PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The head of Pennsylvania’s state university system says they’re on pace in efforts to keep the universities sustainable through drops in enrollment.
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education Chancellor Daniel Greenstein said enrollment took a hit last year, dropping 5.4% which is about 5,000 students. He said that level is on par with similar schools across the country.
“Thanks to the generosity of the General Assembly and the investment that it made in the system last year, we're able to work in two ways to mitigate the impacts of that downturn," said Greenstein, who testified before a joint meeting of the Pennsylvania House Education and Appropriations committees.
One way requires each university to be self-sustainable. The other way he described is to invest in students and to grow enrollment after years of decline.
“I did promise in 2019 that we would take $200 million to $250 million in operating costs out of the system, and in five years, we're at $173 million," he said.
“We had to get our arms around some pretty difficult management issues, and we have done that. And that was certainly about aligning our costs with our revenues and making sure that we were run properly."
Greenstein said the state legislature needs to decide what it wants going forward.
“We're still requiring a middle class family to spend 45% of its household income, sending one kid to college for one year at the most affordable option in the state. If we're satisfied with that, then we can continue on this austerity path that we have been on," Greenstein said.
"The question is, what kind of state does Pennsylvania want to see? That's a question for you.”
Greenstein asked if lawmakers were okay with employers leaving Pennsylvania because they’re unable to find skilled workers.
“I'm glad to be chancellor because my job is easy," he said. "Yours is much harder because you have to address that question.”
His comments come amid ongoing merger efforts which include combining Clarion, California University of Pennsylvania, and Edinboro into what will be called Pennsylvania Western University. No name has been offered yet for the other schools that are being consolidated, which are Bloomsburg, Mansfield and Lock Haven.
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