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Fulfilling the land-grant mission through faculty outreach: Faculty, scholarship and the outreach imperative
“Our vision is for Penn State to be an active participant in economic, cultural and human development. We also wish to assist the Commonwealth in its goal of making Pennsylvania more competitive. In Penn State’s vision, and in Pennsylvania’s vision, educational outreach is central to success.” — Graham Spanier, President	In his 1997 State of the University Address, President Graham Spanier articulated the importance of Penn State outreach initiatives, stating, “Our vision is for Penn State to be an active participant in economic, cultural and human development. We also wish to assist the Commonwealth in its goal of making Pennsylvania more competitive. In Penn State’s vision, and in Pennsylvania’s vision, educational outreach is central to success.”   In this model of Penn State’s mission, outreach involves collaborative partnerships with communities and organizations to identify needs, solve problems and implement solutions. It is a two-way process that brings into our academic community the issues and concerns of the public while utilizing faculty expertise in delivering programs and services across the commonwealth and beyond.   From the grassroots learning fostered by Cooperative Extension, to the support for lifelong learning provided by Continuing Education, Distance Education and Public Broadcasting, as well as the economic impact underlying Technology Transfer activities, Penn State has become one of the most highly engaged universities in the nation.   Despite such progress, a number of University organizations have stressed the need for greater engagement and continued dialogue about outreach at all levels of the University. The Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities highlighted the importance of this concept in its report Returning to Our Roots: The Engaged University, stating “We can and must do better.”   In this special insert to the Fall 2000 issue of Penn State Outreach, department heads, school directors, division heads and directors of academic affairs discuss outreach, addressing the benefits, the barriers and the best practices of their faculty and units. For these individuals, outreach has promoted faculty development and scholarly achievement and facilitated departmental strategic goals. Throughout this issue, you will find illustratrations of the impact of faculty outreach on all of Penn State’s colleges and divisions. James H. Ryan
© 2002 Outreach Communications,   Outreach & Cooperative Extension,   The Pennsylvania State University phone: (814) 865-8108,   fax: (814) 863-2765,   e-mail: outreachnews@outreach.psu.edu