Now in my third year as
Chancellor of the State System, I find that sometimes we may be tempted to
fixate on our immediate challenges and lose sight of the remarkable
opportunities that are right in front of us. It is important to pause, raise
our sights, and recognize the excellence that permeates our universities. In
the recent “State of the System” address, I talked about how our 14
universities are embracing innovation as we continue to deliver Pennsylvania’s
best value in higher education. In this month’s blog, I wanted to highlight
just a few examples of the kind of innovation that proves we are a force to be
reckoned with in the 21st century.
Innovation in the
classroom: IUP’s Department of Employment and Labor Relations uses a unique technology that brings students from
all over the country into the classroom…virtually. This goes way beyond Skype,
allowing an almost unlimited number of students to be live on-screen while
enabling the students to interact with the professor and other class members in
real-time. Students who can’t get to campus now have access to the same rich
classroom experience.
Innovation in the
marketplace: David Tini, a music
education major at Slippery Rock University and trumpet player in the Marching Pride, noticed the
need for a mouthpiece warmer during a cold game at Edinboro University. So, he
created a device called “HotLips” that heats the mouthpiece of an instrument
prior to use. SRU’s Sustainable Enterprise Accelerator is working with him to
develop a business plan to bring the product to market.
Innovation in society: East Stroudsburg University is providing all graduating seniors at winter commencement
with environmentally friendly gowns made of recycled plastic. The new regalia,
which won’t cost any more than traditional gowns, will be used in all future
commencement ceremonies.
While these universities
aren’t the first to demonstrate innovation, they show that our students,
faculty, and staff are contributing to the success of the Commonwealth and its
future. I hope you will share with me your stories of innovation, by emailing chancellor@passhe.edu.
You can also check out this
episode of Infinite Opportunities to
see even more examples of innovation in the State System.
