PASSHE Institutions Merging

[IUPbigINDIANS]

The view from Lock Haven. Susan Snyder of The Inquirer has a good grip on the whole thing. Note the professor (Cloud) picked up on my realization that virtually everything can be done that is planned without merging/consolidating. That is absolutely true (possibly he didn't get the idea from this board - lol).

However, it is true and that notion gives credence to the idea that the real goal is to force the "slow death" of the schools.

https://www.inquirer.com/education/l...-20210623.html

No doubt at all.

This phase is simply the "well, we tried it and explored all options" b.s. phase.

A few years from now we'll be talking about which are getting closed.

The triads are a joke -- and will be viewed as much by prospective (and current) students.

[iupgroundhog]

The view from Lock Haven. Susan Snyder of The Inquirer has a good grip on the whole thing. Note the professor (Cloud) picked up on my realization that virtually everything can be done that is planned without merging/consolidating. That is absolutely true (possibly he didn't get the idea from this board - lol).

However, it is true and that notion gives credence to the idea that the real goal is to force the "slow death" of the schools.

https://www.inquirer.com/education/l...-20210623.html

[Fightingscot82]

...says the unions. If that were the case, let's invest $100B into PASSHE and make the entire commonwealth rich!

The report came from PASSHE itself. https://www.sru.edu/news/041715a

[Horror Child]

If the 14 PASSHE universities weren't *owned* by the state I might agree with you. Funding should always prioritize what is best for you. There's an 11-to-1 ROI on PASSHE plus 90% of their students are in-state and are most likely to stay in state after graduation. Lastly and maybe most importantly, PASSHE outperforms all others on socio-economic mobility after graduation.

...says the unions. If that were the case, let's invest $100B into PASSHE and make the entire commonwealth rich!

[Fightingscot82]

I would counter that state money should favor state citizens...After all, they (or their parents) are the ones who pay the $'s in through their taxes. PASSHE has the opportunity to compete for these state $. While their tuitions have gone up, I still believe they are the lowest in the state which should given them an advantage in competing for the recipients of these $'s.

If the 14 PASSHE universities weren't *owned* by the state I might agree with you. Funding should always prioritize what is best for you. There's an 11-to-1 ROI on PASSHE plus 90% of their students are in-state and are most likely to stay in state after graduation. Lastly and maybe most importantly, PASSHE outperforms all others on socio-economic mobility after graduation.

[boatcapt]

State money should favor state agencies.

I would counter that state money should favor state citizens...After all, they (or their parents) are the ones who pay the $'s in through their taxes. PASSHE has the opportunity to compete for these state $. While their tuitions have gone up, I still believe they are the lowest in the state which should given them an advantage in competing for the recipients of these $'s.

[Fightingscot82]

Shouldn't the funding be "slanted" to Jonathan and Suzie receiving the education he/she wants at the school they want to attend? PASSHE has an equal opportunity to compete for students receiving these dollars. Don't know were that would be, but it would be interesting to see what % of the PHEAA go to PASSHE schools.

State money should favor state agencies.

[boatcapt]

Yes but PHEAA is also available to any PA college student so while Jonathan uses his grant to attend Shippensburg, Suzie down the street uses her grant at Messiah. The agency also doesn't give preference to PASSHE. The available funding should be slanted to encourage PASSHE attendance then state-funded then private.

Shouldn't the funding be "slanted" to Jonathan and Suzie receiving the education he/she wants at the school they want to attend? PASSHE has an equal opportunity to compete for students receiving these dollars. Don't know were that would be, but it would be interesting to see what % of the PHEAA go to PASSHE schools.

[Fightingscot82]

I also note that PA has a number of student grants/scholarships managed by the PHEAA ($369M in 2020-21). While it is an indirect funding stream, PASSHE students take these state provided dollars and give them to the school of their choice in the form of tuition.

Yes but PHEAA is also available to any PA college student so while Jonathan uses his grant to attend Shippensburg, Suzie down the street uses her grant at Messiah. The agency also doesn't give preference to PASSHE. The available funding should be slanted to encourage PASSHE attendance then state-funded then private.

[boatcapt]

Which is still 48th out of 50 states.

I also note that PA has a number of student grants/scholarships managed by the PHEAA ($369M in 2020-21). While it is an indirect funding stream, PASSHE students take these state provided dollars and give them to the school of their choice in the form of tuition.

[Fightingscot82]

Some number crunching:

PASSHE State provided budget in 2010-11: $465,197,000
PASSHE system-wide enrollment 2010-11: 119,513
Notional "per student" funding 2010-11: $3892

PASSHE State provided budget in 2020-21: $477,470,000 (2.7% increase over 2010-11)
PASSHE system-wide enrollment 2020-21: 93,704 (22% decline over 2010-11)
Notional "per student" funding 2020-21: $5095

Some observations:

PASSHE State funding is actually up over the 10 year period that enrollment has been falling.
In 2010-11 the PASSHE got a temporary infusion of federal cash in the form of the ARRA. That bloated the PASSHE budget beyond a taxpayer sustainable level.
PASSHE funding per student is up 31%.

Which is still 48th out of 50 states.

[boatcapt]

No, but with a better funding formula they can sustain current enrollment. Until rural broadband is improved, geographic access is necessary. I was visiting my in-laws last weekend and the highest speed internet available to them can't handle live streaming like Zoom or two simultaneous streams of recorded video like Netflix.

Some number crunching:

PASSHE State provided budget in 2010-11: $465,197,000
PASSHE system-wide enrollment 2010-11: 119,513
Notional "per student" funding 2010-11: $3892

PASSHE State provided budget in 2020-21: $477,470,000 (2.7% increase over 2010-11)
PASSHE system-wide enrollment 2020-21: 93,704 (22% decline over 2010-11)
Notional "per student" funding 2020-21: $5095

Some observations:

PASSHE State funding is actually up over the 10 year period that enrollment has been falling.
In 2010-11 the PASSHE got a temporary infusion of federal cash in the form of the ARRA. That bloated the PASSHE budget beyond a taxpayer sustainable level.
PASSHE funding per student is up 31%.

[iupgroundhog]

The Trump Country folk surrounding IUP will absolutely not just reject it they'll also cry to any right-leaning news source just like the kid thrown out of class a couple years ago. Unfortunately it looks like an unforced error on IUP's part.

Not sure about that. Don't forget that whatever they decide affects the community, not just the campus. I don't know what the vaccination rate is in Indiana Borough and White Twp. but I'm sure those folks don't want to experience another surge, even if it's a mini-surge.

IMO, the best solution is for the powers that be to find a way to require student vaccinations. There is time to do that. The second best option is to allow vaccinated students to attend class mask-free, provided they can document the vaccination. That should encourage unvaccinated students to get vaccinated.

It's all about the vaccination.

[Fightingscot82]

Excess capacity is the end result. Actually closing schools is an effective way of addressing excess capacity but that's not an option. Does anyone believe PASSHE as a system is going to get back to enrolement levels of 10+ years ago based on the changes they are making? Remember, hope is not a belief.

No, but with a better funding formula they can sustain current enrollment. Until rural broadband is improved, geographic access is necessary. I was visiting my in-laws last weekend and the highest speed internet available to them can't handle live streaming like Zoom or two simultaneous streams of recorded video like Netflix.

[Fightingscot82]

And, when you add it all up, it says we just have too many state schools in PA.

Too many 4 year schools. Too many state-funded schools and way too many private schools. PA has roughly the same number of 4-year schools as New York with nearly half the population.