PASSHE Institutions Merging

[Ship69]

For a while I thought it was a ruse by the chancellor to say something like 'hey we're making harsh changes - give us more money' because if so, that kind of worked with Wolf & the previous legislature. PA Republicans in the legislature know the value of PASSHE and like to think a lot of reform is happening. But now I think that its clear the plan isn't working (or there really is a lack of a true plan beyond consolidation) that this is just a way to deflect from the anxiety & response to a full closure.

Do they know they value of PASSHE? I wonder. What is the state allocating for the system this year — I believe the last figure I saw was something north of $500 million. Sounds like a lot until I notice that Northwestern is considering an $800 million renovation of its football stadium, and $400 million of that is largely coming from one donor. Harvard recently received a donation of $300 million from one guy. So there's an example of two wealthy guys providing more money to two schools than the entire state of Pennsylvania provides to a 14-school university system. Public higher education is in big trouble in our state.

[Bart]

https://www.pennlive.com/education/2...-students.html

"Pennsylvania’s 10 state universities and 15 community colleges have pledged to strengthen their relationship to make it easier for students to transfer between them"....and
"establishes a reverse transfer agreement allowing state university students to transfer back to a community college, and allocates financial aid at the universities for community college graduates"

One big happy family.

[Fightingscot82]

I've always seen the triads as the last ditch 'we tried everything' CYA before they start closing some doors.

For a while I thought it was a ruse by the chancellor to say something like 'hey we're making harsh changes - give us more money' because if so, that kind of worked with Wolf & the previous legislature. PA Republicans in the legislature know the value of PASSHE and like to think a lot of reform is happening. But now I think that its clear the plan isn't working (or there really is a lack of a true plan beyond consolidation) that this is just a way to deflect from the anxiety & response to a full closure.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I actually think this was a workaround to close campuses. Only the legislature can close a university but now the six are just campuses. Chancellor Dan can close Clarion and Mansfield with an email.

I've always seen the triads as the last ditch 'we tried everything' CYA before they start closing some doors.

[IUPNation]

You used to say live and let live, but now you cry live and let die.

An apology by the league would be nice.

[iupgroundhog]

In all honesty, if enrollment continues to plummet, I think it's only a matter of time that legislators start challenging IUP's immunity. So IUP may be the main hub but not the main campus or entity.

I think it would have to be introduced by Indiana-area legislators (I know this is delving into the highly theoretical).

[Bart]

Their past support for The IUP Rule means I have no sympathy for them.

You used to say live and let live, but now you cry live and let die.

[Fightingscot82]

In all honesty, if enrollment continues to plummet, I think it's only a matter of time that legislators start challenging IUP's immunity. So IUP may be the main hub but not the main campus or entity.

[IUPNation]

I'm not going to explain it.

Their past support for The IUP Rule means I have no sympathy for them.

[iupgroundhog]

That would be like giving cancer to IUP.

Why should IUP throw them
a lifeline?

I'm not going to explain it.

[IUPNation]

I have never thought that the goals of the Western merger were to grow solvent and self-sustaining universities. That's not going to happen. The purpose is much closer to managing the demise of the schools.

This is after one year. Where will it all go? Who knows?

I will say that the realignment of the academic schools is similar to IUP's structure. I have no idea if it is possible but I would be in favor of PennWest merging with IUP (with IUP as the parent school). I am biased, of course, but I think it would be one viable outcome in Western PA.

That would be like giving cancer to IUP.

Why should IUP throw them
a lifeline?

[Fightingscot82]

I have never thought that the goals of the Western merger were to grow solvent and self-sustaining universities. That's not going to happen. The purpose is much closer to managing the demise of the schools.

This is after one year. Where will it all go? Who knows?

I will say that the realignment of the academic schools is similar to IUP's structure. I have no idea if it is possible but I would be in favor of PennWest merging with IUP (with IUP as the parent school). I am biased, of course, but I think it would be one viable outcome in Western PA.

I actually think this was a workaround to close campuses. Only the legislature can close a university but now the six are just campuses. Chancellor Dan can close Clarion and Mansfield with an email.

[Horror Child]

I don't think their standard is any different. It usually takes 2-3 semesters of "failing" grades (below 2.0 GPA) to get academically suspended. Sometimes they'll even provide some advisement on courses to take at a community college to help get their GPA up. Sometimes they'll even make agreements to readmit the student if they get a certain GPA at the community college. I have seen kids readmitted who had less than a 1.0 GPA then took some classes at CCAC or CCBC.

Years ago when Edinboro had the first of two Ivy League snobs as President, he thought they should weed out more students. Every freshman who got below a 1.0 GPA their first semester was kicked out. That resulted in almost a $1 million revenue loss from fall to spring and was the first of several short-sighted financial decisions he ordered that hurt the school financially. This is an example why it doesn't matter how brilliant of a nuclear physicist someone is and/or they were tenured faculty at Princeton and Yale - it doesn't mean they understand how to run a university.

That's right. Who cares if the kid goes to class, turns in a paper or passes no classes? They're revenue for the school!!!! Even if it is a student loan that will likely be forgiven.

[boatcapt]

Rumors swirling that Penn West is on track for a massive enrollment decline as high as 20%.

They've gotta realize that you can't keep reacting (cutting to solve budget deficits) and need to start fixing (get more students). The rank and file of the admissions offices are still the same people that couldn't do well before the merger. Get them out of there.

I give the Clarion campus 2 years. They already are in default of the minimum guaranteed revenue for their dining services contract. Less than 500 living on campus.

A business will never "fix" what is driving them out of business if they are just reacting to the here and now (putting out brushfires). What a troubled business (and Colleges are businesses) is take dramatic action to get two years ahead of the decline and attempt to build a firewall to compete. I've said before, the problem with the PASHE is excess capacity. I know it hurts but you have to realize who you are and were you fall in the "desirability" category, get two years ahead of the enrollment decline and build Colleges that are the right size for the potential student base at that time.

[iupgroundhog]

Rumors swirling that Penn West is on track for a massive enrollment decline as high as 20%.

They've gotta realize that you can't keep reacting (cutting to solve budget deficits) and need to start fixing (get more students). The rank and file of the admissions offices are still the same people that couldn't do well before the merger. Get them out of there.

I give the Clarion campus 2 years. They already are in default of the minimum guaranteed revenue for their dining services contract. Less than 500 living on campus.

I have never thought that the goals of the Western merger were to grow solvent and self-sustaining universities. That's not going to happen. The purpose is much closer to managing the demise of the schools.

This is after one year. Where will it all go? Who knows?

I will say that the realignment of the academic schools is similar to IUP's structure. I have no idea if it is possible but I would be in favor of PennWest merging with IUP (with IUP as the parent school). I am biased, of course, but I think it would be one viable outcome in Western PA.