Higher education takes a hit

Pennsylvania's state university system is taking a one-two punch - declining enrollment and insufficient funding. This has prompted system chancellor Frank T. Brogan to sound the alarm and warned that there could be some closings or mergers at the state's 14 universities.

While the chances of our two local campuses - East Stroudsburg and Kutztown - closing or merging are remote, nothing is off the table, according to Brogan. He also stressed that whatever decisions are made are not likely to come for at least a few years. Don't change your plans to apply to these colleges, he said.

This is one of our concerns. This kind of alarm, with its uncertainty and drastic potential outcome, could scare off prospective students and exacerbate an already tenuous enrollment situation.

The numbers tell the scary story: Total enrollment went from 119,500 in 2010 to 107,100 in 2015. That's a drop of 12 percent. Last year, enrollment was down another 2,500 students, a nearly 2 percent decrease.

The enrollment at East Stroudsburg, which draws a significant number of students from the five-county Times News area, dropped from 7,387 in 2010 to 6,828 in 2015, but was basically flat at 6,830 last year.

Kutztown, on the other hand, lost 1,700 students, or 21 percent between 2010 and 2015 and another 500 (5.4 percent) last year.

Other big losers were:

• Cheyney, a historically black university whose enrollment fell 53 percent between 2010 and 2015, from 1,586 to 711. It tacked on 35 students last year, however, a 5 percent gain.

• Mansfield, a 35 percent drop from 3,411 to 2,209

• Clarion, 7,315 to 5,224, a 29 percent loss

• Edinboro, 8,642 to 6,181, a 28 percent loss

• Lock Haven, 5,451 to 4,220, a 23 percent drop

• California, 9,400 to 7,553, a 20 percent decrease

Just two of the 14 showed increases in enrollment - West Chester, up 17 percent, from 14,490 to 17,006, and Slippery Rock, up 0.3 percent, from 8,852 to 8,881.

Brogan said this is the first time in the State System of Higher Education's 35-year history that such measures must be considered.

One issue that is beyond anyone's control is the declining number of high school graduates because of lower birthrates. When this happens, competition among institutions of higher education becomes keener, especially for those students with impressive credentials.

Pennsylvania is not alone in this dilemma. Many states are struggling, which is leading to the reorganization of public university systems, specifically mergers and closures, Brogan said.

Brogan also said he can't say with any assurances that this is what will happen in Pennsylvania, but he said answers are needed, and they are needed fast. Pennsylvania has the additional monkey on its back of facing a $3 billion deficit as Gov. Tom Wolf and the Republican-controlled General Assembly begin work on a 2017-18 budget plan.

In his budget address in February, Wolf said he would not seek increases in the big-ticket broad-based levies - the state income and sales taxes - because he saw how those proposals were dead in the water during the previous two budget seasons.

Instead, Wolf initiated the idea of merging and consolidating state agencies. While not many thought that the state universities would be part of this consideration, Brogan's comments show that everything is on the table. Pretty much nothing is safe from the budgetary scalpel.

The hatchet job that the previous Corbett administration did on education is coming home to roost at the college level. Cynthia Shapira, chair of the Higher Education System's Board of Governors, said state funding is $60 million under where it was the year before the 2008 Great Recession began.

Higher education has asked for $61 million for 2017-18, but with the size of the deficit, don't hold your breath expecting that number to be passed. Adding to the budgetary angst is the extra money needed to fund a new three-year contract, retroactive to 2015, for the faculty at the 14 state universities. The contract came after a contentious three-day strike last October.

Kenneth Mash, a professor of political science at ESU, who also serves as president of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties union, is fine with a systemwide study, but he also was quoted as saying, "I can't comment on something that doesn't exist yet."

We are encouraged that the review will take comments from students, faculty, staff, alumni and elected officials. We also are encouraged by Brogan's determination to do the review with no preconceptions, no restraints and no limits.

Mergers or closures require legislative approval, and given the history of how quickly this General Assembly operates, don't look for any speedy action, certainly not before the 2019-20 academic year, if then.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com