PASSHE Institutions Merging

[Fightingscot82]

The mega online schools like SNHU do similar. They're setup so much different than the PASSHE schools.

You apply, for a small fee...they track down your transcript. They make it so easy to enroll. Then, some have teachers that teach the classes, but have questions on the class? Well that goes to another person to answer. (Yeah they figured out that while some professors are great at responding to email and maintaining office hours...that most aren't and built infrastructure around that.) They also have robust teaching and learning centers to help design classes. You don't just put an in person class online. You have to totally redesign and rebuild it to make it quality online.

Yeah...most of the PASSHE schools do a fraction of this. But, they complain when community colleges reach deals with these colleges.

Most online-majority schools also run year-round starting new terms every 6 weeks or so. No need to wait until spring semester or fall. Many times you can also search the course catalog prior to enrolling. Pretty rare for the brick and mortar.

The online schools thrive off of people who need convenience. Working adults, people who don't understand the higher ed universe, and especially military.

[IUPNation]

Do you live under a rock? That's pretty much the entire playbook for how to woo today's youth. It's here to stay.

[IUPNation]

Hell yeah they want to feel special. So do their parents.

[Fightingscot82]

Now I understand why this generation eats Tide Pods.

Part of it is that technology has made this generation used to tailored selections. Their apps & analytics algorithms only provide adds & product suggestions based on their experiences.

There's not a whole lot of differentiation on our end of the food chain. Our price used to be it but not anymore. Size used to be theirs but not anymore. Gotta do whatever you can to get students to choose you.

[ironmaniup]

That is BAFFLING to hear. I've said 30 times on here you need top salespeople in that admissions office. Sell the kids. Sell the parents. Sell grandma. Serve serious Crimson Koolaid. Whatever it takes.

It is sickening to hear a dying school still thinks it's 1999 and can just say complete the form.

Sounds like too much ego or ineptitude to me.

My opinion is that the problem at alot of passhe schools, certainly IUP, is mostly territorial, Admissions, financial aid, the registrar and the academic departments all have to work together, and the organizational scheme is not designed to make that happen easily. since they don't, things fall through the cracks which gives a bad impression to perspective students, or even students enrolled. the groups could still work together, but The number of people just phoning it in is too high, and the number of people that like throwing their weight around instead of fixing things is also too high. Even in the, worst organizational scheme, good people can get things done. I have heard as well, that SRU does better with getting students the information they need more easily.

[IUPNation]

Part of it is that technology has made this generation used to tailored selections. Their apps & analytics algorithms only provide adds & product suggestions based on their experiences.

There's not a whole lot of differentiation on our end of the food chain. Our price used to be it but not anymore. Size used to be theirs but not anymore. Gotta do whatever you can to get students to choose you.

It's funny how a foosball game on Saturdays in the fall is all The Centre County Community College needs to have to get these kids to apply in droves.

Back in my day a school's academic reputation meant something...especially when you had their piece of paper in your hand while applying for jobs.

[iupgroundhog]

It's funny how a foosball game on Saturdays in the fall is all The Centre County Community College needs to have to get these kids to apply in droves.

Back in my day a school's academic reputation meant something...especially when you had their piece of paper in your hand while applying for jobs.

It's also funny how much those Happy Valley football games have actually helped the school's academic rep and standing.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Well ... we kind of our the 'used car' of the academic world.

[complaint_hopeful]

There are some that blame the parenting style of Gen X...ie helicopter parents for doing everything for their kids and creating 20-somethings that can't do things for themselves.

[complaint_hopeful]

My opinion is that the problem at alot of passhe schools, certainly IUP, is mostly territorial, Admissions, financial aid, the registrar and the academic departments all have to work together, and the organizational scheme is not designed to make that happen easily. since they don't, things fall through the cracks which gives a bad impression to perspective students, or even students enrolled. the groups could still work together, but The number of people just phoning it in is too high, and the number of people that like throwing their weight around instead of fixing things is also too high. Even in the, worst organizational scheme, good people can get things done. I have heard as well, that SRU does better with getting students the information they need more easily.

That's a big part of it. Complacency. Layer on top of that Unions. Poor management in some cases. State subsidy. And actually the success of 15-20 years ago from the education bubble made these schools all think that they were great. I would argue that PASSHE hasn't provided the required support/leadership under most Chancellors too.

I talked about it months ago, but if you called all 14 Admissions offices and enrolled, you would get a wildly different experience from school to school. Some you might get handed off on the phone. You might encounter frustration. Some might be really easy. Some after you enroll, you'll get varying levels of calls and emails...maybe some covering things already done...ie duplication.

[iupgroundhog]

Considering the big picture, when do we find out what the fall enrollment is across the board?

[Fightingscot82]

There are some that blame the parenting style of Gen X...ie helicopter parents for doing everything for their kids and creating 20-somethings that can't do things for themselves.

I'd agree. Gen X parents *in general* swung the opposite direction, being overly involved in their kids lives and providing for their kids what their childhood didn't have. That resulted in a generation expecting mom & dad to help them every step of the way or fixing it when they can't figure it out. Gen X also had fewer kids so very few kids shared a bedroom as a teen, creating the expectation that college should come with a private bedroom. Public showers? Yikes. Group shower rooms without any divide? GTFOH?*

*remember those circular shower setups from the 60s and 70s? Kids these days would soil themselves before using one of those!

[complaint_hopeful]

Considering the big picture, when do we find out what the fall enrollment is across the board?

They have a census date...that's about 1 month into the semester I believe. So it won't be for a while.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I'd agree. Gen X parents *in general* swung the opposite direction, being overly involved in their kids lives and providing for their kids what their childhood didn't have. That resulted in a generation expecting mom & dad to help them every step of the way or fixing it when they can't figure it out. Gen X also had fewer kids so very few kids shared a bedroom as a teen, creating the expectation that college should come with a private bedroom. Public showers? Yikes. Group shower rooms without any divide? GTFOH?*

*remember those circular shower setups from the 60s and 70s? Kids these days would soil themselves before using one of those!

Remember how hot those f-ing dorms were in the late 90s lol ... and then all winter having to keep the window open because the heat was cranked and you couldn't turn it down.

I think the last of IUP's academic buildings with no AC is finally down. I believe Leonard and Keith were the last two. Keith was the history building. In September it would be 95 degrees outside and about 105 degrees inside the room while you listened to an hour of the most boring history class in the world.

[IUPNation]

It's also funny how much those Happy Valley football games have actually helped the school's academic rep and standing.