Strategic Plan

Penn State Abington biology class

Mission

The Pennsylvania State University is a multi-campus, land-grant, public research University that educates students from around the world, and supports individuals and communities through integrated programs of teaching, research, and service.

Our instructional mission includes undergraduate, graduate, professional, continuing, and extension education, offered through both resident instruction and distance learning. Our educational programs are enriched by the talent, knowledge, diversity, creativity, and teaching and research acumen of our faculty, students, and staff.

Our discovery-oriented, collaborative, and interdisciplinary research and scholarship promote human and economic development, global understanding, and advancement in professional practice through the expansion of knowledge and its applications in the natural and applied sciences, social and behavioral sciences, engineering, technology, arts and humanities, and myriad professions.

As Pennsylvania’s land-grant university, we provide unparalleled access to education and public service to support the citizens of the Commonwealth and beyond. We engage in collaborative activities with private sector, educational, and governmental partners worldwide to generate, integrate, apply, and disseminate knowledge that is valuable to society.

Two students work with a professor in a lab.

Vision

Penn State will be a leader in research, learning, and engagement that facilitates innovation, embraces diversity and sustainability, and inspires achievements that will affect the world in positive and enduring ways.

Group of students, faculty and staff from Penn State Abington raising their hands together.

Penn State Values

Six core institutional values, identified in large part through Penn State’s Culture and Values survey in 2014, sustain this strategic plan and offer essential context for the successful execution of Penn State’s mission.

Integrity. We act with integrity in accordance with the highest academic, professional, and ethical standards.

Respect. We respect and honor the dignity of each person, embrace civil discourse, and foster a diverse, inclusive, and safe community.

Responsibility. We act responsibly and hold ourselves accountable for our decisions, actions, and their consequences.

Discovery. Through advanced research and scholarship, we seek and create new knowledge and understanding, and foster creativity and innovation, for society’s benefit.

Excellence. We strive for excellence in all of our endeavors as individuals, an institution, and a leader in higher education and research.

Community. We work together for the betterment of our University, the communities we serve, and the world.