skills 4.41 4.47 4.45 4.35 4.54 4.42

Drives excellence for themselves/ team 4.42 4.40 4.47 4.20 4.51 4.40

Collaborative mindset 4.23 4.43 4.46 4.41 4.36 4.34

Comfort with change/ disruption 4.15 4.33 4.40 4.19 4.24 4.24

Establishing organizational culture 4.12 4.26 4.22 4.11 4.20 4.17

Inspiring stakeholder groups 4.02 4.05 3.56 3.96 4.06 3.96

Connecting stakeholders across initiatives 3.96 4.06 3.67 3.91 4.00 3.93

Other 4.01 3.89 3.68 4.26 4.44 3.97



3.56 4.85

Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.28PENN STATE PRESIDENT SEARCH: SURVEY RESULTS BRIEFING

Key Findings: Institutional Context*

*Institutional context questions allow us to understand how stakeholders feel about specific areas where the president has significant influence.


University EmphasisPenn State places appropriate emphasis on the following attributes (% agree)Low agreement implies only that the current amount of emphasis is not perceived as appropriate and might be too high or too low.

Emphasis Alumni Staff Student Faculty Other Overall

Diversity and inclusion 48% 54% 49% 39% 58% 49%

Community relations 53% 52% 51% 38% 56% 51%

The Arts 57% 54% 41% 43% 59% 52%

Fulfilling the Land Grant mission 55% 55% 42% 50% 58% 53%

Infrastructure investment (buildings) 62% 52% 57% 46% 64% 57%

Intercollegiate athletics 66% 52% 59% 37% 64% 58%

Health enterprise/medical education 62% 62% 56% 51% 64% 60%

The student experience 63% 63% 56% 57% 57% 61%

Research 78% 79% 78% 70% 77% 77%

Academics 82% 83% 75% 68% 81% 79%

Color: Percent of respondents who agree that Penn State places appropriate emphasis

37% 83%

next gen penn state report - dept.psu.edu

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