PASSHE - our alma maters

[Ram040506]

There's always that appeal though ... "I went to Penn State" or "I went to Pitt" ... most leave off the 'New Kensington' or 'Bradford' part of that sentence.

Is the degree ultimately a Penn State degree or is it a Penn State Bradford degree? Just curious for the branch campuses?

[Fightingscot82]

Is the degree ultimately a Penn State degree or is it a Penn State Bradford degree? Just curious for the branch campuses?

It's a Penn State or Pitt degree but the vast majority never take a class from a main campus professor. I've heard from professors who jumped to PASSHE because there is almost no chance of branch faculty being respected enough to be hired for a position at the mothership.

[Bart]

That's a more recent thing and State College is to blame. Back in 06 I was working at Behrend. Behrend is probably the most independent of the branches. It has several grad programs, some wealthy donors, and the lowest amount of students transferring to main campus. When I was there, the mothership had just installed a lion shrine on campus and gave them a mascot suit just like the one at Beaver Stadium. The bookstore also phased out Behrend specific merchandise in favor of generic Penn State stuff. They've since done this at all campuses. Pitt has also done this to a degree at their branches.

One aspect of the branches that should help the western PASSHE schools in the long run is that many State related branches are in declining towns. Monaca, Johnstown, Titusville, McKeesport, DuBois, Altoona, New Kensington, Sharon, Uniontown, etc.

My experience was the "mothership" always had full control. I recall applying for a Penn State branch campus instructor position in the very early eighties, and having to travel to main campus for interview.