The Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) has conferred the status of Chancellor Emerita upon outgoing Chancellor Judy G. Hample, who will leave her position later this year to become president of University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Dr. Hample was named PASSHE Chancellor in August 2001. Her tenure has been marked by the development of a variety of new policies, programs and initiatives, all of which have helped to create a culture of accountability and performance throughout the State System.

She designed PASSHE’s nationally recognized System Accountability Plan, which assesses the overall performance of each University and demonstrates accountability for effective use of resources, and re-crafted and expanded PASSHE’s Performance Funding Program, which rewards Universities based on performance in eight important areas, including student achievement, faculty productivity and academic quality.

Board Chairman Kenneth M. Jarin praised Dr. Hample’s commitment to quality education and her dedication to students in recommending her for the special Board recognition.

To be eligible for emeritus status, an individual must have spent at least five continuous years in his or her leadership position and have shown “an exemplary record of service through the demonstrated commitments of time, talent and resources” to PASSHE.

Under Dr. Hample’s leadership, student retention rates increased for all students in PASSHE, most significantly for African-American and Latino students, and the four-year graduation rate increased by 26 percent overall at the System’s Universities, and by as much as 49 percent at individual Universities. The number of academic programs accredited by professional organizations at the 14 PASSHE Universities increased by more than 53 percent.

Overall enrollment at PASSHE Universities has increased from 98,611 students in Fall 2001 to 110,428 in Fall 2007. The Universities introduced 57 new degree programs aligned with Commonwealth needs, including 16 programs in various healthcare fields and 11 in math, science and technology related fields, over the last seven years. During that same time, tuition increases at the PASSHE Universities have been kept far below the national average. Over the past five years, PASSHE has had the lowest overall tuition and fee increases among all public college and university systems in the United States.

With more than 110,000 students, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth. The 14 PASSHE universities offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Approximately 405,000 PASSHE alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.

The state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. PASSHE also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Freeport, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.