Integration of Cal U., Clarion and Edinboro receives initial approval
The integration of California University of Pennsylvania with Clarion and Edinboro universities has received initial approval by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, an institutional accrediting agency.
Required by the U.S. Department of Education, accreditation assures students, families and communities that the university has completed a rigorous review process and provides a high-quality education.
In approving the “complex substantive change request” submitted by California, Clarion and Edinboro, Middle States provides a clear path forward for the three institutions to officially unite as Pennsylvania Western University (PennWest) on July 1.
The consolidation of the three campuses was approved last summer as a means to keep all three campuses open and fully operational while facing rising costs.
The new name was unanimously approved in October by the board of governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).
Students at California, Clarion and Edinboro selected the woodmark design for the new integrated university in December.
PennWest integration leader Dr. Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson, president of Clarion and interim president of California and Edinboro universities, thanked those involved in integration planning and implementation.
“For more than two years we have worked together to lay the foundation for PennWest, a student-focused university that incorporates the best of our three campuses,” Pehrsson said. “The commission’s action validates the extraordinary work of the many students, faculty, staff, trustees, alumni and community members who contributed to this groundbreaking project.
“I cannot thank them enough for bringing us to this moment,” she added. “Together, they demonstrate the true power of PennWest – an unwavering commitment to excellence in higher education and service to the students and communities of Western Pennsylvania.”
Chancellor Daniel Greenstein, of the Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, said integration is a key element of PASSHE’s System Redesign.
“The commission’s action is another positive step toward building a powerhouse institution that will provide more opportunities for students than any one of the universities could do on its own,” Greenstein said.