PASSHE Institutions Merging

[Fightingscot82]

I suggested a long time ago that he would ultimately bail out on this job. Things are starting to fray.

He is casting blame at the Lock Haven community now for not just standing by and allowing him to destroy the community. That's interesting. It was his (possibly) fatal mistake taking SRU out of the mix and adding Bloomsburg in. When he changed course and did that, he screwed up.

I don't think he understands these communities that host the schools. I don't think he grasps that these schools support an entire area of the state. The school can't be dealt with in isolation.

I don't blame him - they were really the only campus & community to put up a fight. Bloom to a much lesser degree but more of a "hey why are you dragging us into this mess?" attitude. I do wish Edinboro folks would have fought this but unfortunately they've been overcome by Stockholm Syndrome.

I think its fair to say Greenstein doesn't understand the symbiotic relationship of PASSHE schools and their communities. He came from the University of Cal system where the smallest campus (UC-Merced) is PASSHE-sized but in a city of nearly 85,000 but all other campuses average over 30,000 students and are in much larger cities that don't rely on the universities to drive economy and culture. California most likely placed campuses in those locations - in PA these towns often started the schools before the state took control.

[Fightingscot82]

To do the merger, they have to revise curriculum, To revise the curriculum, faculty have to approve those revisions, and follow contractual guidelines as the change occurs. Many of the changes required are not even allowed by the faculty contract, and needless to say the faculty have their heels dug in regarding what changes they will accept . This is plain and simple a threat. Greenstein is not used to people saying no to him.

In other news, IUP is selling the Northpointe campus - essential a school building. I suppose someone will get a good deal, if you have a use for the facility.

Most of these centers were developed to make grad studies easier. They've been made obsolete by most grad programs now being online. That big multi-university shared campus in Warrandale is a ghost town. It did allow someone like Waynesburg to compete for grad students in the Pittsburgh metro but you're still not centrally located - and people will choose online in their home over a classroom after work.

I've been tapped to work on some parts of the western "integration" (need a meme of Arnold saying "its not a merger!"). I don't know who else is part of this working group and what their backgrounds are. Given my experience on other PASSHE things, it will get bogged down in the weeds by politics and territorialism. It appears that I assumed correctly that the one anti-merger group is APSCUF (faculty) led. They showed their hand by posting a few complaints about how PASSHE leadership have seen their salaries rise by 12% in the last decade (the horror!) and compared it to faculty salaries (claiming a net loss). I imagine I'll have to sign an NDA but I'll share what I can if its relevant.

[ironmaniup]

I suggested a long time ago that he would ultimately bail out on this job. Things are starting to fray.

He is casting blame at the Lock Haven community now for not just standing by and allowing him to destroy the community. That's interesting. It was his (possibly) fatal mistake taking SRU out of the mix and adding Bloomsburg in. When he changed course and did that, he screwed up.

I don't think he understands these communities that host the schools. I don't think he grasps that these schools support an entire area of the state. The school can't be dealt with in isolation.

To do the merger, they have to revise curriculum, To revise the curriculum, faculty have to approve those revisions, and follow contractual guidelines as the change occurs. Many of the changes required are not even allowed by the faculty contract, and needless to say the faculty have their heels dug in regarding what changes they will accept . This is plain and simple a threat. Greenstein is not used to people saying no to him.

In other news, IUP is selling the Northpointe campus - essential a school building. I suppose someone will get a good deal, if you have a use for the facility.

[iupgroundhog]

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2021/0...mpression=true

I suggested a long time ago that he would ultimately bail out on this job. Things are starting to fray.

He is casting blame at the Lock Haven community now for not just standing by and allowing him to destroy the community. That's interesting. It was his (possibly) fatal mistake taking SRU out of the mix and adding Bloomsburg in. When he changed course and did that, he screwed up.

I don't think he understands these communities that host the schools. I don't think he grasps that these schools support an entire area of the state. The school can't be dealt with in isolation.

[complaint_hopeful]

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2021/0...mpression=true

[Fightingscot82]

My point was that the money, no matter how big, is never big enough. So it will only require more money.

Did anyone here choose to attend a school because of a big name professor?

For an HBCU I think it's different.

[Horror Child]

Big money restricted for a specific strategic use would absolutely help. An endowment to boost the president salary to get someone with experience or who would never consider Cheyney. An endowment to bring in a big name professor who would attract students and more donors. Big money and a true national partnership. Unfortunately I don't think anyone at any PASSHE school or office has that sort of vision.

My point was that the money, no matter how big, is never big enough. So it will only require more money.

Did anyone here choose to attend a school because of a big name professor?

[Fightingscot82]

Ah yes, the elixir that subsequently needs further transformative big money.

Big money restricted for a specific strategic use would absolutely help. An endowment to boost the president salary to get someone with experience or who would never consider Cheyney. An endowment to bring in a big name professor who would attract students and more donors. Big money and a true national partnership. Unfortunately I don't think anyone at any PASSHE school or office has that sort of vision.

[Horror Child]

Yes. Cheyney agreed to a state-overseen remediation plan after some financial mismanagement on top of declining enrollment. The plan recognized that Cheyney would run up significant deficits but if they met all success markers within a certain time period the system would forgive the debt taken on to cover their deficit spending. Cheyney did hit those markers and the debt was forgiven - about $40 million. The new president is doing a pretty decent job of keeping things stable. Their isolation allowed them to maintain mostly normal operations during the pandemic. I believe their case counts per capita are the lowest in the system. But with a corporate exec as president he's forging corporate partnerships that are gaining praise. They just need to figure out how to get more students to enroll. The 10-15 years of open admission cost them dearly in reputation.

I'd love to see some transformative big money thrown at Cheyney from a donor. Something that really puts them on the map and attracts attention (and students). Endow a position for Cornell West now that he's announced he's leaving Harvard. Hire a big money noteworthy HBCU president the next time around. Get a black CEO to create a big time partnership. Otherwise Cheyney will probably have a long road out of the bottom tier HBCUs with places like Coppin, Central St, Wilberforce, etc.

Ah yes, the elixir that subsequently needs further transformative big money.

[iupgroundhog]

I never liked being boxed in, so I would find a table in the back of the stacks and spread everything out. At IUP I rented a room from a retired couple, so it was quite. The library was a mess because of construction, but I did check out information in the form of writing that was composed of many paper pages and bound together and protected by a cover. I did visit a dorm tv lounge to watch the news; that was the extent of the technology I used.

I remember "books." Such a quaint idea. So darn heavy.

[Bart]

Did you have a carrel at IUP?

I never liked being boxed in, so I would find a table in the back of the stacks and spread everything out. At IUP I rented a room from a retired couple, so it was quite. The library was a mess because of construction, but I did check out information in the form of writing that was composed of many paper pages and bound together and protected by a cover. I did visit a dorm tv lounge to watch the news; that was the extent of the technology I used.

[iupgroundhog]

That was my favorite spot to study. Dormitories were too loud. Now I guess students can study in their private sound proof apartments.

Did you have a carrel at IUP?

[Bart]

Libraries are glorified study halls now. It doesn't surprise me that this hasn't happened more often.

That was my favorite spot to study. Dormitories were too loud. Now I guess students can study in their private sound proof apartments.

[Fightingscot82]

https://www.fox43.com/article/news/l...9-20728ff78403

Cheyney doesn't have a library? I guess everything is on computers now.

Libraries are glorified study halls now. It doesn't surprise me that this hasn't happened more often.

[Bart]

https://www.fox43.com/article/news/l...9-20728ff78403

Cheyney doesn't have a library? I guess everything is on computers now.