PASSHE Institutions Merging

[complaint_hopeful]

If that's how it plays out ... it is hard to imagine some of these schools no longer having a football or basketball team on campus. I get the general public could care less if Clarion has a football team or Edinboro has basketball ... but for us long-time PSAC fans it will be pretty odd.

If sports leave a Clarion or Edinboro ... just seems a matter of time until they become glorified community college (commuter) campuses.

From my perspective, why would anybody go to these schools? Athletics are a major part of campus life. In the West, should this go down, I see IUP and SRU laughing all the way to the bank. They'll get huge spikes out of this merger (of sorts). Do you want to go to the varsity college or the junior varsity college?

I get there are other sports beside football and basketball ... but ... two drive the bus.

I don't know that they'll get rid of sports. Maybe a program here and there, but I think they'll keep most. Just a gut feeling. Atleast not initially.

They're not going to do things in this that kill public support until it's well established that it's a success.

Now the Faculty Union did complain on the call. The Clarion President seemed to state that Administrative positions will get cut in this also among the schools. Now whether that means management or management and staff remains to be seen. But 1 school would provide services for 3 or some conglomeration.

[complaint_hopeful]

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/ed...s/202010140147

While nothing is set in stone, at one point I believe it was Clarions President indicated that Clarions name has changed many times over the years. She didn't directly say their name would change, but some listening thought that implied it.

I think you might see something like Western PA University - Clarion/Edinboro/California. Kind of like Penn State - McKeesport, etc.

[complaint_hopeful]

Looks like these two have the inside track to be the next presidents of the new schools:

"Clarion President Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson was appointed to lead the effort that will begin the next phase of exploring the combination of the three western universities, while Bloomsburg President Bashar Hanna was named to head up the group looking at integrating the three northcentral schools."

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

That's been the rumor. I listened to the meeting yesterday and I'd say that those 2 are the Presidents of these schools. No inside track. I'd say it's clear that they're going to be leading it.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

As for the athletic side it would be safe to say that all athletics would switch to the California campus well at least Football/Basketball/Volleyball. Maybe baseball goes to the Boro/Clarion Campus. As for the East it's safe to say FB & BB would be at Bloom's campus, maybe you throw baseball at Mansfield and leave track & field at Lock Haven.

If that's how it plays out ... it is hard to imagine some of these schools no longer having a football or basketball team on campus. I get the general public could care less if Clarion has a football team or Edinboro has basketball ... but for us long-time PSAC fans it will be pretty odd.

If sports leave a Clarion or Edinboro ... just seems a matter of time until they become glorified community college (commuter) campuses.

From my perspective, why would anybody go to these schools? Athletics are a major part of campus life. In the West, should this go down, I see IUP and SRU laughing all the way to the bank. They'll get huge spikes out of this merger (of sorts). Do you want to go to the varsity college or the junior varsity college?

I get there are other sports beside football and basketball ... but ... two drive the bus.

[shipfbfan1]

As for the athletic side it would be safe to say that all athletics would switch to the California campus well at least Football/Basketball/Volleyball. Maybe baseball goes to the Boro/Clarion Campus. As for the East it's safe to say FB & BB would be at Bloom's campus, maybe you throw baseball at Mansfield and leave track & field at Lock Haven.

[Bart]

If approved, the integrations would reduce the system to 10 universities and become the most significant change in its 37-year history.

https://www.inquirer.com/education/p...-20201014.html

[Bart]

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/ed...s/202010140147

[Bart]

https://www.weny.com/story/42767948/...twitter_WENYTV

[Bart]

Looks like these two have the inside track to be the next presidents of the new schools:

"Clarion President Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson was appointed to lead the effort that will begin the next phase of exploring the combination of the three western universities, while Bloomsburg President Bashar Hanna was named to head up the group looking at integrating the three northcentral schools."

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

[complaint_hopeful]

My prediction on how this plays out is a lot of Faculty and some Staff lose their jobs. The 2 pairs of schools merge into 1 school, but keep campus identities. They start to deduplicate services. This process takes a long time. Maybe a decade. Also, due to negative press from merging/financial issues, etc. the student volume decreases overall. But, then eventually increases.

But, the state seeing that PASSHE trimmed all the fat starts to increase funding to levels needed to sustain Universities and make this succeed.

[ironmaniup]

I think its projections for several years down the road. Which is what the sustainability plans attempt to address and why they were accelerated.

Those numbers though...say Edinboro is $22 million. Say Clarion is $18 million. And say Cal U is $12 million. I made the last 2 up but probably close. How can those 3 combine to save $52 million? Even if its $40 million.

Failure seems inevitable.

I suspect there is a lot more to come. At the end of the 2 year period, it will be close to time to negotiate a new faculty contract which ends in 2023. The big unknown is what students will do given the publicity about financial problems, and the end of the covid crisis. Sometimes a plan is just to create justification for doing what they want to do in the first place. Then they can say, "I gave you a chance, but you blew it."

[complaint_hopeful]

I don't understand the $22 million deficit for Edinboro or the $150 million for the system. Maybe that's the loss after a two virtual semesters?

I think its projections for several years down the road. Which is what the sustainability plans attempt to address and why they were accelerated.

Those numbers though...say Edinboro is $22 million. Say Clarion is $18 million. And say Cal U is $12 million. I made the last 2 up but probably close. How can those 3 combine to save $52 million? Even if its $40 million.

Failure seems inevitable.

[Fightingscot82]

http://www.edinboronow.com/article/c...ation-and-more

I don't understand the $22 million deficit for Edinboro or the $150 million for the system. Maybe that's the loss after a two virtual semesters?

[complaint_hopeful]

http://www.edinboronow.com/article/c...ation-and-more

[Matt Burglund]

How much has tuition at PASSHE schools changed during the last 10 years?

It has increased. How much, I do not know.