PASSHE Institutions Merging

[Fightingscot82]

Just a press release or are they going to cut a ribbon or something?

PASSHE BOG meeting at 4:30pm today to vote on the proposed name. It will surely leak out sometime this afternoon. Expect a unanimous approval.

[iupgroundhog]

Northeast name announced tomorrow

Just a press release or are they going to cut a ribbon or something?

[Fightingscot82]

Northeast name announced tomorrow

[iupgroundhog]

Yes. The original decision was based on geography less than potential collaboration/complimenting programs. They successfully argued that their academic programs don't align with Edinboro and Clarion, which I agree with. SRU has invested heavily in engineering and health professions. Edinboro, Clarion, and Cal overlap much more.

I think geography is a key variable. The NE triad has as a stated purpose providing educational services to the regional economy, which is fairly homogeneous across the footprints of the 3 schools. PWU doesn't do that.

Moreso, I disagree with the idea that the western programs, with SRU included, didn't align.

In any merger, benefits arise from differentiation between the merged entities. With Cal, Boro, and Clarion there is very little differentiation within the academic programs.

If SRU would have been a part of it, they could have leveraged the complementary offerings for a better overall model that created efficiencies. I don't see that with the PWU alliance. The three are virtually the same. That defeats the purpose of integration and streamlining.

In contrast, the NE triad actually realizes those kinds of efficiencies because of specific strengths of each member school that are complementary.

[EastStroud13]

The more this drags on, the more I realize that a compromise just isn't going to work. PASSHE needs to rip the bandaid off, select one or two flagships, and reposition every other school as satellite campuses of those flagships. Having this sort of inconsistent branding between different triads is not going to fix anything to a meaningful degree. We are just putting lipstick on a pig at this point.

[Fightingscot82]

Was it Slippery Rock who backed out of the western triad? The whole things is more like Dr. Frankenstein creating the monster, than the Brady Bunch.

Yes. The original decision was based on geography less than potential collaboration/complimenting programs. They successfully argued that their academic programs don't align with Edinboro and Clarion, which I agree with. SRU has invested heavily in engineering and health professions. Edinboro, Clarion, and Cal overlap much more.

[Fightingscot82]

I still believe just about all aspects of the plan can be realized without making it into 1 school (which it already is, I know). Ideally, a looser alliance with more independence would have worked better for the NE. In general, Bloom feels they are giving up too much. LHU feels they are getting run over, and Mansfield just wants to be. Greenstein didn't listen nearly enough to the various constituencies in the NE.

I think Greenstein concocted an idea in his head without doing any of the backend work before proposing it. It makes for good podcast and conference keynote fodder. There's a lot of that in higher ed - look at what we've done (even though it hasn't fully run its course yet). The savings are so negligible if any. The administrative cost savings are eaten up in the first year just from the branding work - and before they have to change logos everywhere on campus.

[Ship69]

I don't disagree with that, but that CLEARLY is not how the PASSHE is playing it! Imagine a PASSHE with the same budget but only seven (or so) schools? Much more stable and devoid of excess capacity (which I think really is the crux of the problem). If the schools that didn't make the cut want to try and make a go of it as private schools, sell them the assets at fire sale prices and be done with them.

Dwindling support from the state will probably get them close to a private school anyway. I live in a state that would rather subsidize thoroughbred racehorses than offer more scholarship money for its state university students.

[iupgroundhog]

Was it Slippery Rock who backed out of the western triad?.

Yes.

[Bart]

The Greenstein mantra seems to be "Good for three, not just for thee." The hope is that the sum will be better than the parts but to truly test that theory, all three members have to provide fully to the common good. Won't work if one of the schools says I AM THE BIG DOGS AND YOU WILL ONLY GET THE SCRAPS THAT FALL OFF MY TABLE!

I wonder beyond sqaking and screaming about how unfair it is, how much "control" a PASSHE school has in participating or not participating in the triads? I mean, can a school really say, thanks but hard NO if Greenstein and the PASSHE BOG askes them to participate?

Was it Slippery Rock who backed out of the western triad? The whole things is more like Dr. Frankenstein creating the monster, than the Brady Bunch.

[boatcapt]

I still believe just about all aspects of the plan can be realized without making it into 1 school (which it already is, I know). Ideally, a looser alliance with more independence would have worked better for the NE. In general, Bloom feels they are giving up too much. LHU feels they are getting run over, and Mansfield just wants to be. Greenstein didn't listen nearly enough to the various constituencies in the NE.

The Greenstein mantra seems to be "Good for three, not just for thee." The hope is that the sum will be better than the parts but to truly test that theory, all three members have to provide fully to the common good. Won't work if one of the schools says I AM THE BIG DOGS AND YOU WILL ONLY GET THE SCRAPS THAT FALL OFF MY TABLE!

I wonder beyond sqaking and screaming about how unfair it is, how much "control" a PASSHE school has in participating or not participating in the triads? I mean, can a school really say, thanks but hard NO if Greenstein and the PASSHE BOG askes them to participate?

[iupgroundhog]

I don't disagree with that, but that CLEARLY is not how the PASSHE is playing it! Imagine a PASSHE with the same budget but only seven (or so) schools? Much more stable and devoid of excess capacity (which I think really is the crux of the problem). If the schools that didn't make the cut want to try and make a go of it as private schools, sell them the assets at fire sale prices and be done with them.

We have bandied that idea around quite a bit. Frankly, I am not sure how those ~7 or so schools would fare moving into the future. Plus, by cutting out 7 of them there is a tremendous loss in so many ways. No point in going into specifics about that.

[iupgroundhog]

I still believe just about all aspects of the plan can be realized without making it into 1 school (which it already is, I know). Ideally, a looser alliance with more independence would have worked better for the NE. In general, Bloom feels they are giving up too much. LHU feels they are getting run over, and Mansfield just wants to be. Greenstein didn't listen nearly enough to the various constituencies in the NE.

[boatcapt]

The goal should be to keep schools open that attract students, some version of a free market system. Let each school sink or swim.

I don't disagree with that, but that CLEARLY is not how the PASSHE is playing it! Imagine a PASSHE with the same budget but only seven (or so) schools? Much more stable and devoid of excess capacity (which I think really is the crux of the problem). If the schools that didn't make the cut want to try and make a go of it as private schools, sell them the assets at fire sale prices and be done with them.

[Bart]

Because that's working out so well?? If the goal is to keep all schools open, that isn't going to get you there!

The goal should be to keep schools open that attract students, some version of a free market system. Let each school sink or swim.