PASSHE Institutions Merging

[complaint_hopeful]

There is no plan because the two triads will be different from the other. My concern is that there's not a best practice out there to follow or inspire and no clear framework for our needs. Texas consolidated campuses to create a larger D1 school. It worked because that's what students wanted. That's not the plan here. Georgia paired strong schools with struggling schools and community colleges. It hasn't worked. The savings have been minimal, especially in Savannah where the Georgia Southern & Armstrong State merger has resulted in a 20% enrollment decline. We also don't know how prospective students will react. This should scare us because above all the decrease in enrollment is driving this.

I don't think that big athletics cuts will come. It's short sighted because our costs are low and drive enrollment. Cutting LH football makes the triad lose 100+ students. This is why Mansfield didn't cut football outright. I bet we'll see coaching staff reductions. I've heard rumors of a ratio for FT coaches such as one for every 30 participants.

FWIW, only the legislature can close a PASSHE school, and we know that's very unlikely. The system board can merge and consolidate but they can't close.

IF I caught it correctly on the BOG call, they had someone who was part of the Georgia Integrations as part of the team. Can anyone confirm they heard this too? It was a brief introduction.

[Fightingscot82]

IF I caught it correctly on the BOG call, they had someone who was part of the Georgia Integrations as part of the team. Can anyone confirm they heard this too? It was a brief introduction.

I've been told that by someone who would know.

[complaint_hopeful]

I've been told that by someone who would know.

Great! I was fairly sure I heard that.

There were some posts above on the Georgia integrations maybe not being as successful as hoped. Would anyone care to share specifics of what they did? Maybe a nice bullet pointed summary of key points?

[Fightingscot82]

Great! I was fairly sure I heard that.

There were some posts above on the Georgia integrations maybe not being as successful as hoped. Would anyone care to share specifics of what they did? Maybe a nice bullet pointed summary of key points?

They merged several schools in pairs, one middling school with a nearby healthier school. Nearly all were mid-sized schools with a rural community college. The goals were to reduce administrative costs and create a stronger path for CC students to attend public universities. The results are lackluster. Administration costs are negligible and students aren't continuing at a significantly better rate.

The outlier in many ways was Georgia Southern and Armstrong State. They're about 50 miles apart in the Savannah region. They renamed Armstrong as Georgia Southern - Armstrong and made big campus experience cuts like cutting the entire D2 athletics department. Enrollment is down 20% at the Armstrong campus and there's a growing contingent of alumni and community leaders wanting to undo the pairing.

[complaint_hopeful]

They merged several schools in pairs, one middling school with a nearby healthier school. Nearly all were mid-sized schools with a rural community college. The goals were to reduce administrative costs and create a stronger path for CC students to attend public universities. The results are lackluster. Administration costs are negligible and students aren't continuing at a significantly better rate.

The outlier in many ways was Georgia Southern and Armstrong State. They're about 50 miles apart in the Savannah region. They renamed Armstrong as Georgia Southern - Armstrong and made big campus experience cuts like cutting the entire D2 athletics department. Enrollment is down 20% at the Armstrong campus and there's a growing contingent of alumni and community leaders wanting to undo the pairing.

Very interesting. It will be interesting to see if Bloom and to a lesser extent Cal U prop these other schools up...or if these other schools lose so much enrollment that it lowers the overall enrollment of the triad.

I also wonder if these triads will get marketed more because they want them to succeed, thus taking enrollment from other state schools. There will be some program overlap with other schools surely.

[iupgroundhog]

It's not a strategy.

It's not a strategic approach. It's a tactical approach. It's morphed into a tactical approach for the purpose of meeting the financial requirements outlined by the state. Most likely it needs a strategic approach to be successful but it is all oriented towards meeting short-term financial goals.

As a result, what is to come out of it will not be optimal. Maybe not even sensible. Or fair.

[boatcapt]

They merged several schools in pairs, one middling school with a nearby healthier school. Nearly all were mid-sized schools with a rural community college. The goals were to reduce administrative costs and create a stronger path for CC students to attend public universities. The results are lackluster. Administration costs are negligible and students aren't continuing at a significantly better rate.

The outlier in many ways was Georgia Southern and Armstrong State. They're about 50 miles apart in the Savannah region. They renamed Armstrong as Georgia Southern - Armstrong and made big campus experience cuts like cutting the entire D2 athletics department. Enrollment is down 20% at the Armstrong campus and there's a growing contingent of alumni and community leaders wanting to undo the pairing.

I think people are over stating the desire of current students to want to go to a hometown university. When the PASSHE schools opened, the roadway system was not nearly as evolved as it is now so it was not an easy trek to go from say the area south of Pittsburg to say Indiana PA. Students now can easily travel home every weekend if the choose from almost every "region" in the state. Also have to factor in on-line courses which were growing even before Covid. Heck, with some creative scheduling, it would not be impossible for a student who grew up in the Mon Valley to go to Edinboro and spend four days a week at "home" eating mom and dads groceries and having mom do his or her laundry. Only have to spend an ENTIRE week on campus if there was a kegger going on Friday night!!

Having so many "regional" universities that duplicated curriculum made sense "back in the day." Now, you could really meet the needs of most PA college students with four or maybe five strategically placed universities with enrollment in the 20k range. Take the money that PASSHE currently disburses among the 14 universities and distribute it to five better funded and larger universities.

[complaint_hopeful]

Yes - And that's a concern I have with the Cal, Clarion, Edinboro triad. It's built around online education. Literally every college in the US now offers online classes thanks to covid. So then, it will become about quality and innovation. I don't know that schools with financial constraints will be able to afford what's needed to innovate.

[Fightingscot82]

I think people are over stating the desire of current students to want to go to a hometown university. When the PASSHE schools opened, the roadway system was not nearly as evolved as it is now so it was not an easy trek to go from say the area south of Pittsburg to say Indiana PA. Students now can easily travel home every weekend if the choose from almost every "region" in the state. Also have to factor in on-line courses which were growing even before Covid. Heck, with some creative scheduling, it would not be impossible for a student who grew up in the Mon Valley to go to Edinboro and spend four days a week at "home" eating mom and dads groceries and having mom do his or her laundry. Only have to spend an ENTIRE week on campus if there was a kegger going on Friday night!!

Having so many "regional" universities that duplicated curriculum made sense "back in the day." Now, you could really meet the needs of most PA college students with four or maybe five strategically placed universities with enrollment in the 20k range. Take the money that PASSHE currently disburses among the 14 universities and distribute it to five better funded and larger universities.

Financial and geographic access are the #1 drivers of PASSHE enrollment.

I can't find the data to accurately cite, but most students attending PASSHE schools are from within 50-75 miles of campus. So when IUP cuts art programs that doesn't necessarily mean that Edinboro benefits. When Clarion and Edinboro cut music programs, the enrollment in music programs at IUP and Slippery Rock didn't increase.

The only variable that will increase enrollment is reducing cost (increasing the savings from state related branches and regional privates). Reducing locations will reduce enrollment.

[Fightingscot82]

Lock Haven president is looking. Just like Edinboro's, he was passed over for the conjoined university.

https://www.tapinto.net/towns/hacken...four-finalists

[BADinPA]

Several months ago I commented that much of the discussion is this topic would have little impact on the financial situation in the SSHE. I feel I am an expert in cost reduction and I am beginning to see the essential pain that is required to right the ship. IUP has announced cutting numerous programs that unfortunately will impact students and faculty. As difficult as this is going to be, it is a real start which will be felt across the SSHE. Only West Chester may avoid the draconian measures which are needed.

[Bart]

Martin said Indiana, where she has spent her career teaching in its Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, is expected to be the hardest hit, with potentially 128 furlough notices going out to individuals in its teaching ranks.

While the numbers of positions to be cut at each the affected universities seems to change as Oct. 30 deadline nears, Martin said the union estimates it could be two faculty positions cut at Cheyney, four at Clarion, 14 at each Lock Haven and Mansfield, 22 at California, and 61 at Edinboro.

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2020/1...on-friday.html

[complaint_hopeful]

IUP laying off some 100 Faculty and 80 Staff. They're projecting a $16 million budget shortfall. The article also talks about how they're eliminating 5 Fine Arts Programs. Enrollment down 33% over 7 years (from 15,000 students to 10,000.)

https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020...arts-programs/

[IUPbigINDIANS]

IUP laying off some 100 Faculty and 80 Staff. They're projecting a $16 million budget shortfall. The article also talks about how they're eliminating 5 Fine Arts Programs. Enrollment down 33% over 7 years (from 15,000 students to 10,000.)

https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020...arts-programs/

Today is the bad one. Those being removed are being notified.

[Fightingscot82]

IUP laying off some 100 Faculty and 80 Staff. They're projecting a $16 million budget shortfall. The article also talks about how they're eliminating 5 Fine Arts Programs. Enrollment down 33% over 7 years (from 15,000 students to 10,000.)

https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020...arts-programs/

40% enrollment decline if you go back to the peak in 2010. But the local state legislator is right. When there's decreased demand, you have to make changes. When there's a significant decrease in revenue, you have to significantly cut expenses. I know a few faculty at IUP and an Edinboro professor that I'm still close with received his notice. I feel for them and their situation. But the union will criticize the plan and say that it's the wrong decision - but fail to offer the alternative. It's Catch 22 for senior leadership.

Thanks for pointing out the staff layoff number. That's big because most of these unionized staff are student-facing. They're housing staff, admissions counselors, financial aid counselors, student activities, etc. This isn't fewer accountants, HR benefits managers, or Assistant VP of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. Student touch-points are more critical now than ever as the experience becomes way less personal. The staff union, SCUPA, isn't as large or powerful or vocal as the professors union.