OT: Latest in the Cheyney Saga

[Horror Child]

Mostly good PR. The school that likely had the most to do with the decline of CHEYNEY, through rapid growth and expansion of curriculum, manages to save an HBCU of some historical significance. Could actually turn it into academic center focused on the history of race relations in the country. The campus exists, use largely WCU faculty and establish endowment from people who claim to care about such things. It's put up or shut up time for the progressive elite.

Wow. Just wow.

[Wcball00]

Mostly good PR. The school that likely had the most to do with the decline of CHEYNEY, through rapid growth and expansion of curriculum, manages to save an HBCU of some historical significance. Could actually turn it into academic center focused on the history of race relations in the country. The campus exists, use largely WCU faculty and establish endowment from people who claim to care about such things. It's put up or shut up time for the progressive elite.

The story already fails to mention the fact that WCU has been doing all of Cheyney's HR and maintenance work for FREE.

[Fightingscot82]

The story already fails to mention the fact that WCU has been doing all of Cheyney's HR and maintenance work for FREE.

That's actually a good model. No reason to have 14 independent HR offices when most employees are on the same 2 or 3 CBAs. Each state park doesn't have its own HR office.

[CALUPA69]

That's actually a good model. No reason to have 14 independent HR offices when most employees are on the same 2 or 3 CBAs. Each state park doesn't have its own HR office.

The next likely consolidation in the interests of economy would be MANSFIELD and LHU with a combined enrollment of a bit over 5000. If these two mergers were done PASSHE would have 12 members and neither of those would effect the East-West football balance. Beyond that all others have an enrollment of 5000+ with the exception of CLARION at 4000-. Then it would be up to the individual institutions to fend for themselves with a combination of state funds and endowment/fund raising.

[Fightingscot82]

The next likely consolidation in the interests of economy would be MANSFIELD and LHU with a combined enrollment of a bit over 5000. If these two mergers were done PASSHE would have 12 members and neither of those would effect the East-West football balance. Beyond that all others have an enrollment of 5000+ with the exception of CLARION at 4000-. Then it would be up to the individual institutions to fend for themselves with a combination of state funds and endowment/fund raising.

Possibly - the challenge is that enrollments for those schools is lower because population in that region is lower and if you take out one of those two schools you're creating a post-secondary education desert. We don't have enough two-year schools and true community colleges outside of southeastern PA to pick up the slack for a dropped four-year school.

I think the state can and should figure out a way to consolidate back-end administrative functions like HR and outsource superficial ones like groundskeeping. This is what the state parks and state forests do.

[ironmaniup]

Possibly - the challenge is that enrollments for those schools is lower because population in that region is lower and if you take out one of those two schools you're creating a post-secondary education desert. We don't have enough two-year schools and true community colleges outside of southeastern PA to pick up the slack for a dropped four-year school.

I think the state can and should figure out a way to consolidate back-end administrative functions like HR and outsource superficial ones like groundskeeping. This is what the state parks and state forests do.

AFSCME won't allow that much outsourcing. The state couldn't even get rid of the union jobs at Liqueur stores. But yes, Mansfield and LHU could Merge, LHU already has a facility in Coudersport. Most Admin could be merged, and low enrollment advanced classes could be shared, but faculty will be disgruntled over that. A key will be what is in the just negotiated faculty contract. Figuring out how to market a new merged university will take some time too. There's the risk that students will reject a merged university. If the Passhe universities are not unique, why not just go to the Vanilla PSU branches.

[CALUPA69]

Possibly - the challenge is that enrollments for those schools is lower because population in that region is lower and if you take out one of those two schools you're creating a post-secondary education desert. We don't have enough two-year schools and true community colleges outside of southeastern PA to pick up the slack for a dropped four-year school.

I think the state can and should figure out a way to consolidate back-end administrative functions like HR and outsource superficial ones like groundskeeping. This is what the state parks and state forests do.

But how can you justify two PASSHE schools in the four county (Clinton, Tioga, Potter, Lycoming) north central region with 214,787 people as opposed to one school in the four county (Washington, Greene, Fayette, Westmoreland) southwest corner with 741,263 ? Seems odd that both schools were placed there to begin with although I believe the LOCK HAVEN area once had some industry. Really don't see how small savings on consolidated services answers that question.

[Fightingscot82]

But how can you justify two PASSHE schools in the four county (Clinton, Tioga, Potter, Lycoming) north central region with 214,787 people as opposed to one school in the four county (Washington, Greene, Fayette, Westmoreland) southwest corner with 741,263 ? Seems odd that both schools were placed there to begin with although I believe the LOCK HAVEN area once had some industry. Really don't see how small savings on consolidated services answers that question.

No school was placed anywhere. They each started as private schools purchased by the state 100 years ago so geography be damned.

[CALUPA69]

No school was placed anywhere. They each started as private schools purchased by the state 100 years ago so geography be damned.

In that case, other than tradition, there's absolutely no reason to keep both open. That should be easy.

[iupgroundhog]

No school was placed anywhere. They each started as private schools purchased by the state 100 years ago so geography be damned.

It had everything to do with geography. The state created 12 Normal School Districts so that a school in each district could become a normal school. Clarion and Cheyney came in after that to make 14. The idea was that every person in PA would have access to a normal school.

[Fightingscot82]

It had everything to do with geography. The state created 12 Normal School Districts so that a school in each district could become a normal school. Clarion and Cheyney came in after that to make 14. The idea was that every person in PA would have access to a normal school.

Yes but I believe that was after each school was founded. I believe the districts were drawn with these schools in mind rather than population. I could be wrong but that's how I remember it. My only source is out on loan.

[Bart]

But how can you justify two PASSHE schools in the four county (Clinton, Tioga, Potter, Lycoming) north central region with 214,787 people as opposed to one school in the four county (Washington, Greene, Fayette, Westmoreland) southwest corner with 741,263 ? Seems odd that both schools were placed there to begin with although I believe the LOCK HAVEN area once had some industry. Really don't see how small savings on consolidated services answers that question.

Back in the day, it was about geography. Students traveled to these schools by train or horse and buggy. It wasn't about the population of the areas, but about access to an education. The 4 county north central region covers 4360 square acres, while the southwest corner counties mentioned covers 3273 acres. That's a lot of mileage to cover when your walking to school in deep snow pulling a goat.

[ironmaniup]

Back in the day, it was about geography. Students traveled to these schools by train or horse and buggy. It wasn't about the population of the areas, but about access to an education. The 4 county north central region covers 4360 square acres, while the southwest corner counties mentioned covers 3273 acres. That's a lot of mileage to cover when your walking to school in deep snow pulling a goat.

The Funny thing is, even with the improvements in transportation, students retention correlates with distance from home, so students that get home less during the school year tend to quit or transfer more. There's nothing wrong with a school with 2000 students, if it is run efficiently, problem is the faculty contracts are more suited for bigger schools, so LHU and Mansfield can't do the the things schools like Lycoming, can do to save money.

[shipfbfan12]

One thing I've noticed about Cheyney is they do a poor job marketing the university on their web page. I know for me helping my daughter with narrowing her college choices for next fall we go through the school's website to learn information about the school and get an idea of how well the campus looks especially the dorms. I found 0 images of the dorms at Cheyney even though they've renovated an historic building to be a dorm as well as the apartments they constructed recently on campus. Those are huge selling points to kids who may not want the traditional dorm setting all 4 years but without pictures who's making a visit up Rt 1.

[iupgroundhog]

Yes but I believe that was after each school was founded. I believe the districts were drawn with these schools in mind rather than population. I could be wrong but that's how I remember it. My only source is out on loan.

Yes, the schools existed in some form before they became normal schools.