PASSHE Institutions Merging

[Fightingscot82]

I've never been on their campus but it doesn't look very charming in the Google Map Street Views.

It would be a lot nicer if they weren't so pressed for land. Before they built the two annex campuses in town, they really put buildings where they could. But that still can't make up for Morgantown being such a dump - and what nice parts there are with all the national chain and big box comforts is overcrowded with a bad mix of student & community housing. Can you imagine Indiana professors and townies living in a nice subdivision but with a student apartment complex just above looking down into their yards? WVU gives a lot of greater Pittsburgh kids the Penn State flagship party school experience - but an average high school student can get accepted unlike Penn State.

[IUPNation]

The cuts are reportedly to impact 147 undergrad students and 287 grad students or less than 2% of enrollment. The local state reps tried to get the legislature to send WVU some cash infusion during a recent special session but it wasn't passed. They'll probably give it another go come January when they are back in regular session. WVU took on alot of debt to buy up the sunny side slumlords and built fancy new apartment complexes near campus. Alot of those are sitting empty now with the enrollment drop.

I've never been on their campus but it doesn't look very charming in the Google Map Street Views.

[The P in IUP]

For those who haven't seen the coverage or the conversation in the MEC board...

WVU is in financial trouble as well. They are cutting 32 degree programs and about 145 professor positions. Not sure how many administrative staff (they don't have a contract that requires advanced planning). Similar to what the PennWest schools and IUP tried to do - they had a plan to build the university to 40,000 students by 2030 but instead now they're projecting to be down to about 25,000. $45 million revenue gap for this current fiscal year and they're a staggering $940 million in debt.

The cuts are reportedly to impact 147 undergrad students and 287 grad students or less than 2% of enrollment. The local state reps tried to get the legislature to send WVU some cash infusion during a recent special session but it wasn't passed. They'll probably give it another go come January when they are back in regular session. WVU took on alot of debt to buy up the sunny side slumlords and built fancy new apartment complexes near campus. Alot of those are sitting empty now with the enrollment drop.

[IUPNation]

About 45% is out of state. WVU has some big discount offers for targeted PA & OH counties. But by and large WVU's student profile resembles IUP. Average students with average to below average family incomes. Very sensitive to price and more likely to not finish on time if at all.

A couple of the neighborhood kids who life guarded at our pool over the past few summers were enrolled at WVU. I wonder if they’ll do what a lot do and transfer home to Walk On U.

[IUPNation]

In reality, WVU and IUP are very similar in regard to public perception. WVU is largely seen as the 'big school' version of IUP by most in these parts.

WVU is often the 'fall back' selection. Personally, I'd take IUP any day over WVU. Morgantown is a dump. But, it's a 'name' -- a bigger name for the target audience FS82 described above.

…except IUP has winning foosball and our basketball coach doesn’t drive around Yinzerburgh raging drunk.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Maybe they can merge with PennWest.

I'm cynical but that is a shocking situation for a state flagship school to be in.

In reality, WVU and IUP are very similar in regard to public perception. WVU is largely seen as the 'big school' version of IUP by most in these parts.

WVU is often the 'fall back' selection. Personally, I'd take IUP any day over WVU. Morgantown is a dump. But, it's a 'name' -- a bigger name for the target audience FS82 described above.

[iupgroundhog]

About 45% is out of state. WVU has some big discount offers for targeted PA & OH counties. But by and large WVU's student profile resembles IUP. Average students with average to below average family incomes. Very sensitive to price and more likely to not finish on time if at all.

Maybe they can merge with PennWest.

I'm cynical but that is a shocking situation for a state flagship school to be in.

[Fightingscot82]

So a shrinking state that is on average poor…is having a hard time with multiple schools. I mean how much of WVU’s student body is from outside West Virginia? I bet fairly high.

This is why the got stuck in the Big 12 because the See Everyone Cheat conference thought they were too low brow even for them.

About 45% is out of state. WVU has some big discount offers for targeted PA & OH counties. But by and large WVU's student profile resembles IUP. Average students with average to below average family incomes. Very sensitive to price and more likely to not finish on time if at all.

[IUPNation]

For those who haven't seen the coverage or the conversation in the MEC board...

WVU is in financial trouble as well. They are cutting 32 degree programs and about 145 professor positions. Not sure how many administrative staff (they don't have a contract that requires advanced planning). Similar to what the PennWest schools and IUP tried to do - they had a plan to build the university to 40,000 students by 2030 but instead now they're projecting to be down to about 25,000. $45 million revenue gap for this current fiscal year and they're a staggering $940 million in debt.

So a shrinking state that is on average poor…is having a hard time with multiple schools. I mean how much of WVU’s student body is from outside West Virginia? I bet fairly high.

This is why the got stuck in the Big 12 because the See Everyone Cheat conference thought they were too low brow even for them.

[Fightingscot82]

For those who haven't seen the coverage or the conversation in the MEC board...

WVU is in financial trouble as well. They are cutting 32 degree programs and about 145 professor positions. Not sure how many administrative staff (they don't have a contract that requires advanced planning). Similar to what the PennWest schools and IUP tried to do - they had a plan to build the university to 40,000 students by 2030 but instead now they're projecting to be down to about 25,000. $45 million revenue gap for this current fiscal year and they're a staggering $940 million in debt.

[Ship69]

There's always something going on at Cheyney

https://www.inquirer.com/education/c...-20230814.html

For those who can't access Philly Inquirer: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/...nduct-lawsuits

Every time a university gets involved in legal shenanigans I think of how much good that money would do if it went toward scholarships, facilities, faculty, etc.

[Fightingscot82]

There's always something going on at Cheyney

https://www.inquirer.com/education/c...-20230814.html

For those who can't access Philly Inquirer: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/...nduct-lawsuits

[Fightingscot82]

Good article on how the state related universities (Penn State, Pitt, Temple, Lincoln) are not subject to the state open records law and how that's hung up their annual state funding.

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/ed...s/202308130141

TLDR: Pitt, Penn State, Temple, Lincoln don't need to disclose any financial data beyond what a private university discloses via the annual Form 990 tax filing.

[Ship69]

Its all searchable anyway.

watch.pa.gov/employees/Pages/Employee-Salaries.aspx

So basically if it's in the media they've saved me the trouble.

[IUPNation]

So some students value the Penn State, Pitt or Temple name on their diploma? One might deduce that employers do as well. Or government officials who fund those institutions.

When will PASSHE or PennWest have a name brand that becomes desired?

Then those students can pay their loans in full since they desired the name brand and the students who went to STATE OWNED Public Universities can have their loans forgiven since it should not have cost so much to begin with…