PASSHE Institutions Merging

[Fightingscot82]

Ok, I see what you're saying. You are focusing on the"academic array" and I was looking at the bigger picture. I remember reading the plan for Commonwealth when it came out but I didn't do the same for Penn West. I do know that Penn West is comprised of 3 very similar schools in their offerings. LHU and Bloom were also very similar but for every viable field of study, they designated one school as the dominant school while the other school would mostly be dependent on the dominant school for the classes online, with the exception of certain courses that were better off offered in each location. That plan was a big change. The article describes generally the cutting-edge way the remote classes are delivered. Is Penn West using the same technology? Perhaps, but the article isn't about Penn West. I will also add that I wasn't a fan of Hanna, having been kicked out of two previous positions due to sexual harassment including one at a PASSHE school but I think he's an ace administrator and probably the right person for the job. He is really the primary implementor of Greenstein's ideas. I suspect the administration of Commonwealth is a lot better than Penn West's and that is partly based on things you have said about Penn West.

Yes my opinion of Hanna has grown tremendously through this. He's also made some very short-sighted decisions at Bloom (like attempting to "get rid" of Greek Life when legally they can't stop students from joining anything) but he's very strong. Commonwealth hasn't had nearly a complete turnover in executive leadership like Penn West, which was part of the three individual schools' problem. Every academic Dean and every VP position except for I think 2 have left since the process begun. They can't enroll students and don't have a Director of Admissions.

[iupgroundhog]

But that's not really what they're saying they did here. It sounds like they "simply" combined all departments, degree programs, and course catalogs. To me that's the academic array. I could be wrong.

Ok, I see what you're saying. You are focusing on the"academic array" and I was looking at the bigger picture. I remember reading the plan for Commonwealth when it came out but I didn't do the same for Penn West. I do know that Penn West is comprised of 3 very similar schools in their offerings. LHU and Bloom were also very similar but for every viable field of study, they designated one school as the dominant school while the other school would mostly be dependent on the dominant school for the classes online, with the exception of certain courses that were better off offered in each location. That plan was a big change. The article describes generally the cutting-edge way the remote classes are delivered. Is Penn West using the same technology? Perhaps, but the article isn't about Penn West. I will also add that I wasn't a fan of Hanna, having been kicked out of two previous positions due to sexual harassment including one at a PASSHE school but I think he's an ace administrator and probably the right person for the job. He is really the primary implementor of Greenstein's ideas. I suspect the administration of Commonwealth is a lot better than Penn West's and that is partly based on things you have said about Penn West.

[Fightingscot82]

Yeah, it's a very generic release. You don't know what they did differently than Penn West? I can't believe you typed that. It's a different scheme that has been articulated since day one. Penn West was to have the online focus and Commonwealth was to have the focus of being integrated with the regional labor market and needs. With those two manifestos, it's easy to figure out which one will be more successful.

But that's not really what they're saying they did here. It sounds like they "simply" combined all departments, degree programs, and course catalogs. To me that's the academic array. I could be wrong.

[iupgroundhog]

I saw that release and to be honest, I'm not sure what they did differently than Penn West. It doesn't give specifics about what makes it different - unless this is just better marketing of the same thing.

Yeah, it's a very generic release. You don't know what they did differently than Penn West? I can't believe you typed that. It's a different scheme that has been articulated since day one. Penn West was to have the online focus and Commonwealth was to have the focus of being integrated with the regional labor market and needs. With those two manifestos, it's easy to figure out which one will be more successful.

[Fightingscot82]

.Commonwealth U. has a very dynamic approach, actually.

https://www.lockhaven.com/news/local...cademic-array/

I saw that release and to be honest, I'm not sure what they did differently than Penn West. It doesn't give specifics about what makes it different - unless this is just better marketing of the same thing.

[iupgroundhog]

.Commonwealth U. has a very dynamic approach, actually.

https://www.lockhaven.com/news/local...cademic-array/

[iupgroundhog]

The only positive thing for Edinboro that's come from this merger is the new E logo with a sword through it. I sincerely hope there's no PennWest anywhere. Just Edinboro Fighting Scots, which seems par for the course so far in Athletics.

Looks like somebody driving a dagger through Edinboro to me.

[Ram040506]

The only positive thing for Edinboro that's come from this merger is the new E logo with a sword through it. I sincerely hope there's no PennWest anywhere. Just Edinboro Fighting Scots, which seems par for the course so far in Athletics.

That logo is awesome!

[iupgroundhog]

Oh they're Commonwealth. When PASSHE is holding meetings and tracking, its Commonwealth. No separation of campus. When I have meetings with folks at the three campuses, everything they have says Commonwealth (email, title, etc.). I just this morning saw a job posting for Bloomsburg:

https://commonwealthu.peopleadmin.com/postings/1040

Department Dean of Students
Home Campus: Bloomsburg
Work Location: Home Campus

"This position reports to the Dean of Students and works to foster collaboration throughout Commonwealth University..."

"...support the development of the overall Commonwealth University student..."

The slow walked the marketing integration because of the response to Penn West's rollout. If anyone is saying that the individual campuses are still going to function independently they're lying. Penn West said the same thing. A PASSHE BOG member (a state legislator) has directed the system to force an immediate full replacement of all campus signage from the old names. Bloomsburg is the healthiest of the three but they'll be dragged down as a regression to the mean of the three campuses like IUP was dragged down as a regression to the mean of the other campuses when forced into PASSHE.

That's a good post. On the other hand, you are restating the stated goals of the merger. A lot of what you guys are saying is true with regard to Bloom. However, I think you are overstating Bloom's market position at the time of the merger. The trends were pointing downward on a scale almost like that for the western schools, actually a more negative decline than Shippensburg. On the other hand, at that time LHU was experiencing an uptick under the then-president. It had the chance to be Renaissance-like, not unlike the reversal we've seen with their football team this year., There were numbers to bear that out but I realize it is also subjective and based on projections and estimates that are irrelevant today.

I don't understand how you can claim that Bloom will come back to the mean and, at the same time, claim that the ultimate result is that Bloom will be "the main campus" and the others will be "branch campuses." Seems counterintuitive to me. I don't know how much the location of the administration influences how resources are distributed. Just because PSAC admin is headquartered in Lock Haven doesn't mean anything. It's got to be somewhere.

Time will tell.

Edit: After re-reading your post, I would say there was never a claim that the schools would "function independently", as you say. It is "integration", after all. What they did say, ultimately, is that they would retain their unique identities. That is primarily related to athletics.

[Fightingscot82]

Oh they're Commonwealth. When PASSHE is holding meetings and tracking, its Commonwealth. No separation of campus. When I have meetings with folks at the three campuses, everything they have says Commonwealth (email, title, etc.). I just this morning saw a job posting for Bloomsburg:

https://commonwealthu.peopleadmin.com/postings/1040

Department Dean of Students
Home Campus: Bloomsburg
Work Location: Home Campus

"This position reports to the Dean of Students and works to foster collaboration throughout Commonwealth University..."

"...support the development of the overall Commonwealth University student..."

The slow walked the marketing integration because of the response to Penn West's rollout. If anyone is saying that the individual campuses are still going to function independently they're lying. Penn West said the same thing. A PASSHE BOG member (a state legislator) has directed the system to force an immediate full replacement of all campus signage from the old names. Bloomsburg is the healthiest of the three but they'll be dragged down as a regression to the mean of the three campuses like IUP was dragged down as a regression to the mean of the other campuses when forced into PASSHE.

[Fightingscot82]

With Edinboro getting new turf will they be first to have the new branding on display?

The only positive thing for Edinboro that's come from this merger is the new E logo with a sword through it. I sincerely hope there's no PennWest anywhere. Just Edinboro Fighting Scots, which seems par for the course so far in Athletics.

[Bart]

I figured that's why you listed them. Actually, a lot of people don't know it but Iceland hasn't been a Commonwealth since 1262.

Thank you. It gives me hope Bloom won't be a Commonwealth in 2025.

[iupgroundhog]

Every place mentioned is a Commonwealth.

I figured that's why you listed them. Actually, a lot of people don't know it but Iceland hasn't been a Commonwealth since 1262.

[Bart]

I guess Commonwealth University could be in Kentucky.

Every place mentioned is a Commonwealth.

[iupgroundhog]

I would hate to lose Bloomsburg identity to a name change. Niagara Fall is in Niagara, N.Y. Bloomsburg University is in Bloomsburg, Pa.. Where is Commonwealth University? Iceland? Liberia? Bahamas? Kentucky????? I wanna go back.

"I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them."
Andy from the office

I guess Commonwealth University could be in Kentucky.