PennWest officials believe sweeping plan will improve academic experiences

Pennsylvania Western University has finalized an academic program array that cuts dozens of programs and realigns others in an effort to improve academic quality, promote student success and adapt to area workforce needs, officials said.

The new program array, to be implemented this fall, has more than 277 academic pathways and credentials, including 43 bachelor’s degree programs, 30 master’s and doctoral programs, 50 undergraduate certificates and 46 new programs, concentrations and credentials.

The cuts take place across four bachelor’s degree programs, two associate degree programs, three master’s level degree programs, 34 minors and 28 certificates. Those have been put into “moratorium,” which means those programs will stop accepting new students.

‘Rebalanced and refocused’

The changes come at a time PennWest seeks to find its footing. The California, Clarion and Edinboro campuses merged in 2022 and haven’t yet realized anticipated enrollment goals or financial savings projected at the time.

And the plan has drawn some pushback: More than 1,600 people signed an online petition challenging proposed cuts to arts programs at the California campus.

James Fisher, outgoing interim provost at PennWest, said the array was developed following a review that lasted more than a year and examined workforce trends, employer needs and student interests.

“The question we were asking is, ‘How do we create the most impactful array for students in a contemporary landscape that’s also sustainable?’ ” Fisher told TribLive. “So, how do we do the things that we want to do well, and how do we serve students well in a sustainable way?”

That led to what Fisher called “rebalanced and refocused” minor and certificate programs.

The geography minor has been cut, for example, but replaced with a watershed management certificate and other similar programs that might be more relevant to workforce trends and students interested in geoscience careers.

Also, PennWest created pre-health certificates not only to attract bachelor’s degree students interested in the medical field, but also those looking to upscale or rescale their skills, Fisher said.

“With streamlining the design of many of our degree programs, it creates more room for students to adopt supplemental credentials — the ability to pick up a degree but also a minor, or a minor and a certificate, or two certificates,” Fisher said. “We think it’s very attractive.”

Fisher believes it also is beneficial to non-traditional or non-degree-seeking college students — areas where PennWest has seen gains. While PennWest’s overall enrollment continued to decrease, doing so by 2.64% last fall, the university reported transfer enrollment growth by 2.5% and an increase among adult learners. Dual enrollment numbers, where high school students can earn college credit, nearly doubled yearover-year, increasing from 171 high school students in spring 2025 to 392 this spring.

PennWest also will implement a mandatory “first year seminar” course designed to help freshmen transition into college life. The seminar was offered as an elective for the past two years. Students who took the class had a 91% retention rate from fall to spring, compared to 83% among those who did not.

Fisher believes the programming will give students more flexibility to customize their education through stackable credentials, interdisciplinary study and experiences like internships. PennWest reports that 96% of its graduates are employed or continuing their education within six months of graduation.

There will not be any staffing reductions as a direct result of the proposed changes, Fisher said. Students who are in programs that are ending will still be able to finish their degree, he said.

Leadership change

Today, Fisher will become the interim vice chancellor and chief academic officer at the State System of Higher Education. Kristy Bishop will become provost and vice president for academic affairs at PennWest and will be leading implementation of the new program array.

“The most important thing is to make sure it goes to the work that’s been done, using the data that was used to inform the program but also to rely on the expertise of our faculty who know the content and know what is needed,” Bishop said.

Bishop was previously vice president for institutional field relations for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and was interim president and vice president for academic affairs at Westmoreland County Community College.

“It’s going to take a lot of conversation, a lot of discussion, a lot of listening,” Bishop said of implementing the new program array. “It’s listening and talking and making sure they have a clear understanding of how it’s implemented.”

Fisher believes the programming will have a positive impact on PennWest students.

“When your actions are truly guided by your mission, good things will happen. We’ve been consistently guided by the principle that everything we’re doing is toward serving prospective and current students and making sure that we are really being self-aware about how we’re doing that right,” he said. “I’m as optimistic as ever about the future of PennWest.”