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Cal U. integration with two universities moves to development stage

2 min read
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The State System of Higher Education envisions California University of Pennsylvania and two other colleges having one leadership team, faculty, budget and staff to reduce expenses.

The universities, including Edinboro and Clarion, would see reduced footprints at the campuses as the state system moves to make college degrees more affordable for students, expand programming and boost enrollment.

“This is like regionalization on steroids,” said Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson, president of Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

The state system board of governors unanimously approved a plan Wednesday to moved the integrations into the development phase. It also is proposing to integrate Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield universities in Northern Pennsylvania.

The plan did not reveal whether or not the integrations would change the names of any of the universities.

The state system has been redesigning its approach to offering affordable public education, and that effort was accelerated earlier this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The state system, which includes 14 universities, has been operating with repeated overall enrollment declines for years and cuts in state subsidies.

Following a nearly two-hour presentation, board Chairwoman Cindy Shapira said there were many questions to be answered about the plan, which is expected for another vote in April 2021.

“We don’t have all the answers right now,” Shapira said.

The development stage also will focus on what to do with the university foundations and alumni associations after the six are combined into two entities between July and August 2022.

“We see this integration as a way to shape our universities for decades to come,” Cal U. President Geraldine Jones said.

Pehrsson said the three Western Pennsylvania universities can build on their “strong online” programs that have been developed over the past decade.

“We feel we can be cost-competitive,” she said.

The integrations also were designed to sustain at-risk programs, including art, the humanities, history and social sciences.

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