PASSHE Institutions Merging

[CALUPA69]

At least now students can say they attend THE Pennsylvania Western University.

At least it's better than Western Pennsylvania University or, God forbid, Pennsylvania University.... PU....and like all rebranding will take getting used to. Honest question will the three branches of PWU keep their traditional colors and mascots ? I'm assuming yes and am actually interested in seeing what a red, black and white PWU-CAL banner will look like.

[complaint_hopeful]

Interestingly, before Greenstein got there, they had a consultant examine the system and they wrote a big report. One of the things they recommended was merging with a Penn State or one of the big state-related U's. I think Pitt, Villanova, and Temple were others.

This name...West Penn...is kind of generic enough, that it would fit with Penn State. It's probably totally coincidence.

[complaint_hopeful]

I think something that will help is that each campus in the west will retain a full time alumni relations position specific to that campus.

I hate saying it, but I imagine that within my lifetime the idea of college as a campus-based experience will be gone.

Yeah. It's dieing now. Part of it is this new generation and their reliance on technology. But, you get less students living on campus, and the ones that do don't seem to value the traditional in-person interactions, ie parties, clubs, sporting events of past generations. They like to stay in their rooms and binge watch Netflix or play video games and not leave their rooms. They don't seem to care about amenities on a campus. They'd rather interact online as opposed to in person.

Clearly, taking online classes didn't bother them as enrollment tanked with the whole return to campus thing. (While many college Administrators maintained there would be financial issues from not returning to campus.)

There are rumors that Microsoft is going to get into the online learning space. If they offered a Learning Management system that was good, or someone like Facebook did...it might change the model. Well, Facebook might be dated, because I don't think the new generation values it much and thinks it's for 'older people'. But, say some 'it' platform for kids comes along, that could push traditional education off a cliff.

[Fightingscot82]

At least now students can say they attend THE Pennsylvania Western University.

[ironmaniup]

I think something that will help is that each campus in the west will retain a full time alumni relations position specific to that campus.

I hate saying it, but I imagine that within my lifetime the idea of college as a campus-based experience will be gone.

For middle class and poor kids anyway, the hoy ploy will still get their legacy spot at some ritzy private school, which will be considered a requirement to be part of the political class.

[Fightingscot82]

I know we like to romanticize the notion of fighting change...and probably for Alumni these schools will always be thought of as that name. And like it was pointed out, these schools have changed names several times over their lives.

But, new students coming it...at a certain point will say they go to PennWest. I don't think these schools have strong enough brands with current HS students to withstand this.

Most of the marketing about keeping identity is for current students and alumni.

Now, you have a bunch of other schools with nicknames of Penn. Penn State. Penn (U Penn). So that's a flooded name market.

I think something that will help is that each campus in the west will retain a full time alumni relations position specific to that campus.

I hate saying it, but I imagine that within my lifetime the idea of college as a campus-based experience will be gone.

[complaint_hopeful]

I know we like to romanticize the notion of fighting change...and probably for Alumni these schools will always be thought of as that name. And like it was pointed out, these schools have changed names several times over their lives.

But, new students coming it...at a certain point will say they go to PennWest. I don't think these schools have strong enough brands with current HS students to withstand this.

Most of the marketing about keeping identity is for current students and alumni.

Now, you have a bunch of other schools with nicknames of Penn. Penn State. Penn (U Penn). So that's a flooded name market.

[complaint_hopeful]

100%. People also lack perspective. Edinboro for example hasn't always been called Edinboro. There were several years it was called the Northwest State Normal School. Schools change their names. Most recently I can think of is Tri-State becoming Trine. Beaver College became Arcadia before that. Mergers by any name are coming. The birth rate is plummeting. Adult students are attending online at schools designed for that with easier enrollment processes. We can't stay the course. Its a turd sandwich and sometimes we have to tell ourselves that its just a bad sloppy joe.

The comments are disheartening, too. Withholding donations (usually said by people who don't donate) only makes the problem worse. A lot of people who seem to have ignored the previous messages about athletics, nicknames, campus names, etc. and some who seem to have missed the entire integration messaging. Sheesh.

Yes - That's the unfortunate part. Some of these schools would be out of business if they were standalone schools. Chaney for sure, but also probably Mansfield and Clarion. And then several others would be close.

That necessitated some change. Yes - The enrollment processes need to change for the better to be easier. Probably dozens of other things need to change.

Some action had to happen. It was just a question of what? And is it enough? And is this the best way to spend the '1-time funds'?

[Fightingscot82]

Not saying this is a great name, but I think with the amount of negative support for the Integration that people would be against any name that they came up with.

100%. People also lack perspective. Edinboro for example hasn't always been called Edinboro. There were several years it was called the Northwest State Normal School. Schools change their names. Most recently I can think of is Tri-State becoming Trine. Beaver College became Arcadia before that. Mergers by any name are coming. The birth rate is plummeting. Adult students are attending online at schools designed for that with easier enrollment processes. We can't stay the course. Its a turd sandwich and sometimes we have to tell ourselves that its just a bad sloppy joe.

The comments are disheartening, too. Withholding donations (usually said by people who don't donate) only makes the problem worse. A lot of people who seem to have ignored the previous messages about athletics, nicknames, campus names, etc. and some who seem to have missed the entire integration messaging. Sheesh.

[complaint_hopeful]

Spring registration is coming. Will be interesting to see if this has an impact. I'm seeing a lot of complaining on Twitter.

[IUPNation]

Not saying this is a great name, but I think with the amount of negative support for the Integration that people would be against any name that they came up with.

[IUPNation]

I highly doubt that a challenge to that name would be rejected in court. I think the name was floated for IUP in 1965 but probably the bigger reason it became IUP was that powerful locals wanted to keep "Indiana" in the name.

Pitt has not used that Western Pennsylvania name for how long? Another entity using it would not harm Univ. of Pgh. in any way. Plus, it's just a generic, geographic name. If a public system wanted to use Western Pennsylvania I don't think it would be a problem.

IUP was supposed to be The Western Pennsylvania State University. I imagine some Community College in Centre County had a problem with it..

[complaint_hopeful]

Not saying this is a great name, but I think with the amount of negative support for the Integration that people would be against any name that they came up with.

[iupgroundhog]

Maybe people will assume they're Ivy League with U Penn which is called Penn. They'll think this is Penn's West Pa campus.

There's apparently some companies with Pennwest as their name too.

But, yes it sounds like a prison I agree.

Now that could be a problem. I don't think these BOG people are thinking too far ahead.

[iupgroundhog]

Yeah Pitt used to be Western University of Pennsylvania. University of Pittsburgh - Wikipedia

I highly doubt that a challenge to that name would be rejected in court. I think the name was floated for IUP in 1965 but probably the bigger reason it became IUP was that powerful locals wanted to keep "Indiana" in the name.

Pitt has not used that Western Pennsylvania name for how long? Another entity using it would not harm Univ. of Pgh. in any way. Plus, it's just a generic, geographic name. If a public system wanted to use Western Pennsylvania I don't think it would be a problem.