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  • Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View Post

    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.

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    • Originally posted by Bart View Post

      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?

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      • Originally posted by iupgroundhog View Post

        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.

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        • Originally posted by Bart View Post

          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.

          Comment


          • Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View Post

            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.

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            • Originally posted by Horror Child View Post

              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.

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              • Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View Post

                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?

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                • Originally posted by Horror Child View Post

                  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.

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

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                    • Originally posted by complaint_hopeful View Post
                      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.

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                      • Originally posted by iupgroundhog View Post

                        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.

                        Comment


                        • Originally posted by ironmaniup View Post

                          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.
                          Last edited by Fightingscot82; 03-19-2021, 06:17 AM.

                          Comment


                          • Originally posted by iupgroundhog View Post

                            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.

                            Comment


                            • Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View Post

                              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.
                              Northpointe was previously used for IUP's electro-optics program (now defunct), overflow for freshman nursing majors to take intro classes, and some Business grad classes as well as a few required liberal studies type classes. There is no demand. Not sure what they will end up getting for the facillities.

                              I
                              Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View Post
                              '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.
                              One of the biggest problems with PASSHE is the granularity of the analysis of the academic programs. It pits departments against each other, and changes from year to year. curriculum is always where it is fought out - IUP requires 3 english courses for all students for example - in the end this keeps faculty in a job, and gives them more perks. If passhe would look at broader groups, or do comparisons with other universities - (for instance compare physics to physics, and Crim to crim from different universities) they'd do better, and get rid of some of the territorial behavior. In the end, they may have to dissolve the system, and make the universities independent, which would nullify the faculty contract. Not sure every school for themselves is the best model, but things have been pretty strange this past year.

                              Comment


                              • Originally posted by ironmaniup View Post

                                Northpointe was previously used for IUP's electro-optics program (now defunct), overflow for freshman nursing majors to take intro classes, and some Business grad classes as well as a few required liberal studies type classes. There is no demand. Not sure what they will end up getting for the facillities.

                                I

                                One of the biggest problems with PASSHE is the granularity of the analysis of the academic programs. It pits departments against each other, and changes from year to year. curriculum is always where it is fought out - IUP requires 3 english courses for all students for example - in the end this keeps faculty in a job, and gives them more perks. If passhe would look at broader groups, or do comparisons with other universities - (for instance compare physics to physics, and Crim to crim from different universities) they'd do better, and get rid of some of the territorial behavior. In the end, they may have to dissolve the system, and make the universities independent, which would nullify the faculty contract. Not sure every school for themselves is the best model, but things have been pretty strange this past year.
                                Maybe I'm confusing the Northpointe center with Monroeville?

                                I agree with you on the second part. The PASSHE curriculum is designed to keep faculty employed and create artificial demand for courses under the guise of a liberal arts core. This artificial demand led to creating departments and majors that were never popular but the budget was sound so nobody questioned it. I know that's rather cynical but its true. Like you said, its something that was created within a vacuum by system folks without much consciousness for how things are done elsewhere (a system-wide issue). There are MUCH higher ranked schools that don't have half the degree as general education. It also empowers the doubt in the value of the setup - without using cliches can they show that taking a second math class makes you a better high school history teacher or taking a philosophy class makes you a better biologist?

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