PASSHE Institutions Merging

[complaint_hopeful]

The Clarion/Edinboro president characterized it as Cal and Clarion proactively advocating for Edinboro to join them since their finances, enrollment, and academic offerings overlap well. I don't know what to believe at this point.

Yeah. A lot of the public presentation puts nice wrapping paper and a bow on this all.

Supposedly within the next couple weeks some of the actual details are going to trickle out about how this actually works.

[Fightingscot82]

I think the biggest story is that the concept of "dissolution" has been introduced. Revert back to the way things were pre-PASSHE.

The state senator from Indiana volunteered that he would sponsor that bill. It would be every school for themselves. Senator Pittman described how the "cross-subsidization" has hurt IUP. He's right. If dissolving PASSHE is an option, I am all for it.

dissolution - Legal Definition. n. The termination, cessation, or winding up of a legal entity such as a corporation or partnership; the consensual or judicially ordered undoing of a contract by placing the parties back into the positions they held before entering into it; the termination of a marriage.

Abso-frickin-lutely. Yeah all 14 schools were headed in different directions pre-PASSHE but now they're all Stepford McState Universities and have lost a lot of autonomy in determining their direction. The system-ness (of which the faculty CBA is a symptom) boggs down every school. Greenstein is right that the system needs to act more like a system - but behind the scenes. Greenstein directed a digital consolidation of Cal system libraries. That's a great idea for PASSHE. Shared operational services are another. There's probably cost savings in the long term for both of those. But let Edinboro direct its course for NWPA the same as Lock Haven should do best for NCPA. Back in the late 70s, Edinboro saw a need for better medical and legal education in NWPA. Their application for a state grant nursing hub was given to Gannon and its applications for law and medical schools as well as an MBA were all denied by the state. Those were big strategic opportunities for its immediate region. PASSHE red tape prevents that kind of thing now because of IUP/WCU supremacy.

While we're all for getting rid of the "system" I think he was talking about closing everyone. That would be catastrophic.

[iupgroundhog]

Well...IF the State funding went to 0...likely no school survives. So I think that's the critical detail. Like they dissolve PASSHE and the state funding goes away.

No. That's not the way it worked pre-PASSHE and not the way it would work post-PASSHE. Instead, each school would negotiate with the state independently. Sounds inefficient but it would allow each school to find their level. The other big word Greenstein introduced was "cross-subsidization." Perhaps people have never heard that big word but many know what it means. Why should stronger institutions subsidize weaker ones? At this point, I think that question deserves consideration.

[complaint_hopeful]

No. That's not the way it worked pre-PASSHE and not the way it would work post-PASSHE. Instead, each school would negotiate with the state independently. Sounds inefficient but it would allow each school to find their level. The other big word Greenstein introduced was "cross-subsidization." Perhaps people have never heard that big word but many know what it means. Why should stronger institutions subsidize weaker ones? At this point, I think that question deserves consideration.

Definately. Well in your scenario...I think I'd favor dissolution too. The schools ultimately pay for PASSHE and the salaries...and I don't know that the value or governance is there. Now, Greenstein is trying to fix that...but he's 1 person trying to fix 30 years of inefficiency. Only so much he can do. He's certainly trying.

[complaint_hopeful]

I think there's a lot of bad press coming from the Integration. I get what the Chancellor is doing...He's trying to paint the alternatives as bad.

But, what he's doing is painting in the mind of prospective students that the system might collapse while they are here.

This whole process is brutal.

[iupgroundhog]

I think there's a lot of bad press coming from the Integration. I get what the Chancellor is doing...He's trying to paint the alternatives as bad.

But, what he's doing is painting in the mind of prospective students that the system might collapse while they are here.

This whole process is brutal.

All of the uncertainty and confusion has to hurt and this is not a good time for more hurt.

[complaint_hopeful]

All of the uncertainty and confusion has to hurt and this is not a good time for more hurt.

Yeah - It's terrible. And some employees are leaving too...and it's usually the better ones that leave.

Interestingly, when the Chancellor comes to a campus or speaks to a campus...the people present wildly optimistic views to him of his plan I've noticed. It's interesting. Like the Students talk about how great this is.

I don't know that he gets the actual view that the average person has. I hope he realizes that people will give him biased takes.

[ironmaniup]

What are the odds this doesn't get the go ahead at this point though? The PASSHE Board is who approves it. There will be a 60 day comment period where I'd imagine there will be A LOT of opposition, but ultimately it goes forward.

I guess it really depends on how bleak the situation really is. Lock Haven for instance says they have $45 million in reserves. IF that money was theirs and theirs alone, they could likely lose enrollment for several plus more years and survive.

The Chancellor and PASSHE see the system collapsing in a short period of time going at the current trend.

And maybe both are right. Maybe Lock Haven would be ok, but a bunch of other schools fail? The Chancellor is working to save ALL schools. Not just 1.

I tend to think his view is highly correct. Although, in his town halls and PR appearances he's talking about how he's seeing amazing work in these Integrations. Everything I hear is there is confusion and lack of communication and decisions. Unless the consultants built this thing heavily and just haven't released the info yet...

At the least it will be delayed for a year. With faculty dragging their feet, and with all the elbowing by the various universities, there is no way this happened by fall. In fact, current students are promised the degree they signed up for, based on the classes that are available now.

The problem is, there is another huge demographic drop off coming in 2025, and the weaker institution cannot survive without more subsidy than the state is currently willing to provide.

[complaint_hopeful]

At the least it will be delayed for a year. With faculty dragging their feet, and with all the elbowing by the various universities, there is no way this happened by fall. In fact, current students are promised the degree they signed up for, based on the classes that are available now.

The problem is, there is another huge demographic drop off coming in 2025, and the weaker institution cannot survive without more subsidy than the state is currently willing to provide.

I feel like I'd feel MUCH better about having a 2023 start than an August 2022 one. There is so much that needs done.

[Bart]

Cal U Trims Costs for Westmoreland County Community College Grads (20% discount) -

Cal U trims costs for Westmoreland County Community College Grads

Let the games begin. Bloomsburg U commits $2 million to supporting first-generation students

https://www.northcentralpa.com/educa..._medium=social

[Fightingscot82]

APSCUF calling the chancellor's statements irresponsible and reckless. Others are calling for him to resign. I'm not sure that helps.

[Bart]

Listening to students and professors at a couple of universities talk about the merger:

Faculty must be cut before the integration. That would probably paint them into a corner and give these schools little chance of choosing not to integrate.

Tenure is going away. $2,500 will be paid to adjunct faculty to teach a course.

NCAA ll athletics is waiting to see how the academics works out before making a decision on athletics. And D1 is waiting for D2 to make their decision.

For every $1 spent on a PASSHE school, $11 is returned to the community.

Each school will keep their identity, yet they hired a Ohio firm to figure out the identity of Pa. school.

[Fightingscot82]

Listening to students and professors at a couple of universities talk about the merger:

Faculty must be cut before the integration. That would probably paint them into a corner and give these schools little chance of choosing not to integrate.

Tenure is going away. $2,500 will be paid to adjunct faculty to teach a course.

NCAA ll athletics is waiting to see how the academics works out before making a decision on athletics. And D1 is waiting for D2 to make their decision.

For every $1 spent on a PASSHE school, $11 is returned to the community.

Each school will keep their identity, yet they hired a Ohio firm to figure out the identity of Pa. school.

The marketing firm is out of Massachusetts. At least the one working with the Western schools.

[Bart]

https://www.sungazette.com/news/top-...ve-for-future/

[iupgroundhog]

https://www.sungazette.com/news/top-...ve-for-future/

Thanks, Bart.

Problem is that we know all about the financial and enrollment issues. That's all been regurgitated over and over.

However, there was a credible plan for LHU prior to Greenstein's switcheroo with adding Bloom to the equation. The merger with Mansfield would have helped LHU. More importantly, they had who I consider to be the best educational mind in the system (Pignatello) at the helm and his plan for recruitment, retention and cutting costs was already starting to show dividends.

Normally, you can't go back and fix past mistakes. In this case, though, you actually could. Pignatello is still around (in Harrisburg) and you could easily drop Bloom out of it.

Right now, as it stands, Greenstein is just rolling the dice on the well-being of an entire community and county. The LH City Council has every right to demand that a comprehensive study of the potential outcomes be undertaken. In fact, anything less is unacceptable. Obviously, that money to study and implement the integration that was denied by the state is imperative to have. Anything less will be doing this half-a##ed.

We need the NCAA to make a ruling on athletics before the rest of this is undertaken. Anything less is a recipe for disaster. Plus, you can't project the outcome without that information.

Will LHU and the surrounding community be served better by continuing on with Greenstein's speculative plan, or other alternatives, such as dropping Bloom out? We don't know that. There has been no study of it. Should everybody put their faith in the scheming of this one man?

The NE Triad was not formulated with the interests of the 3 schools in mind (primarily). It was assembled for the purpose of getting the 14 school budget in line.

Don't let Greenstein tell you any different.