Higher education reflects on enrollment increases, recognitions
California University of Pennsylvania
Waynesburg University has been selected as one of “The 50 Most Beautiful Christian College & University Campuses in the World” by the editors of ChristianUniversitiesOnline.org.
The Nittany Lion statue situated near the Williams Building at Penn State Fayette the Eberly Campus.
Pennsylvania Institute of Health and Technology on Mount Braddock Road in North Union Township.
Pennsylvania Institute of Health and Technology on Mount Braddock Road in North Union Township.
Though previous years might have proven challenging in terms of enrollment numbers, several local universities are starting to see an uptick in students.
In Greene County, officials at Waynesburg University believe their new undergraduate enrollment numbers are very strong with a “historic number of deposits from prospective students for this time of year.”
“We have also seen an uptick in visits to campus,” said Heidi J. Szuminsky, vice president for institutional advancement and university relations.
The heightened interest may partially be credited to the university’s new programs, including their online master’s degrees in business administration and instructional technology. Szuminsky said they’ve also partnered with several local universities to “secure paths into graduate school for Waynesburg students.”
Waynesburg University was also recognized in 2015 by the Pittsburgh Business Times as a Best Place to Work, and was nationally ranked as a top school that focuses on value and job placement by several organizations including The Economist, The Brookings Institution and CollegeNET.
Robert Tallerico, director of enrollment services at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, also noted the upward trend in enrollment on their campus after a challenging stretch due to “changing demographics, a greater concern for the cost and value of a college education and increased competition among institutions of higher education.”
“After an enrollment decline earlier this decade, the campus is finally beginning to see a more consistent year-to-year enrollment,” Tallerico said, adding that for the past two school years, more than 700 undergraduate students have enrolled. Several new degree programs, including nursing, psychology, business accounting, corporate communications. and project and supply chain management, could be credited for the upward swing, he said.
In 2015, the campus celebrated their 50th anniversary with a year-long series of events, Tallerico said. They also dedicated their new student success center and earned a military friendly school designation.
The Washington Monthly’s “The Other College Guide” also rated the campus as a Top 10 “Best Bang For Your Buck” value among 402 in the northeast part of the country, Tallerico said.
“Also, we are very fortunate to live in a community that has been and remains so generous in supporting the campus and especially scholarships for students,” he said. “As we develop new programs, we have been strategic in assigning resources to effectively manage those programs. It is a challenge, but the campus leadership is constantly working to efficiently use the available resources.”
While general undergrad enrollment numbers are at a slight decline, the graduate enrollment numbers more than make up for it at California University.
“Like many schools, we face ongoing challenges in areas as personnel costs, enrollment and state funding,” Cal U spokeswoman Christine Kindl said. “But Cal U continues to look for creative and sustainable steps it can take to assure its financial stability.”
Kindl said that the fluctuation of numbers “reflects the changing demographics of the region, where there has been a trend toward smaller families and fewer high school graduates.”
“However, Cal U is attracting more students who are looking for master’s degrees and professional certifications through our on-campus offerings and our convenient, 100 percent-online programs,” she said.
Students interested in higher education through Cal U were also given a new doctorate option with the campus’ first doctoral program focusing on health science, exercise science and leadership. Campus officials also worked to combine their nursing and business administration programs for students to have an “informed perspective on business issues and management practices.”
Undergraduates enrolled on campus also have a new degree option with Cal U’s bachelor’s in sociology: deviance for those interested in pursuing careers in mental health services, drug/alcohol services, corrections, and children/youth services, Kindl said.
Also feeling the uptick are the administrative team at the Pennsylvania Institute of Health and Technology.
“It’s been a pretty good year and our numbers are on the rise,” said Jim Paparella, vice president and marketing director at PIHT. He believes program success and word-of-mouth can be credited for their success, particularly in the nursing program. “The enrollment is solid, the students are satisfied and there are no complaints — it’s been a great year all the way around.”
To stay up-to-date with the dynamic nursing field, Paparella said they frequently update the curriculum needs in the nursing program.
“It’s a fluid field with innovation and new technology coming into healthcare,” he said.
“And health care is very open right now, so the opportunities to gain employment when our students graduate are pretty good,” he added.
Doug Decker, executive director of Laurel Business Institute, noted that they also frequently visit program curriculum and have recently made changes to several degree programs.
Decker said more and more students are showing interest in shorter-term training as compared to their 18-month programs.
Their medical assisting program has been edited to a 12-month program. Other year-long programs, like cosmetology and massage therapy, are also seeing more interest.
“We’re stable here. The school is in a good place and we’re optimistic about where we’re going. Our future is bright,” Decker said.
“There’s not much change in enrollment from the previous year, and in higher education, to stay even is a win,” he added. “We do hope to grow in years moving forward, and our demographic projection shows high school graduate numbers increasing by 2020, when the millennials come through the system. We’re hoping to see an increase there.”
In the upcoming years, Decker said their hopes are to add a fifth location in Wexford, and a learning site in Morgantown, West Virginia.