PASSHE Institutions Merging

[iupgroundhog]

Yeah. Similar thing happened with Clarion and their Venango campus, Edinboro and their Millcreek campus, Cal and their Southpointe center, etc. Impressed that IUP has been able to continue their Monroeville center.

Online classes really kills the "take X classes right here!" sales pitch.

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All true. But there's another thing, specific to these campuses. There was one powerful and wealthy person behind the LHU-Clearfield campus, Guy Graham of Clearfield, PA. Graham was formerly chair of the LHU Board of Trustees.

That type of influence seems to happen in our system. It's the same for IUP's Punxsutawney campus. IUP Board member and former PA Speaker of the House Sam Smith has directed a lot of resources from the main campus to the Punxsy campus. In my opinion, way too much. He is the champion of Punxsutawney and, I believe, it's at Indiana's expense.

Ironically, Guy Graham, the driving force behind LHU's Clearfield campus, passed away 2 weeks ago on January 6, 2025.

[Fightingscot82]

I have thought that campus was superfluous for a long time. I think these branch campuses outlive their usefulness simply because they exist.

Yeah. Similar thing happened with Clarion and their Venango campus, Edinboro and their Millcreek campus, Cal and their Southpointe center, etc. Impressed that IUP has been able to continue their Monroeville center.

Online classes really kills the "take X classes right here!" sales pitch.

[iupgroundhog]

I guess it's just one big building. It will be interesting to see what becomes of that building.

[iupgroundhog]

From a higher ed article on this...



Not good.

I have thought that campus was superfluous for a long time. I think these branch campuses outlive their usefulness simply because they exist.

[Fightingscot82]

CU closing a campus. https://www.sungazette.com/uncategor...field-closing/

From a higher ed article on this...

Officials pointed to an average annual operating deficit of more than $1.6 million over the last five years with enrollment falling from 395 students in fiscal year 2019–20 to 177 in the fall semester.

Not good.

[Bart]

CU closing a campus. https://www.sungazette.com/uncategor...field-closing/

[Fightingscot82]

The average price of a new car in the U.S. now is about $47,000. I don't think $40,000 in college loans would be an impossible hardship on most graduates, especially those in jobs at the high end. For fields such as education, you might need to consider some incentives to make it more attractive. Teacher pay in the country ranges from pretty good to downright awful. Most of the Northeast is certainly not the worst. One of my granddaughters, a kindergarten teacher and Ship graduate, has a lot more in the bank than I did at her age, and some of her friends aren't doing badly, either. But even at that a big reason more people don't get into the field is the animosity directed toward public schools and higher education in general. There are certain professions in this country that we need to value more. Then again, you can be a pro basketball player who believes the Earth is flat and make millions of dollars, so maybe education isn't everything.

Average bachelor's degree loan debt is pretty close to the average cost of a wedding.

[Ship69]

Same reason people don't study education anymore. Multiple generations asking 17 year olds "What job are you going to get with that? Starbucks?" Everyone wants well paying jobs that are directly tied to what they study. No longer willing to take out $40k in loans for a choose your own adventure major and career path. Fulfilling but modest paying careers just aren't attractive, trendy or not. Only the rich can afford to study liberal arts anymore. We're going backwards in that respect.

The average price of a new car in the U.S. now is about $47,000. I don't think $40,000 in college loans would be an impossible hardship on most graduates, especially those in jobs at the high end. For fields such as education, you might need to consider some incentives to make it more attractive. Teacher pay in the country ranges from pretty good to downright awful. Most of the Northeast is certainly not the worst. One of my granddaughters, a kindergarten teacher and Ship graduate, has a lot more in the bank than I did at her age, and some of her friends aren't doing badly, either. But even at that a big reason more people don't get into the field is the animosity directed toward public schools and higher education in general. There are certain professions in this country that we need to value more. Then again, you can be a pro basketball player who believes the Earth is flat and make millions of dollars, so maybe education isn't everything.

[iupgroundhog]

Same reason people don't study education anymore. Multiple generations asking 17 year olds "What job are you going to get with that? Starbucks?" Everyone wants well paying jobs that are directly tied to what they study. No longer willing to take out $40k in loans for a choose your own adventure major and career path. Fulfilling but modest paying careers just aren't attractive, trendy or not. Only the rich can afford to study liberal arts anymore. We're going backwards in that respect.

Of course, I understand that. Here is the paragraph, though.

"Over the next few years, Townsley said the school will phase out economics and philosophy majors while incorporating new majors like cybersecurity, vocal performance, and music production and establishing new business tracks like human resources management. She said the class eliminations were based on low enrollment in those courses, while additions were based on student interest and employment demands."

First of all, my personal perspective is that economics and philosophy should be pre-professional programs. My personal perspective is that, regardless of enrollment, they should be preserved in a lot of situations even if there are few students enrolled. I also realize that doesn't make "economic" sense but I think colleges, especially ones like Albright should retain a certain amount of idealism. I also get the financial picture but, on the other hand, it's not a business selling widgets.

So, let's take a look at the new majors mentioned. For example, Cybersecurity. How many cybersecurity practitioners do we need? I doubt that Albright is going to have the resources to compete with more established programs, like e.g. IUP.

Vocal performance and music production? Really? Are they expecting to receive a big gift from Taylor Swift (Reading native)? It will be interesting to see how those grads are faring in 10 years.

Human Resources Management? Aren't they a little behind the 8 ball with HR? That's something that a lot of people want to do but the fact is there are not that many openings in HR.

The bottom line here is that Albright appears to be in real trouble.

[Fightingscot82]

I think somebody posted something about Albright College a while back. But I find this sad. Digging into their endowment deeply to pay for debt.

Of course, the demise of these types of liberal arts schools might bode well for PASSHE. So, there's that.

However, once again cutting Economics and Philosophy majors and replacing them with the fashionable trendy majors of the day is disappointing. As an old Econ major myself, I hate to see that.

Link:

https://therecord-online.com/site/archives/120861

Same reason people don't study education anymore. Multiple generations asking 17 year olds "What job are you going to get with that? Starbucks?" Everyone wants well paying jobs that are directly tied to what they study. No longer willing to take out $40k in loans for a choose your own adventure major and career path. Fulfilling but modest paying careers just aren't attractive, trendy or not. Only the rich can afford to study liberal arts anymore. We're going backwards in that respect.

[iupgroundhog]

I think somebody posted something about Albright College a while back. But I find this sad. Digging into their endowment deeply to pay for debt.

Of course, the demise of these types of liberal arts schools might bode well for PASSHE. So, there's that.

However, once again cutting Economics and Philosophy majors and replacing them with the fashionable trendy majors of the day is disappointing. As an old Econ major myself, I hate to see that.

Link:

https://therecord-online.com/site/archives/120861

[Fightingscot82]

The Gannon-Ursuline merger is official and begins this June.

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/ed...s/202501020080

I'm still not exactly sure what the benefit is here for Gannon. I guess it gets their health programs visibility in the Cleveland market.

[Ship69]

I've never heard of Harrisburg University. Not joking ... didn't know such a place existed.

I think there was another "never heard of this" thread, possibly with Nation. They've gotten a lot of publicity on Harrisburg area TV stations. It was most irritating when they got several stories featuring their e-sports team, when area PSAC schools such as Ship and Millersville can't get pub for any of their sports teams — not even team previews or announcing scores on the air. Apparently there was something magnetic about nerds sitting on their butts playing video games.

[iupgroundhog]

Probably because they weren't founded until 2001.

Full name is Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. 6,500 students. They pay their president more than PASSHE pays the Chancellor. Go figure.

HUST?

[IUPNation]

While our schools struggle with high school level facilities, don't worry - Pennsylvania just granted private university RMU $7 million toward construction of an on-campus hockey arena.

https://www.post-gazette.com/busines...s/202411040058

They haven’t healed from all of the burns they received for paying in full for the Angelo Dome.