PASSHE Institutions Merging

[boatcapt]

Seems like there is already a bunch of back end/shared administration going on at a number of the PASSHE schools. If this is the case, I wonder how much additional efficiency (read, cost savings) can be realized?

[ironmaniup]

There is a major system-wide retrenchment coming. 10 of the 14 schools have informed the faculty union that full-time professor positions will be identified by October 30 to be eliminated on July 1, 2021. Good people will be lost but expenses will be brought closer to expected revenues. I have hope that through pain good comes to the system (especially Edinboro).

Its looking really brutal, they want to reset to 2010 student /faculty ratio's. It goes by seniority, and by department, so people with 15-20 years experience might be retrenched. its going to get really bitter around October

[Fightingscot82]

Seems like there is already a bunch of back end/shared administration going on at a number of the PASSHE schools. If this is the case, I wonder how much additional efficiency (read, cost savings) can be realized?

I imagine some more - but like in WV, the schools aren't strategically placed so geography gets in the way. Administrative functions could surely be consolidated but you still run into issues that are easily prevented with an in person presence, and nobody is going to jump at driving 50-75 miles each way to hold open office hours. The three collaborations right now are unique from the others so to me its three concurrent experiments to see how well it works. The collaborative partner schools are all 60-90 minutes from each other.

[Bart]

Its looking really brutal, they want to reset to 2010 student /faculty ratio's. It goes by seniority, and by department, so people with 15-20 years experience might be retrenched. its going to get really bitter around October

https://www.lockhaven.com/news/local...-to-cut-costs/

[Fightingscot82]

https://www.lockhaven.com/news/local...-to-cut-costs/

Talked to some friends who study higher ed & teach graduate level courses on it. Big research universities can manipulate Student:Faculty ratio because they have lots of research faculty who hold full time professorships but teach very little. At these schools they may teach 1 or 2 classes per semester because they're really being paid to land grant money & conduct big research. At PASSHE, professors usually teach 4 classes per semester unless they have an administrative assignment then its still 2 or 3 classes. There are no research faculty in PASSHE.

When talking PASSHE or any other school that isn't truly research intensive, the better metric is average class size.

[ironmaniup]

Talked to some friends who study higher ed & teach graduate level courses on it. Big research universities can manipulate Student:Faculty ratio because they have lots of research faculty who hold full time professorships but teach very little. At these schools they may teach 1 or 2 classes per semester because they're really being paid to land grant money & conduct big research. At PASSHE, professors usually teach 4 classes per semester unless they have an administrative assignment then its still 2 or 3 classes. There are no research faculty in PASSHE.

When talking PASSHE or any other school that isn't truly research intensive, the better metric is average class size.

They also pay Temps and Grad students very little. I wonder if the Union is regretting striking for the higher adjunct wages a few years back ? I'm hearing 10-20% retrenchment on average. that's huge,50 to 100 faculty, depending on things like retirements.

[Fightingscot82]

They also pay Temps and Grad students very little. I wonder if the Union is regretting striking for the higher adjunct wages a few years back ? I'm hearing 10-20% retrenchment on average. that's huge,50 to 100 faculty, depending on things like retirements.

Adjuncts make a much better rate in PASSHE than other schools. But the union contract also prevents schools from eliminating FT faculty then hiring PT faculty to replace them.

Making sense of what I've been told from folks at several schools, 10 of the 14 schools were given a number of faculty positions they have to cut. The cuts get full time professor numbers closer to current enrollment. The number I keep hearing at Edinboro is in the 60s but I don't know if that's just faculty or all positions. The system offered early retirement incentives to all FT employees over a certain age or with so many years worked. I believe the participation was good but probably not enough to make up for revenue losses from Covid.

[ironmaniup]

Adjuncts make a much better rate in PASSHE than other schools. But the union contract also prevents schools from eliminating FT faculty then hiring PT faculty to replace them.

Making sense of what I've been told from folks at several schools, 10 of the 14 schools were given a number of faculty positions they have to cut. The cuts get full time professor numbers closer to current enrollment. The number I keep hearing at Edinboro is in the 60s but I don't know if that's just faculty or all positions. The system offered early retirement incentives to all FT employees over a certain age or with so many years worked. I believe the participation was good but probably not enough to make up for revenue losses from Covid.

That's about right. Of course originally the Chancellor said he was going to use natural attrition to reduce the faculty sizes, but now with the Covid crisis, he apparently thinks its a great time to do a major reset. There will be some snide remarks around town, but I wonder how Indiana is going to like losing 100 or so high salaries.

[Fightingscot82]

That's about right. Of course originally the Chancellor said he was going to use natural attrition to reduce the faculty sizes, but now with the Covid crisis, he apparently thinks its a great time to do a major reset. There will be some snide remarks around town, but I wonder how Indiana is going to like losing 100 or so high salaries.

Sure thing. It's going to hurt. I don't think enrollment was hurt too much by Covid. I just saw that Edinboro's incoming freshman class lost 39 related to Covid but that retention was above the goal. Just like during the recession last decade, the state appropriation is going to take a big hit.

[complaint_hopeful]

That's about right. Of course originally the Chancellor said he was going to use natural attrition to reduce the faculty sizes, but now with the Covid crisis, he apparently thinks its a great time to do a major reset. There will be some snide remarks around town, but I wonder how Indiana is going to like losing 100 or so high salaries.

It will be interesting. Generally cuts of employees have came from Staff over the years and particularly managers. Managers also go years with raises sometimes.

Although, my guess is mostly adjunct go and they wont refill retired positions...

That said, programs with low enrollment could be in trouble. There are some programs that have classes with like 5 students. Paying a professor $100k a year to teach that class has to lose money.

[complaint_hopeful]

Sure thing. It's going to hurt. I don't think enrollment was hurt too much by Covid. I just saw that Edinboro's incoming freshman class lost 39 related to Covid but that retention was above the goal. Just like during the recession last decade, the state appropriation is going to take a big hit.

The state funding is the main cause. The schools are among something like the bottom 5 among all states in funding. If they were even average, their finances would be much better. Kinda unfair.

[Fightingscot82]

The state funding is the main cause. The schools are among something like the bottom 5 among all states in funding. If they were even average, their finances would be much better. Kinda unfair.

Part of that is we're funding two competing systems. But Pennsylvania is a fairly complex state. There are a lot of competing interests for a fairly stagnant tax base. The state budget needs a reset.

[complaint_hopeful]

Part of that is we're funding two competing systems. But Pennsylvania is a fairly complex state. There are a lot of competing interests for a fairly stagnant tax base. The state budget needs a reset.

Great points all around!

Sometimes I feel like there are just too many colleges in PA. But, then again competitors like SNHU, U of Phoenix, etc. all take a certain amount of students from PA. And then, layer that with tuition rates that are fairly high for a state school because of lower state funding. It's not that cost prohibitive to look at schools in other states and pay out-of-state rates when rates here are so high.

Higher Ed is just such a competitive market. And yes! The state budget definately needs rethought drastically!

[Fightingscot82]

Great points all around!

Sometimes I feel like there are just too many colleges in PA. But, then again competitors like SNHU, U of Phoenix, etc. all take a certain amount of students from PA. And then, layer that with tuition rates that are fairly high for a state school because of lower state funding. It's not that cost prohibitive to look at schools in other states and pay out-of-state rates when rates here are so high.

Higher Ed is just such a competitive market. And yes! The state budget definately needs rethought drastically!

PA has more colleges, universities, and trade schools per capita than any other state (don't ask for the citation). And that's before students consider options in other states or using online delivery. One thing that really hurts PA is the sentiment that my tax dollars shouldn't pay for somebody else's education. That sentiment leads to resistance toward education spending - and state appropriation failing to keep up with expenses is PROVEN to have been the major contributing factor to rising tuition, not increased administration and campus construction.

PA also does stupid things like allow state funded Pitt and Penn State to develop residential 4-year campuses that compete directly with the state owned universities, or allow the state funded community colleges to collectively sign a transfer agreement with SNHU instead of with state owned universities.

[complaint_hopeful]

It looks like Purchasing is going to be the 1st shared service. There will be 2 Purchasing Groups for the state - East and West. Sounds like people won't lose their jobs and will keep the same pay. There were a lot of retirements so they likely just won't rehire for the savings.

Sounds like they'll have the option to work either physically on a campus, hybrid, or possibly remote. (The remote work possibility is something that some people love.)

It will be interesting to see how covid/remote work change our schools. There are lots of jobs that simply don't need to come on campus...and with that you need less space, electricity, heating and cooling, etc.

I know that Purchasing has been talked about as a potential shared service for many years. Kudos to the Chancellor's office for getting this done finally! Makes a lot of sense!

It's interesting that some schools will collaborate and work together in the 2 school configurations, but some services will also be shared at the state level like this. It will be interesting to see how that all plays out. But...progress!