By RANDY BARTLEY
Staff Writer
The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s financially troubled State System of Higher Education voted July 16 to take the next step in the system’s redesign, and the changes would affect Clarion University.
The PASSHE board’s resolution directs Chancellor Daniel Greenstein to examine three potential integrations.
One of them is an integration of Clarion and California universities, which would involve a fully-online, undergraduate degree and degree-completion program.
The board voted to allow a financial review to determine if an integration strategy would result in financial sustainability for the 14 individual universities and for the system as a whole.
The strategy proposes programmatically pairing several universities.
Sam Smith, the former Speaker of the state House of Representatives who now serves as PASSHE’s second vice-chair, said not implementing the plan would result in a “slow death” to the system.
A Clarion University news release said the board’s vote initiates “further exploration to build upon the online program strengths of both Clarion University and California University.”
The Clarion-California online undergraduate degree and degree-completion program is “something that is not currently available in Pennsylvania,” according to the release.
During the board’s July 16 meeting, Clarion President Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson said, “We are not going anywhere. We will maintain a physical presence for students who come to the campus. We are not going totally online.
“During this next phase of system redesign, we will work together to provide Clarion University with a framework to grow new student markets and become financially stronger.”
Greenstein said the system experienced a drop in enrollment over the past decade, which led to higher tuition and curtailment of services, and the collaboration efforts across the system are about the system as a whole to help drive down operating costs.
The review will examine financial impacts of integration with regard to:
- Unified leadership team
- Single faculty and staff
- Single academic program array
- Unified enrollment management strategy
- Unified budget
- Single reporting line to the Board of Governors, through the chancellor
Among factors being examined is the potential to save money and develop new markets.
“We have a unique opportunity to shape the future of public higher education in Pennsylvania, ensuring it continues to act as an engine of social mobility and economic development for all,” Greenstein said.
A financial review is the first step toward integrating universities as outlined in Act 50 of 2020 – legislation that passed the General Assembly with overwhelming bipartisan support and was signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf in July.
Act 50 requires a detailed, transparent, and broadly consultative review, planning and implementation process, and one that will be undertaken over the next two years.
Clarion University submitted its draft Financial Sustainability Plan to the State System on June 19. The plan makes 22 recommendations that will increase revenue or decrease expenses.
This fall, work groups will be established to study the feasibility of the recommendations and, as appropriate, to operationalize and implement them.
“While honoring institutional identity, university integration may enable the State System to ensure that all of its 14 institutions can sustainably provide their students and their communities with affordable, quality higher education for years to come,” the Clarion release said.
Clarion University will continue its mission and lead the region in our on-the-ground undergraduate residential educational presence.
The university has a strong reputation in education, health, business, and human services; these legacy programs will remain and, university leaders believe, become even stronger.
California University has a wide range of academic programs. The university has more than 150 undergraduate programs, 11 master’s degree programs, along with certification, certificate, and licensure programs.
In addition, California University has a Global Online program, which offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as certificates.