Early-stage project to give students access to specialized courses at other PASSHE universities—without leaving their home campus

New grant supports course-sharing teaching strategies

Course sharing brings the strengths of 10 universities to every student

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Delivering on a commitment to continuous innovation, Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is developing a course-sharing initiative to eventually allow students to take advanced or specialized courses from other PASSHE universities without leaving their home campus.

The PASSHE Foundation secured a $536,000 grant to support the early-stage project. The funding allows an additional 165 faculty members to participate in intensive, yearlong training with research-based teaching strategies that benefit course sharing.

“Course sharing will bring students access to more high-quality, specialized courses at other universities, no matter where they are in our system,” said PASSHE Chancellor Christopher Fiorentino. “By leveraging the collective strengths of our universities and investing in innovative teaching practices, we’re creating more opportunities for today’s students to succeed and supporting a more flexible State System.”

More than 500 PASSHE university faculty members have already completed the training offered by the Association of College and University Educators while continuing to teach their courses. The program enhances both in-person and online instruction, is proven to improve student engagement and academic outcomes, and is endorsed by the American Council on Education.

More course options for students

While some course sharing is available now, PASSHE aims to give students access to significantly more specialized and advanced courses offered by other State System universities.

It benefits students, especially on rural campuses, and supports local communities by producing graduates with the skills that employers need but often struggle to find.

PASSHE universities will also be able to pilot new courses that bring together students from multiple campuses in the same class.

“Course sharing reflects PASSHE’s mission to provide a quality higher education at the lowest possible cost as we meet students where they are geographically and academically,” said Diana Rogers-Adkinson, PASSHE vice chancellor and chief academic officer. “This can never replace the on-campus classroom experience, but it gives students an additional option to take specialized or advanced courses offered at other campuses.

“I thank all of the faculty across the State System who are working hard to develop this course-sharing initiative. By increasing access to faculty expertise from across our universities, this initiative will add value to students’ college education, help them learn advanced knowledge and skills and provide the talent that Pennsylvania needs.”

Piloting course sharing
The State System is conducting course-sharing pilots, which were recommended by a faculty-led advisory council in consultation with university provosts. More undergraduate and graduate courses are under consideration for future inclusion.

PASSHE will also create a course-sharing guide to help other university systems.

“PASSHE is well-positioned to be a national leader in designing course sharing strategies, with its universities in rural and suburban communities,” said Shelley Scherer, president and CEO, PASSHE Foundation. “We look forward to working with our peer systems and sharing our experiences to help expand educational access and opportunities for students, particularly those from rural communities.”

A strong technical foundation
To support course sharing, PASSHE is creating a unified student information platform across all campuses. Students use the platform to select classes, track progress, and manage financial aid, tuition and scholarships in one place.

The system is now in place at most PASSHE universities, with a full rollout expected next year.

National collaboration
PASSHE is working with higher education systems across the country to refine and expand course-sharing strategies. Through the National Association of System Heads (NASH), a workgroup is sharing best practices. In 2024, NASH awarded PASSHE a $10,000 grant to support the initiative.

PASSHE is also pursuing additional funding to expand the pilot programs and strengthen the supporting technology infrastructure.

About PASSHE
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is the public university system of the commonwealth with a mission to provide a high-quality education at the lowest possible cost to students. The State System annually confers more than 20,000 degrees and has more than 800,000 living alumni, most of whom live in Pennsylvania. The State System universities are Cheyney, Commonwealth (Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield), East Stroudsburg, Indiana, Kutztown, Millersville, PennWest (California, Clarion and Edinboro), Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester universities of Pennsylvania.