State System Board of Governors review public input

By CHRISTINE HAINES

chaines@yourmvi.com

Two weeks before a vote on a plan which will consolidate six state universities into two universities, the State System of Higher Education Board of Governors Wednesday reviewed changes stemming from public input.

Several students and staff members of state universities offered more input Wednesday, urging the Board of Governors to either vote against the plan, or delay its implementation until questions that have been raised are answered. One student pointed out that 27% of the Lock Haven student body is made up of athletes who deserve an answer as to whether the NCAA will allow each of the six schools involved in the integration to maintain their Division II teams. A staff member who has two college-age students said her daughter selected a private university because with scholarships, it was about half the cost of attending a state university.

Susan Rutledge, who teaches at California University of Pennsylvania said the plan as presented has been rushed.

“The data sets that you are using do not give a full picture,” Rutledge said.

Rutledge criticized the Legislature for funding the state-related universities while the state owned universities are in financial trouble.

“Consolidating these universities will impact these communities. People are going to be laid off,” Rutledge said.

In his update to the board Chancellor Dan Greenstein said the recently passed state budget includes $50 million for the state system, with another $159 million expected to be disbursed over the next several years. Greenstein said PASSHE needs to use that one-time funding wisely.

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