For many educators, teaching excellence begins with a moment of connection where students feel seen and supported. Across the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), those moments have become the foundation of a systemwide strategy to enhance student outcomes—one that has now earned them national recognition.
In 2025, the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) named PASSHE a Movement Maker, recognizing the system for their extraordinary leadership in advancing student success through quality instruction. Winning the Movement Maker designation reflects years of deliberate, systemwide investment in faculty and evidence-based teaching.
“When we invest in our educators, we invest in every student they teach.”
Diana Rogers-Adkinson, PhD, Senior Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs and Chief Academic Officer
A Strategic Partnership Focused on Faculty and Students
PASSHE’s engagement with ACUE began with a successful pilot at Commonwealth University–Bloomsburg.
With hundreds of programs across 14 campuses and online, maintaining consistency in educational quality was a monumental challenge. Having seen success at Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg, PASSHE looked to expand to its entire System. Teaching excellence, PASSHE leaders emphasized, is not one-size-fits-all. “Teaching excellence is really looking at your learners and understanding that what works for one might not work for another,” says Rita Carey, DNP, CRNP, FNP-C, CNE, Associate Professor, Breiner School of Nursing. And its impact extends far beyond an individual classroom. “It’s not only the faculty member or professor—it’s also within the department, within the college, within the university.”
What followed was a deliberate decision to scale. PASSHE invested in ACUE’s ecosystem of faculty development not as a temporary fix, but as a long-term strategy aligned with system priorities.
“We’ve really had to think about how to work together,” says Jennifer Demchak, PhD, Professor and Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning. “The ACUE programming has helped us form that connectivity.” Now entering the fifth year of their partnership with ACUE, PASSHE has built a scalable model for lasting change. Across the system, leaders have elevated evidence-based teaching practices to empower faculty, strengthen belonging, and deliver high-quality learning experiences for students across the Commonwealth.
Since then, PASSHE has seen remarkable results:
- 950+ have participated in an ACUE course offering*
- Over 243 have earned their Certificate in Effective Teaching
- Over 257 faculty and staff have completed the Fostering a Culture of Belonging course
- More than 6,500 evidence-based new practices implemented
“What that shows me is this is high value, high quality, and that we are making the right investments on behalf of our faculty,” says Dr. Rogers-Adkinson.
*Reflects updated numbers since 2025 filming. Sourced from internal partnership overview report Spring 2021-Fall 2026.
Recognition as a Movement Maker
ACUE’s 2025 Movement Maker designation affirms the strength of this systemwide approach. The recognition highlights PASSHE’s ability to scale faculty development across a complex public higher education system while keeping student success at the center of every decision.
“When we invest in our educators, we invest in every student they teach,” says Dr. Rogers-Adkinson. The honor underscores PASSHE’s belief that outstanding teaching is one of the most powerful levers for improving student outcomes—especially at scale.
Sustaining the Work Together
Looking ahead, PASSHE remains focused on embedding great teaching into the fabric of the institution. Through its partnership with ACUE, the system continues to turn aspiration into action.
“First and foremost, this is a signal to our faculty that we care about them,” says Dr. Rogers-Adkinson. “We made a conscious decision to support our faculty in excellence in their pedagogy while simultaneously focusing on our students—and this recognition shows we’re on the right path.”
