PASSHE Institutions Merging

[Fightingscot82]

Depends, I'm sure that there are certain circles where what he is doing is viewed as very innovative, and giving him the " can make difficult decisions" He's already positioned to blame other people for the system failure, and he is essentially laid out a path where schools can be closed down, without really saying they've been closed down. The beauty of his plan, from a political point of view, is he has set up a future where the challenged schools lose their identity, where the current students have a viable graduation path that is relatively easy, and there is a path that will allow useful resources (buildings and personnel ) to be transferred easily within a viable university. Its really pretty smart when you look at it from a political perspective. He knew that the schools themselves would not like it. But he's set up to make the people that oppose it too hard as backward thinking, and selfish. And next year he'll rip them with "right sizing", in a very ambiguous contractual environment.

Greenstein has pretty much always worked in higher ed but he has approached this job as a higher ed wonk. He's more about talking about the process than actually rolling up the sleeves and doing the work the right way. He's made the rounds on nearly every higher ed podcast and periodical leading up to this work. Now its getting exposed for it being more talk than detailed plan.

I do applaud the faculty union. I'm usually very critical of them. They've been pretty much on point for questioning this plan while also playing along with the formation of it. They also helped increase the number of public comment forums and have exposed how lopsided the commentary has been.

I just spent the weekend with a dozen college friends and it came up once. I was surprised at how many clearly understood the details of the situation: demographic loss, competing poorly in a stiff environment, poor funding/oversight, and lots of short-sighted mismanagement.

[Fightingscot82]

Greenstein was stupid not to challenge the current PSSHE vs State Related way of funding by Harrisburg.

Does the Centre County Community College really need 300 million a year from Harrisburg? Can't they just use their BIG money to cover some costs?

Why does the Oakland Academy For Remedial Studies need 150 million a year from Harrisburg? You'd think the outrageous money UPMC charges it's patients would cover their costs.

Hell...Temple doesn't even need as much as they are getting.

Support the schools you own. Make the ones that you don't find other revenue streams....

Yeah and to be honest, I'm surprised he didn't right away. Most other higher ed folks immediately question that duplication of services and the redundancy of the state funding when its already so low. I've posted it here before. Penn State and Pitt's branches (save PS Erie and PS Harrisburg) are dumpster fires of the bottom tier of PASSHE fashion. Most have fewer than 1,000 students and their ability to retain and graduate students is pathetic. They've also lost enrollment just as well because instead of being located in small towns like most of PASSHE, PS and Pitt branches are in old, crumbling manufacturing towns like Hazleton, Johnstown, McKeesport, Titusville, and Uniontown.

I'm fine with the funding Penn State gets - but they should receive greater scrutiny of how its used (outlet store campuses and subject to open records requests. People don't realize Pitt was a private university for 179 years until the state gave them a permanent bailout from bankruptcy. 81 years for Temple. Pitt has the fundraising capacity to have an endowment of $4.17 billion. I don't know how UPMC directly benefits the university financially beyond the medical school and medical profession programs because they too are not subject to open records requests. Also, we're still giving private Ivy League school Penn's school of veterinary medicine almost $32 million a year. Penn's fully private and has the fundraising capacity to have a nearly $15 billion endowment. Imagine that $32 million a year for need-based grants for students to attend PASSHE schools.

[ironmaniup]

At this point, I don't see what he can gain. Initially he came in and set expectations that he could innovate and make something new. Perhaps even implementing some Gates Foundation ideas. Now, they're just cutting. Not much innovation in this and the public seems largely against him.there arecertain

Some of the numbers in the presentation are wildly optimistic...and it still doesn't all make sense and isn't accepted.

What kind of stepping stone for his career will this stop be?

Depends, I'm sure that there are certain circles where what he is doing is viewed as very innovative, and giving him the " can make difficult decisions" He's already positioned to blame other people for the system failure, and he is essentially laid out a path where schools can be closed down, without really saying they've been closed down. The beauty of his plan, from a political point of view, is he has set up a future where the challenged schools lose their identity, where the current students have a viable graduation path that is relatively easy, and there is a path that will allow useful resources (buildings and personnel ) to be transferred easily within a viable university. Its really pretty smart when you look at it from a political perspective. He knew that the schools themselves would not like it. But he's set up to make the people that oppose it too hard as backward thinking, and selfish. And next year he'll rip them with "right sizing", in a very ambiguous contractual environment.

[complaint_hopeful]

Greenstein was stupid not to challenge the current PSSHE vs State Related way of funding by Harrisburg.

Does the Centre County Community College really need 300 million a year from Harrisburg? Can't they just use their BIG money to cover some costs?

Why does the Oakland Academy For Remedial Studies need 150 million a year from Harrisburg? You'd think the outrageous money UPMC charges it's patients would cover their costs.

Hell...Temple doesn't even need as much as they are getting.

Support the schools you own. Make the ones that you don't find other revenue streams....

This. 100%. And when the gov didn't give funding, they should have put it visibly in the press about how badly they're funded. Over and over. And rallied alumni to help the fight. Get the public on your side.

[complaint_hopeful]

It might, and it makes you wonder to what degree he is invested in the system, or whether its just a game to him

At this point, I don't see what he can gain. Initially he came in and set expectations that he could innovate and make something new. Perhaps even implementing some Gates Foundation ideas. Now, they're just cutting. Not much innovation in this and the public seems largely against him.

Some of the numbers in the presentation are wildly optimistic...and it still doesn't all make sense and isn't accepted.

What kind of stepping stone for his career will this stop be?

[IUPNation]

Part of me wonders if Greenstein was deluded enough to think the resistance would be smaller than the firestorm it is. He's likely used to getting his way. He also tends to be surrounded by people that I think are likely to agree with him.

But, his texting, eating, and not looking at the screen during the public comments was a really bad look. It might end up haunting him.

Greenstein was stupid not to challenge the current PSSHE vs State Related way of funding by Harrisburg.

Does the Centre County Community College really need 300 million a year from Harrisburg? Can't they just use their BIG money to cover some costs?

Why does the Oakland Academy For Remedial Studies need 150 million a year from Harrisburg? You'd think the outrageous money UPMC charges it's patients would cover their costs.

Hell...Temple doesn't even need as much as they are getting.

Support the schools you own. Make the ones that you don't find other revenue streams....

[iupgroundhog]

It might, and it makes you wonder to what degree he is invested in the system, or whether its just a game to him

I think we know the answer to that.

[ironmaniup]

Part of me wonders if Greenstein was deluded enough to think the resistance would be smaller than the firestorm it is. He's likely used to getting his way. He also tends to be surrounded by people that I think are likely to agree with him.

But, his texting, eating, and not looking at the screen during the public comments was a really bad look. It might end up haunting him.

It might, and it makes you wonder to what degree he is invested in the system, or whether its just a game to him

[complaint_hopeful]

Part of me wonders if Greenstein was deluded enough to think the resistance would be smaller than the firestorm it is. He's likely used to getting his way. He also tends to be surrounded by people that I think are likely to agree with him.

But, his texting, eating, and not looking at the screen during the public comments was a really bad look. It might end up haunting him.

[IUPNation]

I appreciate that the Bloom folks believe they are being taken advantage of, but I tend to think that is a very Bloom-centric view of things. I believe Lock Haven is set to lose more money in the pending deal than anyone in the form of reserves. The bottom line is that it's botched all the way around.

[Fightingscot82]

I'd say Mansfield and Clarion probably feel good about this. Not sure on Edinboro. The other 3 are against it.

There were rumors...not sure if true that one school had to recently take out a bond to make payroll.

Mansfield did

[ironmaniup]

I'd say Mansfield and Clarion probably feel good about this. Not sure on Edinboro. The other 3 are against it.

There were rumors...not sure if true that one school had to recently take out a bond to make payroll.

This is how you close some of the schools. The merger changes the process for laying off faculty at different schools, and does an end around the union with regards to curriculum, both of which make the changes much easier, and more effective. For instance, they could eliminate whole departments at a merged university, and still keep academic accreditation. They can standardize major requirements across the merged universities, to the one they view as most efficient, and the Union won't be able to do much about it.

I wonder if the Union would want to reconsider the strike a few years back - that kept adjunct wages much higher than average. Adjuncts are takne advantage of at many universities, but the PASSHE contract sure tied the hands of administrations with regard to handling some of the cost issues. Personally, I'm disappointed that there weren't more things tried - for instance, faculty pay cuts, redoing how adjuncts were paid, targeted fees for high cost/low enrollment lab courses. "right sizing" can be done less harshly, and successfully. Maybe one or two schools still can't be made sustainable, then maybe consider a take over by stronger schools.

[complaint_hopeful]

As the commenter at the bottom of the article notes those numbers are completely wrong. Plus, the deferred maintenance for the two dorms that were destroyed is off the books. LHU had 50mil+ in financial reserves. If Bloom feels they are getting screwed that makes 2 of the 3. Mansfield feels they are being saved and they are right.

I'd say Mansfield and Clarion probably feel good about this. Not sure on Edinboro. The other 3 are against it.

There were rumors...not sure if true that one school had to recently take out a bond to make payroll.

[complaint_hopeful]

How can this guy even be taken seriously? If the NCAA says no (at this late date he admits that's a question mark), they'll "come up with a solution that works for everybody." Yeah, uh-huh. That's the writing on the wall right there. I hate to say it but I don't think it's being approved and I know he doesn't care. Bart, what we have there is an impending disaster. No joke. It's becoming more and more obvious.

Look, there is no legitimate reason that they don't have NCAA approval except that it probably won't be approved and he knows that. This is your bait and switch. My strong opinion is that it shouldn't be approved without the NCAA blessing. It has gotten this far based on a myth that 'each school can keep their intercollegiate athletics' and I don't believe that's happening.

I agree with that all. But, I think the board approves this no matter what. I feel like Greenstein and the BOG are in lockstep. They'll likely do what he wants. Which is the flaw in act 50. It needed more approvers.

It feels like a big bait and switch like you say. Now they're saying this isn't to reduce cost to students or to save money.

So once these schools become 1 school, it becomes much easier to close a branch campus. And for instance, in the West...Clarion and Edinboro will be branch campuses of Cal.

This is so political. The Republicans are silent while the Dems write letters in opposition. The protests against remind me of political protests too. People think the more numbers they get...the more the board will listen. I doubt that's the case.

[iupgroundhog]

Found this from 2019 that listed some deferred maintenance at that time.
https://www.lockhaven.com/news/local...sidence-halls/

As the commenter at the bottom of the article notes those numbers are completely wrong. Plus, the deferred maintenance for the two dorms that were destroyed is off the books. LHU had 50mil+ in financial reserves. If Bloom feels they are getting screwed that makes 2 of the 3. Mansfield feels they are being saved and they are right.