Support Our School: LHU integration discussed at town hall; options requested from system chancellor
By Christopher Miller
LOCK HAVEN, PA – The air was heavy with love and support for Lock Haven University and the community Tuesday night as well over 100 people were in virtual attendance in a Zoom Town Hall meeting to discuss the proposed integration of Lock Haven, Mansfield, and Bloomsburg universities. The event was staged by APSCUF, the faculty union at the university.
Items discussed during the two hour meeting were various integration requirements set forth from the state System of High Education (PASSHE), financials, student services, student retention and enrollment, faculty and student appreciation, and the potential impact on the local economy.
Requirements and Financials
The original plan to become financially sustainable was to take place over a 5-year period through advertising, marketing, and promotions to grow enrollment and increase retention. In April of 2020, nearly one year ago, the requirements were changed from a 5-year plan to a 2-year plan, leaving many people scrambling for both answers and solutions.
“We must meet the 2010/2011 Faculty/Student Ratio of 19:1, which was the very best we were in the university’s 150 years,” APSCUF President Peter Campbell said during the event. “LHU has $53 million in cash reserves that PASSHE is saying is theirs and does not belong to us…the plan was to use some of those reserves to weather the storm and then to reinvest, and to put the money back into the reserves for possible later use.”
Other requirements reported Tuesday night were a reduction of 67 faculty members from June 2020 to June 2022, which accounts for 30%, a reduction of 12 programs being placed into moratorium, most of which face-to-face classes.
“Students chose LHU for a reason,” Campbell further said. “They do not want to take classes at Bloomsburg or Mansfield, or else they would have chosen those schools; we need to respect their choice…why pay for room and board at LHU when taking all of your classes at another institution?”
A look at the Quick Facts section of the LHU website promotes its current 14:1 Faculty/Student Ratio, where the class sizes and university setting is smaller, providing for a more “get to know your name, not your student ID number” feeling.
Dr. Mark Cloud, Professor of Psychology said that, “In September, the Chancellor’s office hired a consultant to analyze the financial viability, and that some of these projections show that in the next three years LHU will be fine, and then when combined with Mansfield and Bloomsburg financial reserves and enrollment will go down.”
Student Services
Track and Field and Cross Country Coach Aaron Russell compared his undergraduate experience some 30 years ago to being part of a “family investment.” What brought him to the local community from Maine in the ‘90s were the professors, who knew his name, and took the time to get to know him as a person.
What Coach Russell does not understand is how one of the factors for integration is using athletics to meet the 2010/2011 benchmark requirement. “They want to add hundreds of athletes on the enrollment rosters, but also want to discontinue majors, and possibly some athletic programs.”
For John Gradel, Assistant Director of the International Student and Scholar Services and International Admissions, though the past 13 years has seen a decline from the highest enrollment numbers ever at LHU, the passion for education has not dwindled. “Cutting faculty and staff jobs limits students to resources – many live with their families in town; we value the city and the county, I am hopeful for an outcome that will benefit all.”
Student Retention and Enrollment
Though the state system is setting the benchmark enrollment requirement to eventually reach as being the statistics from the 2010/2011 school year, for English Professor David Russell, it’s all about reaching one student at a time.
“I am working with an advisee of mine on an essay for English Composition. This young man has difficulty with sentence structure and writing…he needs to be able to write well, while the Chancellor wants class sizes set at 32 students, I am working with this 1 student to prepare him for the future.”
Russell further said, “If you believe that you can go into the world today and not know how to write, speak, make presentations, problem solve, not understand the basics of human psychology, not be able to do human interaction, then you are sadly mistaken as the #1 skill set employers want is solid verbal and written communication skills…they do not want to waste time teaching others how to write and speak.”
Russell explained that he is here to help people achieve their dreams. “I love my colleagues, I love my students, that is what we are doing and that is why we are pushing in the way we are.”
Faculty and Student Appreciation
For student Kayla Shutters, who happens to be a dual major in English and Art, and involved with the University Players, coming to Lock Haven University was a no-brainer.
“Other students in my circles are not for integration, we want to hold on to our individuality as a school…what we like about being here is the student-professor relationship on campus, face-to-face…how will more online classes be more effective?”
Local Area and Economy
Shawn O’Dell, LHU AFSCME President representing the staff explained how retrenchment and the loss of positions at the college are devastating for the university, students, and community at large. “LHU is a major employer in Clinton County…losing jobs will have a major impact on volunteers, business, taxes,” said O’Dell. She came to LHU as an adult learner starting her college degree at 36 years old.
Lock Haven Mayor Joel Long said that having a university close to home is important. “We are asking for more options – the point behind our recent resolution is that we disagree that integration, consolidation, or dissolving the system are the only options available.” “How can getting rid of programs be more of an opportunity?”
Dr. Jacquelyn Martin, Keystone Central School District Superintendent, spoke of her position at KCSD as being on a parallel line of sorts with former LHU President Robert Pignatello. “I was hired at KCSD to do many things that Pignatello did at LHU, such as rebuild relations, and I felt that the integration plan pulled the rug out from under all of the planning that was already done.” She spoke of how the Class of 2034 will be entering KCSD in the fall, and that careful, thoughtful planning for the future of LHU should include data and statistics from KCSD which is currently being overlooked. “We have the future,” she said, “what should we be doing now to collaborate and work together to keep the LHU legacy going?”
In attendance were various Lock Haven city councilmen, Mayor Long, Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder, countless university faculty, staff, students, and alumni including KCSD superintendent Martin.
According to information from APSCUF, there are many ways people can listen, communicate, and interact with the university and the proposed integration. Below are website and social media links copied and shared from LHU Psychology Professor Erin Kennedy:
www.facebook.com/groups/lhuapscuf/
www.twitter.com/LHU_APSCUF
www.facebook.com/apscuf
Tweets by APSCUF
www.apscuf.org/students
Tweets by LHU_liaison
http://papublics.org/
https://www.facebook.com/SavePAStateSchools/
APSCUF also said people are encouraged to reach out to their local state Representatives, state Senators, the Governor, and the Chair of the Board of Governors. Their information is listed below:
Governor Tom Wolf
Office of the Governor
508 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Ms. Cynthia Shapira
Chair, Board of Governors
2986 N 2nd Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110-1201
Hon. Stephanie Borowicz
18 E. Main Street
Suite II
Lock Haven, PA 17745
(570) 748-5480
Senator Cris Dush
Senate Box 203025
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3025
Room: 16 East Wing
(717) 787-7084
