Cal U. falls under review of state universities with enrollment declines
Pennsylvania’s 14 state-owned universities, including California University of Pennsylvania, will be reviewed from top to bottom because of enrollment declines that are straining budgets.
The State System of Higher Education will hire a consultant to begin the analysis, possibly in April, and have it completed by the end of the year to address a 12 percent systemwide decline in enrollment over the past six years, system spokesman Kenn Marshall said Tuesday.
System Chancellor Frank T. Brogan last week said other states have been dealing with the same issues that have led to reorganizations to keep tuitions low, including the mergers or closings of universities.
While the state system is not proposing closures or mergers, it’s something its board of governors needs to be willing to consider if they are recommended by the consultant, Marshall said.
Cal U. is among the universities that have experienced a significant drop in enrollment, he said.
It had 7,553 students attending classes last fall, down 20 percent from a record high of 9,483 in 2001, system records indicate.
Larry Maggi, president of the Cal U. Council of Trustees, said the enrollment drop is because of a number of factors, including negative publicity after former university president Angelo Armenti was fired in 2012 and a scandal following an assault that led to charges against football players. Also, the Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling industry has been luring high school graduates away from college.
Marshall said some of the high school graduation rates in Western Pennsylvania are down by 30 percent, leading to a smaller pool of potential state system students.
Maggi said the problem is worsened because the state cuts education funding and the state system “keeps tuition artificially low.”
“Something has got to give,” said Maggi, who also is chairman of Washington County commissioners.
He said it’s unlikely that Cal U. will be merged or closed, adding that the review probably will result in consolidation of services among universities.
“Anything is possible,” he said.