PASSHE Institutions Merging

[iupgroundhog]

A Faculty no confidence vote is not enough to remove a president. Ultimately the Chancellor makes the decision to remove a president in consultation with the trustees. A faculty vote raises a red flag, but there must be other things. The thing with Driscoll is, he has followed all of the guidance from Harrisburg, and he hasn't done anything wrong, like misuse funds, or directly mistreat faculty, or have a mistress. He is cleaning up the IUP budget problems with some Harsh measures.

The Faculty that wrote the letter in the IG was retrenched and had an ax to grind, so he is more critical of Driscoll than the average faculty, but most are at a loss for how you throw away the last couple of years of initiatives. Here is a more detailed article about the letter writer https://thehawkeyeonlinenews.wordpre...chment-at-iup/

Thanks for that. You can have an axe to grind and be right at the same time. I agree with him.

[ironmaniup]

I see there is a letter to the editor in the IG from a former faculty member regarding Driscoll. How can the IUP community get him out? Does it take a "no confidence" vote from the faculty? Does the Board of Trustees have to take action? I want to believe pressure is building but how can it happen?

A Faculty no confidence vote is not enough to remove a president. Ultimately the Chancellor makes the decision to remove a president in consultation with the trustees. A faculty vote raises a red flag, but there must be other things. The thing with Driscoll is, he has followed all of the guidance from Harrisburg, and he hasn't done anything wrong, like misuse funds, or directly mistreat faculty, or have a mistress. He is cleaning up the IUP budget problems with some Harsh measures.

The Faculty that wrote the letter in the IG was retrenched and had an ax to grind, so he is more critical of Driscoll than the average faculty, but most are at a loss for how you throw away the last couple of years of initiatives. Here is a more detailed article about the letter writer https://thehawkeyeonlinenews.wordpre...chment-at-iup/

[iupgroundhog]

This is generally the on-campus reaction to this speech as well. The problem is, he has no specifics. Academics always joke about a new 5 year plan every year, but there have really been struggles with reacting to the budget crisis with yet another reorganization, and yet another set of curriculum changes.

I see there is a letter to the editor in the IG from a former faculty member regarding Driscoll. How can the IUP community get him out? Does it take a "no confidence" vote from the faculty? Does the Board of Trustees have to take action? I want to believe pressure is building but how can it happen?

[ironmaniup]

It's not his goal. He just accepts the decline of the university. They can add the credentialing but, as he said, it will still be a residential university. Why build the brand spanking new science building if you aren't going to continue to push undergraduate and graduate enrollment?

This speech got away from him. The Post-Gazette made it into a folly. They focused on the arcane biblical references rather than the new focus. IMO, the problem is he didn't get into any specifics. What is going to change and how is it going to change and why.

Different ethnicities? What is he talking about? Can they renew the Asian MBA enrollment post-pandemic?

Can they sell the science majors? If not, why did people pour their money into science?

It's all too vague and open to interpretation. The speech gets an F-.

This is generally the on-campus reaction to this speech as well. The problem is, he has no specifics. Academics always joke about a new 5 year plan every year, but there have really been struggles with reacting to the budget crisis with yet another reorganization, and yet another set of curriculum changes.

[iupgroundhog]

If I read the speech correctly, that doesn't seem to be his goal at all. This was more of a we have to accept the new reality of were and what IUP is. Seemed to be saying that their focus was going to be on getting adult learners and people coming in for credentialing type training as opposed trying to increase the number of students coming out of HS.

It's not his goal. He just accepts the decline of the university. They can add the credentialing but, as he said, it will still be a residential university. Why build the brand spanking new science building if you aren't going to continue to push undergraduate and graduate enrollment?

This speech got away from him. The Post-Gazette made it into a folly. They focused on the arcane biblical references rather than the new focus. IMO, the problem is he didn't get into any specifics. What is going to change and how is it going to change and why.

Different ethnicities? What is he talking about? Can they renew the Asian MBA enrollment post-pandemic?

Can they sell the science majors? If not, why did people pour their money into science?

It's all too vague and open to interpretation. The speech gets an F-.

[boatcapt]

That is pretty depressing. I think I can grasp the challenges. Demographics and, in IUP's case, geography. However, I believe Driscoll has not pushed hard enough to support IUP. IUP was special and unique in many ways. In the face of the challenges, I don't think IUP marketed itself well. Plus, Driscoll has been more a good soldier in the PASSHE system rather than a cheerleader for IUP.

His speech is fatalistic. Like he is giving up because it's all out of his control. If there are specifics behind what he said he didn't say what they were.

That speech doesn't exude confidence in IUP or his stewardship of it. Has a real ominous tone to it.

If enrollment was 9400 this year, the goal should be to get back to over 10k. To realize that, IUP (and Driscoll) would have to push back on PASSHE, possibly to the detriment of its sister PASSHE schools. It was worth taking that approach. It sounds like it might be too late.

If I read the speech correctly, that doesn't seem to be his goal at all. This was more of a we have to accept the new reality of were and what IUP is. Seemed to be saying that their focus was going to be on getting adult learners and people coming in for credentialing type training as opposed trying to increase the number of students coming out of HS.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Their director quit in a huff.

That position was filled last week.

[Fightingscot82]

He's become the Teflon Don of IUP.

I was looking for the violin players from Titanic during his speech.

Their director quit in a huff.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

He's become the Teflon Don of IUP.

I was looking for the violin players from Titanic during his speech.

[IUPNation]

That is pretty depressing. I think I can grasp the challenges. Demographics and, in IUP's case, geography. However, I believe Driscoll has not pushed hard enough to support IUP. IUP was special and unique in many ways. In the face of the challenges, I don't think IUP marketed itself well. Plus, Driscoll has been more a good soldier in the PASSHE system rather than a cheerleader for IUP.

His speech is fatalistic. Like he is giving up because it's all out of his control. If there are specifics behind what he said he didn't say what they were.

That speech doesn't exude confidence in IUP or his stewardship of it. Has a real ominous tone to it.

If enrollment was 9400 this year, the goal should be to get back to over 10k. To realize that, IUP (and Driscoll) would have to push back on PASSHE, possibly to the detriment of its sister PASSHE schools. It was worth taking that approach. It sounds like it might be too late.

[IUPNation]

[iupgroundhog]

Very unusual speech by IUP President: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/ed...s/202204220099plans to sell two residence halls, completed little more than a decade earlier

That is pretty depressing. I think I can grasp the challenges. Demographics and, in IUP's case, geography. However, I believe Driscoll has not pushed hard enough to support IUP. IUP was special and unique in many ways. In the face of the challenges, I don't think IUP marketed itself well. Plus, Driscoll has been more a good soldier in the PASSHE system rather than a cheerleader for IUP.

His speech is fatalistic. Like he is giving up because it's all out of his control. If there are specifics behind what he said he didn't say what they were.

That speech doesn't exude confidence in IUP or his stewardship of it. Has a real ominous tone to it.

If enrollment was 9400 this year, the goal should be to get back to over 10k. To realize that, IUP (and Driscoll) would have to push back on PASSHE, possibly to the detriment of its sister PASSHE schools. It was worth taking that approach. It sounds like it might be too late.

[jrshooter]

Some play D3: Abiington, Altoona, Berks, Erie, and Harrisburg. Everyone else plays USCAA (community colleges).

Yeah, there's no PSU campus playing D-II ball. One Pitt campus plays D-II, that's all.

[Bart]

Very unusual speech by IUP President: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/ed...s/202204220099plans to sell two residence halls, completed little more than a decade earlier

[Fightingscot82]

There are two ways to address the financial situation - increase revenue and decrease cost. You are speaking to the cost issue which has all kinds of built-in roadblocks. The ways to increase revenues are to increase enrollment or increase the state appropriation. The state appropriation is not likely to be increased (in any meaningful way), given Pennsylvanians' apparent disdain for funding public education ( I am embarrassed by what my native state has become).

By tinkering with tuition, there are also two parts to it. One is the hope that not increasing tuition will bring in more students. However, the PA demographics negate that possibility. The other is that by keeping tuition the same (lowering it in real dollars) the schools will be better able to retain the students they have. That is where the PASSHE is at right now. Retaining, not growing.

In the case of IUP. lowering tuition by 20% provides the hope that it will increase enrollment, not necessarily that it will increase revenues. IUP seriously needs to improve enrollment.

And in reality, its not truly lowering tuition as much as it is abandoning a very short-sighted policy that clearly did not result in the desired outcomes. FWIW, every PASSHE school that has tried per-credit tuition has abandoned the model.