UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A national leader in continuing education who was integral in building early support for Penn State World Campus has been recognized with the highest award the Penn State Alumni Association gives to alumni.
Richard Fischer, of Landenberg, Pennsylvania, is one of the 2024 Penn State Alumni Fellows announced by the Penn State Alumni Association in September. Each year, the awards honor graduates for their outstanding professional accomplishments.
Fischer, who graduated with his bachelor’s in business in 1964 and an MBA in 1966, became involved with Penn State World Campus in 2004 after a distinguished career in the public and private sectors creating programming and leading organizations focused on adult learners returning to college.
Fischer was the first chair of the board that provided strategic direction to World Campus in the mid-2000s, a time of rapid growth in enrollment and the expansion of its portfolio of degree programs. Fischer and his wife, Claudia, endowed a scholarship fund for World Campus students who were coming back to school for the first time, and his philanthropy inspired other members of that board to donate to support adult learners.
World Campus nominated Fischer as an alumni fellow because of his advocacy, leadership, and service. He is the first World Campus nominee to receive this designation.
“Richard Fischer’s lifelong commitment to higher education has helped thousands of students receive their education, in particular distance and nontraditional students,” said Paul Clifford, the CEO of the Penn State Alumni Association and associate vice president of Development for the University. “His early leadership as a founding member of the Outreach Advisory Board set an example for fellow alumni and a foundation for World Campus.”
Fischer was recognized at the alumni fellow ceremony on September 18 at The State Theatre in State College. He also visited with current World Campus leadership, staff, and students.
A career in advocating for adult learners
At the University of Delaware, Fischer expanded its continuing education programming, enrolling thousands of adult learners returning to school. A distance-learning program to enable registered nurses to get their bachelor’s degrees in nursing was one of the first of its kind in the country.
Fischer created one of the country’s first and largest university programs for older adult learners at the University of Delaware, called the Academy of Lifelong Learning. It eventually joined the national Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) network. Fischer helped secure a gift from the Osher Foundation to establish in 2007 an OLLI program within Penn State Outreach that continues to serve the State College area.
Fischer co-authored in 1992 the first text on older adult learners, “Students of the Third Age.” He received awards of excellence from the United States Distance Learning Association, University Professional and Continuing Education Association, and Delaware Superstars in Education. Fischer also received the Order of the First State, Delaware’s highest civilian award.
After retiring from his academic career, Fischer was a founding partner and president of the international consulting firm The Growth Group.
“Dr. Richard Fischer is a visionary in higher education and continuing education,” said Renata Engel, vice provost for Online Education at Penn State. “His exemplary leadership and advocacy for nontraditional learners have had a profound impact not only in higher education but also for Penn State World Campus and its students. We are grateful for the expertise he has contributed and for his dedication to improving the lives of our students through a college education. We are honored he was selected as a Penn State Alumni Fellow.”
Supporting online learners
Fischer was a founding member and first chair of the Penn State Outreach Advisory Board, which provided guidance to World Campus and Penn State Outreach, in 2004.
Fischer brought strategy, extensive professional networks, and a wealth of experience from his career in continuing education to World Campus, which was one of the first online institutions from a public research institution when it launched in 1998.
As its leader, the board helped elevate fundraising success within World Campus and Outreach, and he provided significant strategic assistance to advance the World Campus as a national leader of online learning in higher education.
In 2018, the Fischers wanted to continue a family legacy of assisting students and created a scholarship that supports World Campus students in the Smart Track to Success program. They donated $1 million, and the University provided a matching $2 million contribution through its Open Doors Scholarship program.
Through philanthropic gifts like the Fischers’ and institutional support, Smart Track to Success provides financial assistance and academic resources to students who have little or no experience in higher education.
Fischer’s continued advocacy for adult learners inspired members of the advisory board to create additional scholarships for World Campus students.
“Richard Fischer is recognized as a national leader in continuing education, and I have had the privilege of knowing him, both professionally and personally, for more than 35 years,” said Craig Weidemann, who served as vice president for Outreach and vice provost for Online Education until his retirement in 2016. “Rich was a champion of Penn State World Campus and was instrumental in our goal to provide adult learners with access to a high-quality Penn State education online.”
Today, Penn State World Campus provides a Penn State education online to more than 19,000 students across the globe. World Campus offers a comprehensive portfolio of more than 200 degrees and certificates, and more than 38,000 students have graduated with a Penn State degree they earned online through World Campus.