As the Rural Free Delivery mail system was developing in the late 1800s, forward-thinking leaders at what was then the Pennsylvania State College recognized an opportunity. With a new ability to deliver U.S. mail directly to rural homes, Penn State could send instructional materials to farmers who might not be able to leave their farms to study in a traditional classroom. In 1892, Penn State became the first American institution of higher education to offer correspondence courses in agriculture.
One hundred years later, another major development, the World Wide Web, similarly led forward-thinking university leaders to recognize a new opportunity in the form of a new mechanism to bring higher education to learners who might not be able to attend Penn State in a traditional way. It was 1992, and laptops and smartphones did not exist, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth had not yet been invented, and the internet was truly in its infancy. But administrators like Jim Ryan—vice president for outreach at the time—were able to see the potential of this new technology.
Karen Pollack, associate vice provost for online education, was there at the beginning.
“When I talked to Jim Ryan about this opportunity, he said, ‘We’ve decided this World Wide Web is a thing. It’s happening, it’s the future, and we should either go big, or go home.’ So the decision was made to pretty quickly phase out all of Penn State’s correspondence courses and put it all online.”
Penn State’s agricultural sciences professors once again led the way with the introduction of the university’s first online course—turfgrass management—in 1998. Thus, Penn State World Campus was born.
“The students who first signed up, the faculty who first said, ‘Sure, I’ll give it a try,’ and the staff who took positions in something which was fledgling—all three had elements of seeing something down the road that was bigger,” says Renata Engel, vice provost for online education. “They were risk takers, and they had the characteristics that led to what World Campus has become.”
What is has become is the second largest Penn State campus, offering over 175 undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Much care has been taken over the past twenty-five years to ensure that a World Campus student receives the same quality of education as any other Penn State student does. All degree programs are fully integrated with academic units at either University Park or one of the commonwealth campuses, and World Campus students have the same credit requirements, same course content, and in many instances the same professors as in-person students do. World Campus also offers students the same student services, from academic advising to career placement to mental health services. Perhaps most importantly, World Campus students graduate with an authentic Penn State degree.
The “typical” World Campus student is a returning adult learner about thirty-one years old. Each year, about 20,000 students are enrolled, and they have come from all seven continents. According to Pollack, past students include Olympians, professional athletes, and American Idol winners. The campus draws a large number of military members and has the university’s largest population of students with disabilities, employing an entire team focused on accessibility issues.
While many other universities offer online degrees, one thing that makes World Campus stand out is the fact that it offers almost an equal number of graduate and undergraduate programs.
“Most other schools just offer graduate-level programs because it’s easier. It’s not as many credits; it’s not as intense,” Pollack says.
The most popular degrees at the undergraduate level are business, criminal justice, and psychology. At the graduate level, MBA, homeland security, and data analytics programs top the list. The campus also offers certificates and associate degrees and recently began offering doctoral programs in nursing, engineering, and education.
Penn State World Campus has certainly come a long way over the last twenty-five years, and the campus is celebrating its anniversary all year long in internal communications and on social media. As an indication of just how big this milestone is, Penn State Berkey Creamery is temporarily naming an ice cream flavor in its honor. “Penn State World Campus Birthday Bash” ice cream will be available from August through November. T&G
Karen Walker is a freelance writer in State College.
