PASSHE Institutions Merging

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Interesting report, though I'm surprised that it didn't mention the mass shooting at IUP. Talk about hostile environment, getting shot at seems pretty hostile.

It wasn't 'at' IUP (couple miles off campus) nor was it an IUP-sanctioned event.

Obviously it was a Homecoming event (not by IUP) that targeted IUP students, but that's where it ends.

Just like IUPatties. President Bow-tie says it's off-campus. Not his problem.

[ironmaniup]

https://www.senatorhaywood.com/ENOUGH

Interesting report, though I'm surprised that it didn't mention the mass shooting at IUP. Talk about hostile environment, getting shot at seems pretty hostile.

[Fightingscot82]

Today Big D Josh announced his budget plan for higher ed:

- 15% appropriation increase for PASSHE and state community colleges. It sounds like this amount includes funds needed to start the process toward combining systems.

- 15% appropriation increase for Thaddeus Stevens, the other college owned by the state government. I'm not sure why they aren't included in the new governance idea.

- 5% appropriation increase for Lincoln, Penn State, Pitt, and Temple.

- $279 million annually, starting in in 2025, to provide enough funding to cover a total out of pocket cost of $1,000 per semester for those households earning under $75k and increasing the full state need-based grant by $1,000

- Level-funding for all state need-based grants for students attending private colleges

- A new $15 million fund for student teacher stipends

[IUPNation]

Because a lot of the people in that town, especially the elected officials and even some of the businesses, are just a**holes and they take it out on the college students. It's no wonder a lot of them didn't stick around on weekends.

And your assessment is slightly off. Without the university, California Borough is basically a mash-up of Wilkinsburg and Clairton with a dose of Monessen thrown in. I don't miss that hell hole at all.

LOL!

[iupgroundhog]

Rock House actually just lost its liquor license lol. There is still really only one bar in Slippery Rock. There is the brewery and a newer moonshine distillery/restaurant but students don't go to either. On the border of town in front of Giant Eagle is the Coney Island restaurant and bar but its also lost its allure with students.

Slippery Rock is just as much of a road crossing as it is a college town. Most of the vehicular traffic is cutting from I-79 to Route 8, cutting from New Castle over to Butler, or traffic cutting the corner from I-79 north to I-80 east. There is also a significant transient workforce from oil & gas drilling, the limestone quarries, and Iron Mountain underground storage in Boyers. A lot of people also pass through on their way to their camps. Nearly all of the issues I'm aware of with racism and other discrimination have been community members, transient workers, or other unknown people directed at SRU students.

Legally, PASSHE schools can't punish hate speech or prohibit outsiders from coming onto campus for hate speech. The Klan can legally stage daily protests in the middle of Cheyney's campus and as long as the protesters don't violate the law or campus policy.

In my day, we had the Oak Grove preacher. He wasn't a racist that I know of, but he was evangelical and VERY DRAMATIC. It was great entertainment between classes and I'm sure he made a lot of students late for class.

[Fightingscot82]

I've always wondered how minority students felt about Clarion. You're up in the (almost exclusively white) mountains. You go shortly outside of town and you think you're in Dixie with all the Confederate flags, etc.

It is a different world up there in Clarion, Brookville, Sigel, etc.

For the older crowd, SRU used to be a dry town. The closest college bar (term loosely used) was The Rock House. It was probably 7 miles or so from campus. Talk about a culture clash in there. On weekends it was the closest thing to Road House that I've ever seen. The local yocals and the college kids - drunk - under one roof.

Rock House actually just lost its liquor license lol. There is still really only one bar in Slippery Rock. There is the brewery and a newer moonshine distillery/restaurant but students don't go to either. On the border of town in front of Giant Eagle is the Coney Island restaurant and bar but its also lost its allure with students.

Slippery Rock is just as much of a road crossing as it is a college town. Most of the vehicular traffic is cutting from I-79 to Route 8, cutting from New Castle over to Butler, or traffic cutting the corner from I-79 north to I-80 east. There is also a significant transient workforce from oil & gas drilling, the limestone quarries, and Iron Mountain underground storage in Boyers. A lot of people also pass through on their way to their camps. Nearly all of the issues I'm aware of with racism and other discrimination have been community members, transient workers, or other unknown people directed at SRU students.

Legally, PASSHE schools can't punish hate speech or prohibit outsiders from coming onto campus for hate speech. The Klan can legally stage daily protests in the middle of Cheyney's campus and as long as the protesters don't violate the law or campus policy.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I've always wondered how minority students felt about Clarion. You're up in the (almost exclusively white) mountains. You go shortly outside of town and you think you're in Dixie with all the Confederate flags, etc.

It is a different world up there in Clarion, Brookville, Sigel, etc.

For the older crowd, SRU used to be a dry town. The closest college bar (term loosely used) was The Rock House. It was probably 7 miles or so from campus. Talk about a culture clash in there. On weekends it was the closest thing to Road House that I've ever seen. The local yocals and the college kids - drunk - under one roof.

[Fightingscot82]

How can I access the report?

Saying it's a hostile environment for black and brown students is probably way over the line legally.

https://www.senatorhaywood.com/ENOUGH

[ctrabs74]

Why would you be hostile to the entity that is basically keeping your town from sinking?

Without that campus it’s basically Monesson.

Because a lot of the people in that town, especially the elected officials and even some of the businesses, are just a**holes and they take it out on the college students. It's no wonder a lot of them didn't stick around on weekends.

And your assessment is slightly off. Without the university, California Borough is basically a mash-up of Wilkinsburg and Clairton with a dose of Monessen thrown in. I don't miss that hell hole at all.

[IUPNation]

California Borough is a hostile enough environment towards college students in general, much less for Black college students. This report is not surprising, especially since Cal Boro is one of the most depressing college towns I've ever seen in my life. And I had the misfortune to live there for three years. Some of the businesses were borderline hostile in general towards Cal U students, regardless of race. That's not to say there isn't racism out there, but it's a general distrust and hatred towards the university that seemed to drive a lot of those incidents, though the racial component adds to the deserved reputation Cal Boro gets.

Why would you be hostile to the entity that is basically keeping your town from sinking?

Without that campus it’s basically Monesson.

[iupgroundhog]

Yeah that report from Senator Haywood was difficult to read. It specifically points out,

"Following the ENOUGH tour, Clarion, California, Edinboro (PennWest University) and Mansfield (part of Commonwealth University) were found to have the most egregious accounts of racism and should be considered hostile environments for Black and Brown students."

How can I access the report?

Saying it's a hostile environment for black and brown students is probably way over the line legally.

[Fightingscot82]

California Borough is a hostile enough environment towards college students in general, much less for Black college students. This report is not surprising, especially since Cal Boro is one of the most depressing college towns I've ever seen in my life. And I had the misfortune to live there for three years. Some of the businesses were borderline hostile in general towards Cal U students, regardless of race. That's not to say there isn't racism out there, but it's a general distrust and hatred towards the university that seemed to drive a lot of those incidents, though the racial component adds to the deserved reputation Cal Boro gets.

I'll be honest, Edinboro surprised me. It is a blue island in a sea of red rural NWPA. There are clear non-white families living in the community. But once you're outside town you're on rural roads with occasional houses in between farm fields. I've spent most of my life either living in Edinboro or being a very engaged, frequent visitor and never once witnessed racial hostility.

One of the challenges of where our schools tend to be located is worlds colliding. You have three main groups of students: mostly white kids from cosmopolitan middle class suburbia, almost exclusively white kids from rural & small working class towns, and Black students from predominantly Black communities. Three very different home environments. I can't imagine what its like going from a place where most people look & act like me to a place that not only doesn't look like home but I'm suddenly not looking or acting like most others. Even a modestly welcoming campus environment changes when you walk across the street to the off campus community.

[Bart]

California Borough is a hostile enough environment towards college students in general, much less for Black college students. This report is not surprising, especially since Cal Boro is one of the most depressing college towns I've ever seen in my life. And I had the misfortune to live there for three years. Some of the businesses were borderline hostile in general towards Cal U students, regardless of race. That's not to say there isn't racism out there, but it's a general distrust and hatred towards the university that seemed to drive a lot of those incidents, though the racial component adds to the deserved reputation Cal Boro gets.

It is in a democratic county though.

[Ship69]

California Borough is a hostile enough environment towards college students in general, much less for Black college students. This report is not surprising, especially since Cal Boro is one of the most depressing college towns I've ever seen in my life. And I had the misfortune to live there for three years. Some of the businesses were borderline hostile in general towards Cal U students, regardless of race. That's not to say there isn't racism out there, but it's a general distrust and hatred towards the university that seemed to drive a lot of those incidents, though the racial component adds to the deserved reputation Cal Boro gets.

Had the occasion to travel through Brownsville, not far from California, in about the late '80s. At the time a movie featuring Robert Mitchum that was set in the '40s was filming there. Part of the reason they picked the town was that the look of the downtown still hadn't changed much from 40-some years earlier. Obviously the area had seen better days.

[ctrabs74]

Yeah that report from Senator Haywood was difficult to read. It specifically points out,

"Following the ENOUGH tour, Clarion, California, Edinboro (PennWest University) and Mansfield (part of Commonwealth University) were found to have the most egregious accounts of racism and should be considered hostile environments for Black and Brown students."

California Borough is a hostile enough environment towards college students in general, much less for Black college students. This report is not surprising, especially since Cal Boro is one of the most depressing college towns I've ever seen in my life. And I had the misfortune to live there for three years. Some of the businesses were borderline hostile in general towards Cal U students, regardless of race. That's not to say there isn't racism out there, but it's a general distrust and hatred towards the university that seemed to drive a lot of those incidents, though the racial component adds to the deserved reputation Cal Boro gets.