The 1990s has been a decade of renewal and growth on the campuses of the State System of Higher Education universities. Nearly 175 academic and other buildings have undergone or are scheduled to undergo major renovations as part of an ambitious rebuilding program.
Several new classroom buildings and a number of new student apartment buildings, student unions and recreation centers also have been built since the early ’90s to meet growing needs on the campuses. Others will be completed over the next several years.
By the time the current round of projects is complete, the total capital expenditure on the state-owned university campuses since 1992 will exceed $600 million.
The Commonwealth will have contributed about $340 million of that amount, including
$200 million in support of the System’s Academic Facilities Renovation Plan (AFRP)
and another $115 million through the shared cost and former “Operation Jump
Start” programs. An additional $25.8 million has been committed specifically for projects at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania by the Commonwealth as part of an agreement with the federal Office of Civil Rights.
The System itself has pledged more than $125 million in operating and private funds for the various renovation and construction projects. Student fees have contributed another $150 million toward the construction of auxiliary facilities, which include student housing, dining halls and student recreation centers.
“All of these projects are being undertaken for our students,” said Chancellor James H. McCormick. “We want to make certain they have the best facilities possible in which to live and learn.”
Many of the approximately 755 buildings on the 14 State System campuses were built in the 1950s and 1960s and, by the beginning of this decade, had begun to reach the end of their “life cycle,” meaning they were due for major repairs. The AFRP program, which was begun in July 1996, was designed to address those buildings’ needs in an orderly fashion.
The AFRP program was started after the System received a five-year, $30 million annual commitment from Gov. Tom Ridge to repair and renovate academic buildings on each of the state-owned university campuses. The administration’s commitment since has been increased to $40 million a year.
The System’s pledge of its own funds for these long-term capital projects will allow more than 50 buildings to be renovated.
Prior to the Ridge administration’s funding pledge, the release of capital funds from the Commonwealth was uneven, making it difficult to design a long-term facilities renovation plan.
“With a predictable funding stream, we have been able to prioritize projects and develop a well-defined capital improvement plan,” said Greig W. Mitchell, vice chancellor for finance and administration. “It has made for a much more orderly and predictable process, and one that is right on schedule.”
The earlier state commitment, which began as Operation Jump Start in 1992, marked the first time the System was required to raise matching funds toward the construction of capital projects. System universities raised nearly $25 million in private funds as part of what later was referred to as the shared cost initiative. The universities are continuing to solicit private support to help fund future projects.
The $25.8 million promised by the Commonwealth for facilities projects at Cheyney University will help support a long-term plan to revitalize the Chester County campus. Cheyney is the oldest Historically Black College in the United States.
The construction, renovation and maintenance of auxiliary facilities is financed through System bonds that are paid off with student fees. Students must approve the construction or expansion of facilities such as student union buildings and student recreation centers. They also must approve the fees that will be collected to pay for the facilities.
The State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, offering more than 215 undergraduate and more than 100 graduate degree programs. Nearly 350,000 System alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.
The state-owned 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 System also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Kittanning, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg and the University Center for Southwest Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh.