Master Plan for Higher Education

DRAFT: Pennsylvania Master Plan for Higher Education (PDF) - This redline draft reflects additional revisions made in response to discussion during the October 14, 2022, Special Meeting of the Council of Higher Education.

The Public School Code of 1949 directs the State Board of Education (Board) to adopt a Master Plan for Higher Education (Master Plan) every 10 years for the guidance of the Governor, the General Assembly, and all institutions of higher education funded wholly or in part by state appropriations. The Board's Council of Higher Education (Council) is tasked with developing a Master Plan for adoption by the Board.

The Council initiated an update to the Master Plan in January 2021. At that time, the Council held a working session to review the requirements for a Master Plan as set forth in the Public School Code. The working session provided an open forum for members to discuss their vision for a new Master Plan and to determine how to structure the work to develop a new plan. The Council also reviewed and invited discussion on a draft table of contents that identified strategic priorities around which a new Master Plan will be centered. DRAFT: Proposed Table of Contents for Pennsylvania Master Plan for Higher Education.

The Council determined that it would appoint an Advisory Committee to consult with in the development of a new Master Plan representative of all postsecondary education sectors in the Commonwealth, workforce development representatives, and leadership from the Department of Education and the Department of Labor and Industry. The membership of the Master Plan for Higher Education Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) was considered and approved by the Council at a public meeting in March 2021 and, at the request of Council members, an additional Advisory Committee member representing the Commonwealth's workforce development needs was added in May 2021. Advisory Committee Members.

Finally, the Public School Code of 1949 empowers the Council to require the submission of long-range plans from public and private institutions of higher education and directs such documents to be reviewed in the development of a new Master Plan. In accordance with the Public School Code, the Council invited all institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth to submit publicly available links to the institution's most recent strategic plan, annual plan, or similar document. The Council also invited institutions to submit links to dashboards with outcome metrics developed to accompany the institution's strategic plan, annual plan, or similar document, as well as links to other relevant resources associated with those items. These documents will be reviewed in the development of a new Master Plan.

The Council and the Advisory Committee began holding bimonthly working sessions in July 2021. All meetings of the Council and the Advisory Committee were open to the public and were livestreamed for public viewing. Below, you will find an index of past meetings agendas, along with presentations made to the Council and Advisory Committee. 

In September 2022, the Council recommended adoption of a Master Plan to the State Board of Education and the Board referred the Plan back to the Council.  The Council held a public Special Meeting on October 14, 2022, to provide time for additional input on the Master Plan by members of the Board.  A redline version of an updated draft reflecting discussion at that Special Meeting is posted at the top of this page.

Council of Higher Education & Master Plan for Higher Education Advisory Committee

Working Session Agendas