SJU President Appointed to PA Governor’s Higher Education Board
Governor Shapiro taps President Cheryl A. McConnell, PhD, to advise on higher education in the Commonwealth.
On Friday, Sept. 13, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced that Saint Joseph’s University president, Dr. Cheryl A. McConnell, PhD, had been appointed to the new State Board of Higher Education.
The Board brings together leaders from higher education, the business community, labor, students, legislators and members of the Shapiro Administration to craft a strategic plan for higher education. McConnell will represent the more than 80 private colleges and universities in the Commonwealth.
In his 2024-2025 budget for the Commonwealth, Governor Shapiro pushed for higher education reforms, arguing that action was needed to address the steep challenges that faced the industry. The appointment of Dr. McConnell is an acknowledgement by the Governor that visionary leaders at institutions like Saint Joseph’s have a critical role to play in overcoming these challenges.
“Saint Joseph’s has been a leader in higher education strategy and this appointment recognizes our strength and success in this area,” says Dr. McConnell of her appointment. ”I’m honored to contribute to this effort on behalf of all independent, private higher education institutions in the Commonwealth.”
Dr. McConnell will deploy her considerable expertise in the field to coordinate between higher education institutions and sectors, assuring higher education is accessible and affordable for students. McConnell’s leadership of two recent mergers and acquisitions that facilitated orderly university closures was desirable experience to add to the board.
In addition to a strategic plan for higher education, the Board will be responsible for developing orderly institutional closure processes, and it will create a new Outcomes-Based Funding Council that will deliver recommendations for how best to fund state-related universities.
This latest appointment comes on the heels of Dr. McConnell’s involvement in Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker’s Eds and Meds Roundtable, an initiative supported by the mayor’s administration aimed at addressing the unique challenges and opportunities in Philadelphia’s education and medical sectors.
