News Release

Reflecting on a successful year

August 31, 2009

Rising above the challenges facing higher education, Penn State Harrisburg’s past year was a success, Chancellor Madlyn L. Hanes reports as the 2009-10 academic year begins.

“One of the most significant successes is our continued enrollment growth – especially at the freshman level,” she says. “Our freshman class has increased to more than 500 students this fall, our transfer applications are up 11 percent, and our graduate enrollments are stable.”

She added, “With the addition of freshmen here at Penn State Harrisburg just five years ago, we are one of a very few institutions in the region with three very strong and active points of entry – for freshmen, transfer, and graduate students.”

Among the highlights she notes are:

• The college commitment to be the regional leader in national accreditation of its academic programs reached a milestone when the Teacher Education Unit earned full accreditation from the National Council for Teacher Education and the resident and online undergraduate Criminal Justice major was certified by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.
• The Master of Public Administration program earned reaccreditation from the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration, the School of Business Administration received Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business continued accreditation, and the School of Science, Engineering, and Technology’s undergraduate programs remain accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology through 2012.
• An independent report showed Penn State Harrisburg was responsible for $135.1 million in regional economic impact and had a direct employment impact of nearly 700 jobs.
• With all its engineering and engineering technology academic programs integrating sustainability throughout the curricula, the School of Science, Engineering, and Technology expanded its leadership in regional “green” sustainable development education and research as recent student and faculty activity, especially in runoff and storm water sustainability, biosolids, and biofuels, advanced the University’s research capability. That “green” strength positions the college for further growth through its Environmental Training Center, the Commonwealth’s leading research and training facility for water and wastewater treatment plant operators; the Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center, which has just received continued state funding; and the Center for Geospatial Information Services, aiming to become the knowledge broker for southcentral Pennsylvania green economic development. The center is developing a web-based tool for businesses and nonprofits to access information on emerging green technologies and assist them in navigating progressive public policies.
• The “greening” of campus also continued in earnest with increased recycling efforts and energy-saving initiatives. The 100-bed student housing project currently under construction will be the first LEED-certified housing project for the entire University through the use of sustainable practices and materials throughout the four-story structure.
• Compared to its Big 10 peer institutions which include University of Illinois, Indiana University, University of Wisconsin, and University of Michigan system locations, the good news continues. Although half the size of most peers, Penn State Harrisburg has the third largest graduate enrollment, the most comprehensive portfolio of ABET-accredited engineering programs, the highest national rank among accredited MPA programs, is the only institution with a portfolio of doctoral programs, and generates the most research revenue.
• The college intercollegiate athletic program captured its first NCAA conference championships when the women’s tennis squad won both the regular season and tournament titles in the North Eastern Athletic Conference. The athletic program was third in the conference in the number of scholar-athletes with 44 of its 136 team members registering grade-point averages of 3.4 or higher.