60 days not enough time to address merger questions
As president of the State College & University Professional Association (SCUPA), I am deeply concerned with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s (PASSHE) proposal to consolidate six of our 14 state universities.
In April, PASSHE’s governing board moved closer to consolidating the six universities in western and northern Pennsylvania. Bloomsburg, Mansfield and Lock Haven universities would be consolidated into one single northeastern school; California, Clarion, and Edinboro universities would be combined into one western school.
The consolidation plan is now under a required 60-day comment period, and the Board of Governors is set to vote on the 400-page plan next month. But 60 days is not enough time to address the many unanswered questions.
SCUPA represents more than 700 professional employees at all 14 PASSHE universities. We have a significant stake in the consolidation. While we recognize that change is needed, there remains too many holes in the plan that must first be addressed. We are urging the Board of Governors to delay their final decision until there is sufficient information in the plan.
One important issue that needs to be addressed is how the plan will address the economic impact to our local communities.
The Political Economy Research Institute at UMass Amherst (PERI) conducted a study on the plan and is estimating that 1,531 employees will lose their jobs. An additional 700 community jobs will be lost because of the effects to the local economy. The impact, according to the study, will be similar to a plant or factory closure in these small towns.
Also, students have not been invited to contribute to the plan in a substantial way. We believe a student-impact survey needs to be done to determine needs and address issues of inequity that will inevitably arise.
For instance, the plan includes a forced-hybrid model for many programs that will require students to take online courses, but the consolidation plan does not address how many credits in a program will have to be completed online.
While the plan claims to reduce the cost of degree attainment by 25%, there is no plan to reduce tuition.
Students are required to come back to campus for hybrid courses, but they are not guaranteed access to computers or wi-fi locations to connect to online courses – creating a severe equity issue that the consolidation plan fails to address.
Many students are reliant on local public transportation to get to their classes. How will the plan enable them to travel to another campus for required classes?
Furthermore, this plan will expand online instruction, contradicting the opinion of a majority of Pennsylvanians who believe our schools should be returning to in-person instruction, not increasing online instruction.
Perhaps most concerning is that the consolidation plan was initially billed as a way for the state system to cut costs, but the consolidation does not actually save any money. It will cost $25 million to implement while saving less than $19 million over five years.
This proposed model is not just about six of our colleges. It is a blueprint for the future. We fully expect that the proposed cuts and service reductions will also happen to more of our state schools if this is approved.
Many of these universities were established more than a century ago to meet specific needs within their communities and regions. But this proposal would destroy the vital role these public universities play in their communities.
Local communities and students deserve a full picture of what a consolidated university looks like, and this plan raises more questions than it answers.
SCUPA urges the Board of Governors to delay voting until these (and other) questions can be answered.
Dr. Todd Spaulding is president of the State College & University Professional Association (SCUPA), which represents 719 professional higher-education employees.