Pa. state university system will chase non-traditional students to boost enrollment under next phase of redesign

With the merger of six of its schools in effect, Pennsylvania’s state university system is looking ahead to the next phase of its redesign, including how to lure adults to enroll who have some college but no degree.

Daniel Greenstein, chancellor of the system, said there are about a million such adults in Pennsylvania. They are just one group of untapped potential students that could help the system stem enrollment losses and meet workforce needs, he said.

He said the system also will pursue high school graduates who have the grade point averages and ability for college, but who for whatever reason are not pursuing a degree, as well as workers who would prefer other kinds of training or certificate programs in areas such as business, health care and technology.

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“There are people out there that we can credential, but they tend to be drawn from populations that have been historically underserved,” he said. “How do we retool ourselves so that we can serve these very diverse groups as well as we serve the high school students we’re so good at serving right now.”

Greenstein outlined his plan in an interview Wednesday and presented it to the board of governors at their meeting Thursday morning.

The move comes as the number of high school students drops and is projected to drop more. It’s not an unusual approach and one in which other colleges, as well as the system, already are engaging. But Greenstein said it’s time to accelerate those efforts, with other parts of the redesign accomplished.

Earlier this month, the state legislature awarded the 88,651-student system a historic boost in state funding. It received a 15% increase, or a $75 million hike, the largest one-time increase since the system was founded in 1983. It’s also getting $125 million in one-time stimulus funds to help it continue with the system redesign.

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The boost followed the system’s merger of Bloomsburg, Mansfield, and Lock Haven into Commonwealth University, and Clarion, California, and Edinboro into Pennsylvania Western University. Both mergers took effect July 1.

The system has lost more than one-quarter of its enrollment since 2010. What it needs to do is grow, Greenstein said. He estimated that the system must add 18,000 students to meet workforce needs, including 11,500 undergraduates, 3,400 graduate students, and 3,000 non-degree credential students.

Key to the plan also will be improving graduation and retention rates and reducing achievement gaps, he said. He cited West Chester University’s retention and graduation rates as top in the system and something all schools should strive toward. About three-quarters of West Chester students graduate in six years and 85% of its freshmen become sophomores.

» READ MORE: Why West Chester at 150 years old has emerged as the state system's best

Other universities in the system, besides those that merged, include East Stroudsburg, Kutztown, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, Indiana, and Cheyney.

Greenstein said the state universities already have begun offering certificate programs. System universities last year added 60 new certificate programs, in addition to 23 new degree programs, the system said.

Millersville, he said, is considering an accelerated teacher certification program for those who already have a bachelor’s to help with the teacher shortage. The system soon will announce a partnership with a major technology firm to train its employees in a certificate program, he said.

“We’re hoping to double the number of non-degree credentials we are offering,” he said.