Seven of the 20 campuses that make up the Pennsylvania State University System have been recommended to close due to the decrease in the population, according to a filter. 143 pages report of system leaders.
“I think the recommendation balances our need to adapt to the changing needs of Pennsylvania with compassion for these decisions affect, both in Penn State and in the Commonwealth,” said Pennsylvania State University President NEELI BENDAPUDI. Letter to the community.
Pennsylvania contemplates some of the same challenges as the Massachusetts Higher Education System.
- Read -Ne More: The clogged university campuses could help solve the dough.
In many regions, higher education institutions have been experiencing a decrease in enrollment and a “demographic cliff”, where there will be fewer college students in the United States. This is due in part to Fewer people who have children From the great recession of 2008.
Financial pressures have brought more than two dozens of Massachusetts colleges to be closed for the last decade, including Eastern Nazarene College to quincy and Bard College to Simon’s Rock To Great Barrington during the last year.
Pennsylvania is one of five states, including California, Illinois, Michigan and New York, which will have three quarters of the national decrease in high school graduates, according to one report of the Western Interstal Commission for Higher Education.
The Penn State Board still has to vote to approve the recommendations for the closures of the campus.
The seven endangered campuses include Penn State Dubois, Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre and York.
If they were approved, they would close in a period of two years, after the spring semester 2027.
Campus have been treating a combination of financial falls, retirement in maintaining and reducing strong enrollment for more than a decade.
In order to operate, campuses would need $ 40 million for operating expenses and $ 200 million in future investment in their facilities: resources that the university system could redirect “improve and strengthen the remaining campuses,” said the report.
Of the recommended campuses for closing, Penn State Fayette, has decreased a enrollment greater than 64% below the maximum enrollment in 2006 and Penn State New Kensington has one of the lowest campuses registered with less than 500 students.
“ Pennsylvania faces widespread population decreases, and rural areas experienced by the steepest reductions. Forty-one of the 67 Pennsylvania counties will face significant population decreases: rural counties are expected to lose 5.8% of their total population for 2050, while urban counties are expected to grow slightly.
Two of the Wilkes-Barre and York campuses were recommended for closing in part because they are close to other more diverse, vibrant and better support campuses to students with residential homes.
The seven campuses recommended closing only 3.6% of students and using 3.4% of teachers and 2.2% of staff, according to the report.