On Oct. 9, I had the opportunity to spend the day in Harrisburg at the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex to meet with elected officials, the outgoing and interim PASSHE chancellor and my fellow student trustees from the other PASSHE universities. The experience allowed me to gain a better understanding of higher education in Pennsylvania and the important role it plays in the future of Pennsylvania.

To start, I think it is important to understand higher education in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), founded in 1983, comprises 14 institutions, one being Shippensburg University. 

The mission of PASSHE is to provide high quality education at an affordable cost and to prepare students in their degree field in order to contribute to the economic development of Pennsylvania. 

The Pennsylvania State Assembly oversees and funds the system and the chancellor is the CEO of the system and is responsible for its management.

Roughly 30% of PASSHE’s funding comes from the state assembly, which comes down to a grueling process every summer when it comes time to pass the spending budget. 

I got a glimpse of that process when I got to talk with State Rep. Jordan Harris (D) who serves as the House Appropriations Committee chair and State Sen. Scott Martin (R) who serves as the Senate Appropriations Committee chair. 

The two chairmen work together in order to develop a budget that will pass the assembly and establish the spending budget of the Pennsylvania government. As you can imagine, the budget process is long, lucrative and over the last several years rarely has passed on time. Some have lost faith in the process, but after my trip to Harrisburg I left more optimistic. 

After meeting with both chairmen, there seemed to be a renewed effort to better fund and address the challenges facing the PASSHE system. The easy part is knowing the problem, in which there is a shared understanding of the problems, but the fun and complicated part is finding the solutions. 

It is important to realize that the problems and challenges facing the system are not on one side of the aisle but both, but I have hope that our elected officials realize the importance of the PASSHE schools and the crucial role they serve in advancing Pennsylvania.

The foundational purpose of PASSHE is to serve the people of Pennsylvania and allow them to obtain college degrees at an affordable cost that will enhance them to go out into society and make a positive impact on their family, community, the state of Pennsylvania, and the country. 

After all, 70% of the PASSHE universities funding comes from the tuition that students pay. It is important that understanding is not lost among our elected officials, and I do not believe it has been. As for Shippensburg University, we are not only in a prime location, but have the support, programs, and initiative to springboard into the future. 

Some tough decisions will have to be made but it’s nothing that cannot be overcome with the success of the future. From its engineering program, to its teaching and psychology programs, to its business and criminal justice programs, to the many other majors and minors that contribute to our students’ success and contribution to Pennsylvania and the country.

The PASSHE system can seem confusing, and it can seem like as a student your role is inconsequential, but that could not be farther from the truth. Every PASSHE student plays a crucial role in the systems success and the development of our country. 

Pennsylvania is currently in stagnant motion; the population has not grown, its economy has stalled and the political environment of our time has stiffened the wheels of government. It can be easy to lose faith in the system, but know you are apart from the system, not just PASSHE, but every system of government from local, state, to federal and your voice, participation and actions matter. 

My first suggestion: Get involved and become informed. Anyone is welcome at the Shippensburg Council of Trustee public meetings and open to ask questions and voice concerns. If you are unsure about attending the meetings please feel free to ask questions, voice concerns, or just talk with me, your student representative on the SHIP Council of Trustees. My email is ca6053@ship.edu, and as always, 

RAIDERS LEAD THE WAY!

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