PSCAN was developed in the fall of 2019 through joint conversations between our association and several access and success programs across the Commonwealth, including the Pennsylvania Department of Education. We discovered that we were having a lot of the same conversations, doing a lot of the same work, and researching the same information thus duplicating efforts. We decided to join together for regular meetings and discussion.
Our Collective Impact Statement: The PACAC Statewide College Access Network empowers those who counsel students to postsecondary opportunities by providing a shared vision of educational parity for all learners in Pennsylvania. We advocate for equitable attainment, affordability of higher education, and successful pathways to college completion. Furthermore, we advocate for the removal of systemic barriers that hinder student achievement and degree attainment. Our collective charge is to establish a wide understanding that education is a public good that every student, learner, and professional has as a fundamental right.
Recent Conversations: Leading for Student Success During a Pandemic
On September 11, 2020, PSCAN held its quarterly meeting and asked for college and university senior leadership to share their experiences as they lead their organizations through the pandemic while trying to keep students at the center of decision making. Dr. David Finegold, President, Chatham University; Dr. Charlene Newkirk, Regional President, Community College of Allegheny County, Dr. Kenyon Bonner, Vice Provost and Dean of Students, University of Pittsburgh; and Dr. William Behre, President, Slippery Rock University, spoke to the group and shared some insights around logistics, but also leadership itself.