PASSHE Institutions Merging

[IUPbigINDIANS]

The kid bought in to the operation for $18,000. Imagine how many kids at any PASSHE school have access to $18,000 to spend on getting into drug dealing.

Standard franchise fee lol

[Bart]

CU to cut 175 jobs by 6-30-27 in hopes of cutting 17 million deficit. Prior to the merger Bloom had more than 100 million in savings and nothing is left. The multi-campus model is getting another look thru the study of enrollment, staffing, facilities, and the cost to run each of the three campuses, but their not considering closing any campus. Time to cut the losses, Penn State closed campuses. The merger makes no sense or cents.

[iupgroundhog]

CU to cut 175 jobs by 6-30-27 in hopes of cutting 17 million deficit. Prior to the merger Bloom had more than 100 million in savings and nothing is left. The multi-campus model is getting another look thru the study of enrollment, staffing, facilities, and the cost to run each of the three campuses, but their not considering closing any campus. Time to cut the losses, Penn State closed campuses. The merger makes no sense or cents.

Obviously, that sucks. More than half of the job cuts will be at Bloom. We've discussed this before, but this is my take. It provides little value to look back, but I believe the folks at Bloom did not push back hard enough on the merger at the time. Recall that Bloom got thrown into the mix because Slippery Rock pushed back on being part of the western merger. It was haphazard. Originally, the merger was just to be LHU and Mansfield.

At LHU, there was strong pushback. With their dynamic president at the time, they were also in pretty good shape, relatively speaking. There was not the same kind of pushback from Bloom. Had there been, it may not have come together. I think Bashar Hanna, who was then the president of Bloom was on the side of it moving forward and I think that influenced the rest of the Bloomsburg community. Hanna and Greenstein pushed it forward. Of course, Hanna assumed the CU presidency and the LHU President left for another job. Speaking of Hanna, he remains with the system as Vice Chancellor in Harrisburg. This even as he was forced out of his 4th school (CU) as a result of sexual harassment and subsequent retaliation. The retaliation cost the system 4 million dollars. It's shocking to me that Hanna is still part of the PASSHE system after being forced out of Kutztown, Delaware Valley, Temple and Bloomsburg (CU).

Looking to the future, job cuts are probably the most practical option for them. That is, unless they shut down Mansfield.

[Bart]

Obviously, that sucks. More than half of the job cuts will be at Bloom. We've discussed this before, but this is my take. It provides little value to look back, but I believe the folks at Bloom did not push back hard enough on the merger at the time. Recall that Bloom got thrown into the mix because Slippery Rock pushed back on being part of the western merger. It was haphazard. Originally, the merger was just to be LHU and Mansfield.

At LHU, there was strong pushback. With their dynamic president at the time, they were also in pretty good shape, relatively speaking. There was not the same kind of pushback from Bloom. Had there been, it may not have come together. I think Bashar Hanna, who was then the president of Bloom was on the side of it moving forward and I think that influenced the rest of the Bloomsburg community. Hanna and Greenstein pushed it forward. Of course, Hanna assumed the CU presidency and the LHU President left for another job. Speaking of Hanna, he remains with the system as Vice Chancellor in Harrisburg. This even as he was forced out of his 4th school (CU) as a result of sexual harassment and subsequent retaliation. The retaliation cost the system 4 million dollars. It's shocking to me that Hanna is still part of the PASSHE system after being forced out of Kutztown, Delaware Valley, Temple and Bloomsburg (CU).

Looking to the future, job cuts are probably the most practical option for them. That is, unless they shut down Mansfield.

Local newspaper reported Osgood said if 50 eligible CU professors retire, the layoffs will not happen. The layoffs apparently will be determined by "each campus historic and student count, the demographics of the region, retention and graduation rates and housing occupancy......historic and projected staffing needed to meet the demand at each location...." Also they are looking at "occupied square footage and deferred maintenance needs and splitting up each campus' financial results to reconcile them to CU totals."

They could go back to the way it was before the integration, but they refuse. Looks like "they all go down together.'

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Local newspaper reported Osgood said if 50 eligible CU professors retire, the layoffs will not happen. The layoffs apparently will be determined by "each campus historic and student count, the demographics of the region, retention and graduation rates and housing occupancy......historic and projected staffing needed to meet the demand at each location...." Also they are looking at "occupied square footage and deferred maintenance needs and splitting up each campus' financial results to reconcile them to CU totals."

They could go back to the way it was before the integration, but they refuse. Looks like "they all go down together.'

It's not easy getting professors to retire early. They are largely a different breed and want to work as long as they can. Most enjoy the job and let's be honest it's not overly stressful.

[Bart]

It's not easy getting professors to retire early. They are largely a different breed and want to work as long as they can. Most enjoy the job and let's be honest it's not overly stressful.

It doesn't seem realistic, but reports are 21% of the faculty are retirement eligible and at top of the pay-scale. CU hopes offering enhanced sick-day payouts will be make it more attractive. Reporting indicated 130 are eligible.

They can't just target any one campus for faculty or coaches because of union contracts, so it will be a mess unless faculty retire with their high salaries. Otherwise, lot of lower paid sectaries, ground workers, custodians, etc. will have to go.

[Ship69]

It's not easy getting professors to retire early. They are largely a different breed and want to work as long as they can. Most enjoy the job and let's be honest it's not overly stressful.

I tend to agree with you, but I wouldn't underestimate the stress facing a college professor today. Getting tenure has always been political, and colleges are going more and more to adjuncts to save money. Once a lot of the old guard retire, it likely will be a different ballgame. It's also a different college environment than what us old-timers faced. Faced with demographic realities, colleges treat students more like clients and they are coddled in ways we couldn't have imagined in the dark ages of the '60s. "A" grades are expected now, whether earned or not. Students write evaluations of professors at most schools, and they can be scathing for professors who don't deliver what the kids want. There also can be pressure from the administration on instructors who don't toe the average grading line. Now we have A.I. and professors have to worry more and more about whether the work they're receiving is actually the student's work. Good luck assigning out-of-class essays now. It's probably back to the blue books to see if the students actually are learning anything. I encountered some of this, minus the A.I., when I taught a couple of liberal arts classes at a business school years ago. I don't know if I'd like to do it now.

[Bart]

I tend to agree with you, but I wouldn't underestimate the stress facing a college professor today. Getting tenure has always been political, and colleges are going more and more to adjuncts to save money. Once a lot of the old guard retire, it likely will be a different ballgame. It's also a different college environment that what us old-timers faces. Faced with demographic realities, colleges treat students more like clients and they are coddled in ways we couldn't have imagined in the dark ages of the '60s. "A" grades are expected now, whether earned or not. Students write evaluations of professors at most schools, and they can be scathing for professors who don't deliver what the kids want. There also can be pressure from the administration on instructors who don't toe the average grading line. Now we have A.I. and professors have to worry more and more about whether the work they're receiving is actually the student's work. Good luck assigning out-of-class essays now. It's probably back to the blue books to see if the students actually are learning anything. I encountered some of this, minus the A.I., when I taught a couple of liberal arts classes at a business school years ago. I don't know if I'd like to do it now.

Just to add, in a recent visit to a college bookstore I discovered no books. Everything is eBooks, and on-line garbage. If a book is assigned, the student has to order it himself through the bookstore. Checking course materials, there weren't many professors using paper books. Another change the old guard has to learn to adapt in the changing environment of college.

[Ship69]

Just to add, in a recent visit to a college bookstore I discovered no books. Everything is eBooks, and on-line garbage. If a book is assigned, the student has to order it himself through the bookstore. Checking course materials, there weren't many professors using paper books. Another change the old guard has to learn to adapt in the changing environment of college.

Getting the average kid now to read an entire book is a victory. I remember my 20th century novel course at Ship where we basically read a novel a week for the 12-week term. I can't imagine a class like that at present.

[Fightingscot82]

Just to add, in a recent visit to a college bookstore I discovered no books. Everything is eBooks, and on-line garbage. If a book is assigned, the student has to order it himself through the bookstore. Checking course materials, there weren't many professors using paper books. Another change the old guard has to learn to adapt in the changing environment of college.

Some of that is because Amazon and national used book sellers broke up the local monopoly of the campus bookstore. Students got sick of finding out the textbook for a class was $175, barely used it, then had to sell it back for $25. Now they "rent" physical copies from anywhere thus ending the buyback scheme.

PASSHE has done a great job of trying to get faculty to agree to common textbooks then buying very large subscription access they call "Inclusive Access". Students pay a nominal fee and if PASSHE can get a low cost option, its included with that fee. Students can opt out but then have to buy their own book or access. Most books are online anymore. Sometimes that's good, sometimes its not.

The quagmire of AI has some professors ditching online quizzes and exams and going to old fashioned scantron and blue book exams. I love that lol

[iupgroundhog]

Some of that is because Amazon and national used book sellers broke up the local monopoly of the campus bookstore. Students got sick of finding out the textbook for a class was $175, barely used it, then had to sell it back for $25. Now they "rent" physical copies from anywhere thus ending the buyback scheme.

I remember buying those old tattered textbooks with the "Used" sticker on them. When I lived in Wahr Hall we had one of those stickers on a bong.

[Fightingscot82]

I remember buying those old tattered textbooks with the "Used" sticker on them. When I lived in Wahr Hall we had one of those stickers on a bong.

One of my favorite things that's happened in my career is what students will donate to the school food pantry or some local charity because they can't take it home or don't want mom & dad seeing it. Bongs, personal "massager devices", booze, etc

[Bart]

Some of that is because Amazon and national used book sellers broke up the local monopoly of the campus bookstore. Students got sick of finding out the textbook for a class was $175, barely used it, then had to sell it back for $25. Now they "rent" physical copies from anywhere thus ending the buyback scheme.

PASSHE has done a great job of trying to get faculty to agree to common textbooks then buying very large subscription access they call "Inclusive Access". Students pay a nominal fee and if PASSHE can get a low cost option, its included with that fee. Students can opt out but then have to buy their own book or access. Most books are online anymore. Sometimes that's good, sometimes its not.

The quagmire of AI has some professors ditching online quizzes and exams and going to old fashioned scantron and blue book exams. I love that lol

Last year I was able to browse the college bookstore, this year the manager retired and they went to the dark side. I assume all students must take their laptops to class. In most of the classes back in the day, we had to unpack and interpret the readings in class and needed the material right there. Also, I guess nobody uses markers to highlight anymore.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Last year I was able to browse the college bookstore, this year the manager retired and they went to the dark side. I assume all students must take their laptops to class. In most of the classes back in the day, we had to unpack and interpret the readings in class and needed the material right there. Also, I guess nobody uses markers to highlight anymore.

Ask high schools kids to write a sentence in cursive. See what happens.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Some of that is because Amazon and national used book sellers broke up the local monopoly of the campus bookstore. Students got sick of finding out the textbook for a class was $175, barely used it, then had to sell it back for $25. Now they "rent" physical copies from anywhere thus ending the buyback scheme.

PASSHE has done a great job of trying to get faculty to agree to common textbooks then buying very large subscription access they call "Inclusive Access". Students pay a nominal fee and if PASSHE can get a low cost option, its included with that fee. Students can opt out but then have to buy their own book or access. Most books are online anymore. Sometimes that's good, sometimes its not.

The quagmire of AI has some professors ditching online quizzes and exams and going to old fashioned scantron and blue book exams. I love that lol

Paper books are for the dinosaurs. No need for them any longer ... especially this current generation.