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Penn State’s Promise of Outreach
Dr. Craig D. Weidemann Vice President for Outreach	The University’s reputation as a leading land-grant institution actively engaged with its constituencies statewide, nationwide and worldwide is well-deserved. In fact, the innovative Penn State model of outreach is being emulated by many prestigious institutions around the country. I am honored to follow the visionary leadership of Jim Ryan and join the largest unified outreach organization in American higher education today.   I have been in higher education for 25 years, and during my career, I have followed Penn State’s success in scholarly activities related to outreach. The University has a rich tradition of outreach that spans more than 100 years. I am eager to advance the University to the next level of national prominence in outreach.   To realize the full Promise of Outreach, first articulated by President Graham Spanier in 1996, we are focusing on maximizing the opportunities resulting from our unique partnership of Continuing Education, Cooperative Extension, Public Broadcasting and World Campus to better serve our constituencies throughout the Commonwealth, the nation and the world.   Achieving the Promise of Outreach will not be easy during this difficult economic time in the Commonwealth, but it is essential that we continue to demonstrate the value and benefits of the University’s outreach activities to the state. Reduction in state support for higher education poses many challenges for us. In this economic climate, we cannot back away from our land-grant mission. Now is the time to be even more aggressive and supportive of our traditional mission as Pennsylvania’s land-grant institution. The University has an important role to play in transforming lives, enhancing community growth and development and improving economies.   I believe our Outreach organization is well-positioned to meet these challenges. If we marshal our considerable strengths, we can address many of the issues and concerns facing society today.   Since arriving at Penn State in July, I have been meeting with deans, faculty, Outreach staff, external constituents, local government officials and community leaders. I am looking forward to meeting many more people during my statewide Keystone Connections tour, which began in October and will take me across the Commonwealth, as I visit two regions each semester. I will be making my way across Pennsylvania to gain a better understanding of our clients, our viewers and our listeners and the challenges they are facing. This information will assist us in bringing the University’s academic resources to bear on some of the most pressing cultural, educational, economic and social challenges. It is critical that we focus our energies in the right direction to maximize the University’s resources for the benefit of the greatest number of individuals, organizations and communities. It also is important for us to identify issues and opportunities that will help us shape the University’s outreach agenda for today and the future.   I have already seen many examples of the powerful impact of Penn State’s research and scholarship on people, communities, organizations and businesses. I recently visited a dairy farm in Johnstown. Cooperative Extension played a key role in helping that farmer with his herd management and dairy processing needs.   I also have been gratified to hear many people express their appreciation for Penn State’s outreach programming. When I met Julie Cleland, chair of the Penn State Public Broadcasting Board of Representatives, she beautifully articulated what public television means to her and her small community of Kane. She said public television is her “access to the world, to culture, to news.”   In this issue of Penn State Outreach magazine, there are many examples of how Penn State is playing a role in transforming lives. Our cover story (see story) is an excellent case in point. Dr. Theodor Krauthammer is at the forefront of researching the design of buildings to withstand bomb blasts, and he is disseminating his research to professionals worldwide. Every research conference Penn State hosts creates a forum for sharing information that has the potential to make life better for people. Other articles in this section of the magazine highlight some of the many facets of the University’s statewide focus on homeland security.   In addition, Penn State is the recipient of a number of major grants to support homeland security research. President Spanier discussed two projects during a recent Board of Trustees meeting. A new $25 million contract with the U.S. Marine Corps extends the University’s designation as the Marine Corps Research University for an additional 18 months, and a $51 million contract from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency is funding a team of higher education institutions conducting research in a wide range of areas related to homeland security issues. Penn State is leading the team, which includes institutions from around the country, as well as two historically black colleges.   Also in this issue of the magazine, Kimberly Guschel, a single parent, talks about how a Penn State education program is enabling her to pursue higher education and a better life for herself and her child (see story).   Penn State’s online learning initiatives also are touching thousands of lives around the world (see stories beginning here). As our catalogue of online certificate and degree programs continues to grow, so do enrollments in our Distance Education and Penn State World Campus programs.   As we begin a new academic year, one of our biggest challenges is to learn more about and better understand the needs of our constituents so that we can identify the most appropriate means to apply Penn State’s research and resources to meet these needs. In Baltimore, where I served on a number of boards and community groups for many years, I watched as organizations disappeared and companies closed offices or moved out of the city. In that scenario, higher education institutions remained strong and constant, reinforcing their role as leaders in supporting our communities and economies.   Penn State and other higher education institutions have a proven track record of serving the public. If we are to maintain our national leadership in outreach, we must continue to be innovative and creative in capitalizing on our resources to help society solve problems and improve the quality of life for all. As President Spanier said in an address to the Joint Council of Extension Professionals: There is emerging a renewed commitment to outreach, to students, to progress, recognizing that higher education must keep up with the profound changes that are taking place in society if universities are to remain centers of learning for the future. If our institutions are not supportive of the learning needs of people of all ages and the expanding knowledge needs of society, other educational enterprises surely will supersede us in this responsibility—enterprises that won’t have the rich interplay of disciplines, mission, commitment to public service and research that makes the land-grant university so well suited to promote economic, human and cultural progress. ... Broad societal change has created unprecedented opportunities for the nation’s land-grant universities to become fully engaged with their communities and make a difference in the quality of life. But to fulfill this potential, change also must come from within.   In Outreach, we are focusing our energies on building strong relationships with the academic colleges so that our outreach programs and services will continue to be vital to Pennsylvanians and the many other constituents we serve. Our driving principle will be to aggressively preserve our core purpose and core values, while stimulating progress in everything we do (Collins and Porras, Built to Last). We are committed to maintaining our leadership as the premier outreach organization among the nation’s institutions of higher education today, tomorrow and in the future.   The University’s engagement in outreach is far-reaching. We have accomplished much, but there is more we can do. I am delighted to be part of the Penn State Outreach team dedicated to fulfilling the Promise of Outreach.