In an attempt to solve decreasing enrollment and increasing student costs, Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) plans to consolidate six out of the fourteen universities that are currently a part of the PASSHE system. Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield University will be consolidated into one accreditation, as well as California, Clarion and Edinboro University.
The recent passing of Act 50 gave the PASSHE board of governors the power to make decisions regarding affiliation, consolidation, merging and expanding of the universities. The chancellor and the board suggested integration (which falls under consolidation) of six universities. The official plan that will be created by the chancellor will be voted on in April and announced to the public if it is passed. The plan will then have to be passed by two-thirds of the board of governors again in July. If the plan is not passed, they will have to create a new one.
Chancellor Dan Greenstein answered questions from WCU staff in an open forum last Wednesday, where he addressed the decision to consolidate the universities. He explained that separately, the universities that are being consolidated do not have enough resources to fully educate students in certain programs, but together, the universities will be able to offer a wider range of specialties.
He explains that we can continue as we are now with separate schools and limited resources, “or we can work together and as a collective offer the range that all our communities need. As a public institution that choice at least to me is an obvious one. Making it happen, how to make it happen, probably less so.”
With no detailed information on how each university will deal with consolidation coming out until April 15, many students and faculty have started to assume the worst about the future of their programs.
The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) held a town hall last Thursday where students could express their concerns and ask APSCUF members questions. But professors are just as confused, and even disheartened, about the decision to consolidate. “We [teachers] don’t like to say, ‘I don’t know’…we hope that they [the questions] are answered in that plan,” said one professor on the call.
The chancellor claims that the consolidation will help spread resources throughout the universities. For example, Bloomsburg’s accredited business program could potentially be used by Lock Haven and Mansfield students, but professors who work in accredited programs claim it is not that easy. A lot of resources, materials and staff are needed to sustain these programs and the recent faculty cuts, in addition to a greater number of students as result of consolidation, is sure to cause program changes.
It is also unclear whether students will be able to take all their classes at one of the university locations. Will Clarion students be able to take all their classes at Clarion, or will some of them be in Edinboro? Many students are worried they will have to commute between the three schools to complete their program or be required to take online hybrid courses from other locations.
With college students everywhere currently taking classes online and dealing with hybrid classes because of the pandemic, it is expected that interests in these consolidated universities will go down, and more high school students will choose to go to universities that are not at risk of consolidation or retrenchment, like WCU, or decide not to go to school at all.
At a time when numbers of university enrollment are going down across the U.S. due to COVID-19, many PA professors are wondering why the declining student enrollment numbers from this year are being used to speed up the process of consolidation.
For many students and faculty within the PASSHE system, it is hard to see how consolidation will directly improve enrollment numbers and college costs when hundreds of professors are receiving retrenchment letters, and when many students are considering transferring to a school that has a concrete plan for their selected program.
Students interested in seeking updates on retrenchment, PASSHE and consolidation are encouraged to follow @APSCUF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
To keep updated on board decisions and on Chancellor Green’s visits to PASSHE schools, follow him on Twitter @dan_greenstein.
Emma Hogan is a first-year English major. EH954390@wcupa.edu