PASSHE Institutions Merging

[IUPNation]

Final fall enrollment ("headcount") released from PASSHE:

University	Fall 2013	Fall 2014	Fall 2015	Fall 2016	Fall 2017	Fall 2018	Fall 2019	Fall 2020	Fall 2021	Fall 2022
Cheyney	1,212	1,022	711	746	755	469	618	627	642	706
Commonwealth	18,357	17,667	16,760	16,074	15,011	13,986	13,514	13,391	12,468	12,093
Bloomsburg	10,127	9,998	9,777	9,658	9,287	8,924	8,689	8,436	7,745	0
Lock Haven	5,260	4,917	4,607	4,220	3,827	3,425	3,162	3,163	2,920	0
Mansfield	2,970	2,752	2,376	2,196	1,897	1,637	1,663	1,792	1,803	0
East Stroudsburg	6,778	6,820	6,828	6,830	6,742	6,425	6,214	5,842	5,136	5,152
Indiana	14,925	14,571	14,035	13,114	12,562	11,581	10,636	10,067	9,308	8,832
Kutztown	9,513	9,218	9,000	8,513	8,329	8,309	8,199	7,892	7,675	7,469
Millersville	8,279	8,047	7,988	7,927	7,748	7,781	7,817	7,495	7,213	6,821
PennWest	21,421	20,527	19,772	18,958	18,588	17,015	16,191	15,669	14,477	12,780
California	8,243	7,978	7,854	7,553	7,788	7,312	6,842	6,885	6,512	0
Clarion	6,080	5,712	5,368	5,224	5,225	4,869	4,703	4,465	3,922	0
Edinboro	7,098	6,837	6,550	6,181	5,575	4,834	4,646	4,319	4,043	0
Shippensburg	7,548	7,355	7,058	6,989	6,581	6,408	6,096	6,130	5,668	5,164
Slippery Rock	8,347	8,495	8,628	8,881	8,895	8,824	8,806	8,876	8,424	8,243
West Chester	15,845	16,086	16,606	17,006	17,336	17,552	17,691	17,719	17,640	17,296
System Total	112,225	109,808	107,386	105,038	102,547	98,350	95,782	93,708	88,651	84,556

No matter what they try to tell the media or alumni, the two integrated universities will no longer be reporting as individual campuses.

Looks like Walk On U is slipping too.

[Fightingscot82]

Looks like Walk On U is slipping too.

Integrations and IUP headed for a collision with the retrenchment iceberg.

[iupgroundhog]

Integrations and IUP headed for a collision with the retrenchment iceberg.

Can you explain what you mean?

[Fightingscot82]

Can you explain what you mean?

Unfortunately more layoffs coming at all three schools. Maybe some elsewhere but more strategic. This was shared with me by someone in APSCUF leadership.

[Fightingscot82]

This article uses Shippensburg as its example for public regional university struggles going forward, but an important portion about the role of athletics:

At colleges that survive, as most of them will, the biggest effect of the enrollment cliff will be on how students experience higher learning. Administrators will be hustling to give them new reasons to turn down that $22-an-hour warehouse job. Sports will play a growing role. The biggest athletic schools in America, measured by the percentage of undergraduates who participate in a varsity sport, aren’t the Division I behemoths you watch play football on Saturday afternoons. They’re the Division II, Division III, and NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) schools that are most vulnerable to an enrollment shock. If you loved playing field hockey in high school, the chance to play for the national champions is a powerful draw.

https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23...ducation-crash

[Ship69]

This article uses Shippensburg as its example for public regional university struggles going forward, but an important portion about the role of athletics:



https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23...ducation-crash

Interesting that he chose Ship for the subject of the article instead of one of the mergers, which I think would have better made his point. I have reason to believe the bleeding is slowing at Ship. We'll see. Perhaps when our legislative worthies are done trying to impeach the Philadelphia district attorney they can turn their efforts toward education. Not holding my breath on that one.

[Fightingscot82]

Interesting that he chose Ship for the subject of the article instead of one of the mergers, which I think would have better made his point. I have reason to believe the bleeding is slowing at Ship. We'll see. Perhaps when our legislative worthies are done trying to impeach the Philadelphia district attorney they can turn their efforts toward education. Not holding my breath on that one.

Well, I think Ship is a better example of the challenges of similar schools without using a drastic example like the mergers. Rural location, evolving mission, diminishing core constituency, strategic pivoting on academic programs. I wish he had mentioned the % of students who are NCAA athletes at Ship to illustrate his point. But the author is a nationally-known writer on higher ed so he at least knows what he's talking about.

[Ship69]

Well, I think Ship is a better example of the challenges of similar schools without using a drastic example like the mergers. Rural location, evolving mission, diminishing core constituency, strategic pivoting on academic programs. I wish he had mentioned the % of students who are NCAA athletes at Ship to illustrate his point. But the author is a nationally-known writer on higher ed so he at least knows what he's talking about.

One of the things that will most benefit Ship is the new school of engineering, which got in under the wire before all the pandemic and merge-related stress. It'll be a reasonably priced degree compared to the ones at private engineering school, and the school's proximity to engineering-heavy companies such as JLG lifts, Manitowoc cranes, and Volvo/Mack Trucks offer opportunities for internships and outlets for graduates. Combined with a reputable business school, I think it will be a potent combination going forward. Newly hired President Patterson is a dynamic leader who can read the lay of the land. I feel as confident as I can be given the current climate.

Still think the mergers would have been a better example for his article as they are more of an illustration of what can happen as things reach critical mass, but that's open to debate.

[Fightingscot82]

One of the things that will most benefit Ship is the new school of engineering, which got in under the wire before all the pandemic and merge-related stress. It'll be a reasonably priced degree compared to the ones at private engineering school, and the school's proximity to engineering-heavy companies such as JLG lifts, Manitowoc cranes, and Volvo/Mack Trucks offer opportunities for internships and outlets for graduates. Combined with a reputable business school, I think it will be a potent combination going forward. Newly hired President Patterson is a dynamic leader who can read the lay of the land. I feel as confident as I can be given the current climate.

Still think the mergers would have been a better example for his article as they are more of an illustration of what can happen as things reach critical mass, but that's open to debate.

I agree with you. Plus Patterson understands PASSHE. They loved him at Mansfield.

For the article, I think the message is more about how universities can adjust for the new set of challenges and used Ship as an example. Focusing on the mergers would be more about schools that aren't set up to adjust to the new challenges. I wonder what his connection is - I've never read much from him about PASSHE.

[Fightingscot82]

IUP is looking into creating an osteopathic medicine school: https://triblive.com/news/iup-consid...thic-medicine/

This could be good or could really hurt them. LECOM has a presence in Greensburg via Seton Hill. Duquesne is starting a school set to launch very soon. I can speak from experience that RMU lost millions trying to establish one 15 years ago. Upside is that any sort of PASSHE tuition model is going to be much less expensive.

[IUPNation]

IUP is looking into creating an osteopathic medicine school: https://triblive.com/news/iup-consid...thic-medicine/

This could be good or could really hurt them. LECOM has a presence in Greensburg via Seton Hill. Duquesne is starting a school set to launch very soon. I can speak from experience that RMU lost millions trying to establish one 15 years ago. Upside is that any sort of PASSHE tuition model is going to be much less expensive.

I always thought a rural medical program based out of Indiana Hospital would be a win/win. Rural counties have poor medical coverage.

IUP should have asked UPMC to maybe partner or something…but I doubt Pitt would be interested.

[iupgroundhog]

IUP is looking into creating an osteopathic medicine school: https://triblive.com/news/iup-consid...thic-medicine/

This could be good or could really hurt them. LECOM has a presence in Greensburg via Seton Hill. Duquesne is starting a school set to launch very soon. I can speak from experience that RMU lost millions trying to establish one 15 years ago. Upside is that any sort of PASSHE tuition model is going to be much less expensive.

As part of the IUP constituency, I don't see any downside. This would be a big thing taking IUP into the future.

[iupgroundhog]

I always thought a rural medical program based out of Indiana Hospital would be a win/win. Rural counties have poor medical coverage.

IUP should have asked UPMC to maybe partner or something…but I doubt Pitt would be interested.

It's all in partnership with IRMC. IUP and IRMC have been working together on a lot of things. This would benefit both the hospital and the university (bigly).

[Fightingscot82]

If they can create a school of osteopathic medicine focused on rural medicine, I think there's absolutely an opportunity there to thrive. Indiana hospital being independent helps some - but the big systems are starting to buy up the small town hospitals. Starting a medical school - even an osteopathic school - is a huge undertaking and takes a ton of money. Duquesne is spending over $150 million in facility needs alone. RMU committed to the plan in 2005 and lost millions spent on hiring and designs for a plan that stalled out. Their estimated startup cost was $25 million in 2005 then $50 million in 2007. They officially gave up in 2009.

Its good that this plan is in the very early stages because IUP will have to find a lot of partners and a lot of money. Fortunately it sounds like IUP has a somewhat unique strategy - but they better have a clear path forward or it could severely hurt the university. But should it work, it would be a boon for IUP being seen as more than the senior state school.

[IUPNation]

It's all in partnership with IRMC. IUP and IRMC have been working together on a lot of things. This would benefit both the hospital and the university (bigly).

I agree. I was thinking UPMC has the resources to help. Heck I’d love to see Penn Medicine be the partner.