July 30, 2014
Chancellor Brogan issues statement on degree program alignment at State System universities
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Harrisburg – The 14 Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education universities are continuing their efforts to better align academic program offerings with the changing demands of students and the Commonwealth. As new academic programs emerge to meet those demands, less viable programs might be identified for reorganization or closure, which could affect some faculty and staff positions.
In order to fulfill their obligations under the collective bargaining agreement between
the State System and its faculty union, five universities have notified their local
union leaders that some positions might be affected at the end of the 2014-15 academic
year. Letters of notification regarding the possibility were sent by the universities
to the chapter presidents at Cheyney, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, and Mansfield Universities
of Pennsylvania. Clarion University of Pennsylvania also is continuing the process
it began last year.
The contract with the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties
(APSCUF) requires universities to notify the union by Aug. 1 about possible “retrenchment”
of positions that might occur at the end of the next academic year. The decision whether
to actually eliminate any positions next year would be made as early as October.
State System Chancellor Frank T. Brogan issued the following statement:
“Each and every one of our universities is making strategic decisions now that will
ensure relevance, quality, and vitality well into the future. The institutions continue
to examine their existing program offerings and the talented faculty who provide the
expertise to deliver those programs. The State System is evolving so it can meet the
future needs of our students and the Commonwealth.
“The universities are making choices about which academic programs and support services
best contribute to the vision and mission of each institution. While programmatic
changes could impact some faculty and staff now, the exponential effect of these efforts
will enable the universities to anticipate the needs of our students in the years
ahead.
“To be clear, this kind of program alignment is not solely a response to declining
resources; it is an essential action taken to ensure that each university and the
entire State System remain current in addressing the needs of students and their place
in our global society and marketplace.
State System spokesman Kenn Marshall stated further:
“It is important to note right up front that the contract with the faculty union requires
a university to provide what amounts to a little more than an academic year’s notice
if there is the possibility that a currently filled position is being considered for
elimination. That doesn’t mean any positions will be retrenched, but the universities
are obligated by the contract to give notice because the possibility exists.
“No matter how many, if any, faculty members may be affected next year, this process
is something universities and university presidents take seriously. Faculty and staff
changes of any kind are sensitive because they involve real people, with real families.
That is why the process has such a long lead time built in and includes the potential
for affected faculty to move to other departments or other State System universities
when opportunities exist. (Last year, 14 of our 4,200 regular faculty members were
ultimately retrenched.)
“Program review and alignment at the universities is an ongoing process that helps
to ensure an institution’s degree offerings are relevant and up-to-date. This past
year, 39 academic programs were placed in moratorium, 30 were reorganized, and 24
new programs were created—all to meet the evolving interests of students and the changing
needs of the Commonwealth.
“We are faced with additional factors that are affecting the universities, including
enrollment fluctuations because of fewer high school graduates and flat funding from
the state, which has required our universities to become even more efficient in how
they spend their limited resources.
“Nearly 90 percent of our students come from Pennsylvania; 80 percent of our graduates
will stay here after receiving their degrees to take their first job or to continue
their education. The programs offered by our universities must produce graduates who
are needed in the state’s economy. The decisions being made by our universities are
absolutely crucial to their long-term success, and to their ability to make the necessary
adjustments to curriculum and programs to ensure the needs of students and their future
employers are being met.”
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher
education in the Commonwealth, with about 112,000 students. The 14 State System universities
offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study.
The universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro,
Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock
and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The universities also operates branch
campuses in Oil City (Clarion), Freeport and Punxsutawney (IUP) and Clearfield (Lock
Haven), and offer classes and programs at several regional centers, including the
Dixon University Center in Harrisburg and in Center City in Philadelphia.