Mission Statement
Safeguard Old State aims to preserve and protect student rights and
traditions, fostering a rugged and enduring sense of collective memory
among the members of the Penn State family — students, alumni, faculty
and friends — advancing the best of the institution’s proud history in
order to promote a healthier university environment.
From a broader perspective, Safeguard Old State strives to rekindle the spirit of the classical university within the structure of the modern research institution, promoting personal growth through fellowship and genuine academic inquiry. This is accomplished through loyalty and dedication to our land-grant heritage as central to the university within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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The Safeguard Old State Perspective & Our Mission In Practice
We are committing to helping return the Pennsylvania State University to
glory, both with large and small steps toward a brighter future. We
seek to foster a renaissance in student and alumni life, both within the
Nittany Valley and throughout the global community of Penn Staters.
From its founding in 1855, the University has a rich history of providing educational opportunities to the young men and women enrolled. The experiences we have as students are a central part of that education. As the Penn State Alma Mater accurately states, “Shapeless in the hands of fate, Thou didst mold us, Dear Old State.”
Regardless of whether you are involved with activities such as THON, Greek life, The Daily Collegian, ARHS, UPAC, Intramural Sports, a service group, or any student group on campus we are part of a community. Penn State and State College become our second homes and, for some, a permanent home. No matter where our future lies after our time as undergraduates at Penn State, many memories will remain forever in the Nittany Valley.
As students, we should feel a link to our University. This includes:
· Having positive traditions to reflect on, linking alumni and students for generations.
· Having a sense of a unique community in time between students, alumni, and administrators.
· Having true shared governance so as to help our university grow and meet the needs of its students.
Penn State is the spirit of its students — it is they who have made the Penn State experience so memorable and our traditions so great. If we take away the chance for students to make a difference, then those rights and traditions, old and new, will lose their meaning. Unless outlets for shared governance are preserving and renewed, that chance may disappear.
History teaches us that when the many give up their rights to the few, the result is never positive. Consolidation of power, even begun with the best of intentions, is never the right solution. Policy changes over the last few years at Penn State have seriously hampered the opportunities for students and alumni to return to their rightful role within the University.
This touches the daily life of all students on issues like renting downtown, residence hall life, campus safety, tuition increases, student fees, campus traditions and in a myriad of other ways.
Safeguard Old State, a coalition of Penn Staters of all ages, seeks to rediscover the spirit of the classical university and thereby foster a truly student-centered Penn State for generations to come.
Please join us in this effort. Our legacy, after all, belongs to you.