PA University Consolidation Plan Passes: 6 Schools Merge Into 2

HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education has made the controversial final decision to merge six of the 14 state-owned universities into two separate entities.

The system's board of governors voted Wednesday to combine California, Clarion and Edinboro in the western part of the state and Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield in the eastern portion. The integration of the universities will begin in the fall 2022 semester.

The board also voted to prohibit the closure of any of the six affected universities, a concern voiced by many of the plan's considerable number of critics. Many opponents also contended the proposal was being rushed and would have a detrimental impact on students.

But the board decided to act following what it asserted was nearly a year’s worth of work by more than 1000 students, faculty, staff and others who were part of more than 200 work groups. There also were more than eight hours of live public comments from across four hearings and multiple board meetings, and more than 1,000 written submissions over a two-month public comment period.

The agency also contended that the voluminous input resulted in considerable changes to the merger's final plan, including the inclusion of:

• An extended timeline for the curriculum integration process.

• Survey results showing that show current and prospective students (and their parents) are open to taking some classes online in exchange for more access to educational options.

• A study indicating that both the eastern and western consolidations would have a greater positive economic impact than their institutions would have if the integration did not occur.

• Updated financial projections.

The State System contended the merger was necessary because over the past decade, it has lost 21 percent of its enrollment and hasn't adjusted cost structures. Pennsylvania ranks 48th in the nation in terms of public funding for higher education, so relying on the state for a bailout is unrealistic.

Additionally, as enrollments contract, the universities that are merging would struggle to offer the full range of programs required by their students and in their regions had they remained independent.

System officials predict the mergers could provide $18.4 million in savings after five years and will save some of the integrated collapse.

The plan was adopted without an NCAA ruling on whether the merging universities will be able to keep their respective sports teams. Nor is there a name yet for the two new universities forming from the six.

A study released in April by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst asserted that the consolidation could result in the loss of 1,531 system faculty and staff jobs by 2023 - an overall system job reduction of 14 percent.

See the eastern universities consolidation plan here.

See the western universities consolidation plan here.

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