OT Open latter to Gov. Shapiro

[IrishHerb]

Got this from a a friend of my daughter who is an associate professor at one of PSU's satellite campuses.

Open Letter

 

[GrimReaper]

How much of the function of the branch campuses can be performed by local two-year colleges?

 

[Karl_Havok]

As someone who spent their first two years at a branch campus before going to UP I would hate to see the funding cut to any of them. However, I think overall we have a very real tuition cost problem for students. Penn State has become way too expensive. Hell, college/university tuition in general has become outrageous. I don't know how we expect our youth to get an education at this point. You can get loans and spend 20 years paying them only to realize you still owe at least the same amount borrowed. It's absolutely insane. Cutting funding to state schools like the branch campus locations will most likely not do anything to help fix this.

 

[Nitt1300]

Do brick and mortar institutions have a future anyway? I don't mean the Harvards of the world, but what can't be mostly or entirely taught online?

 

[Obliviax]

Do brick and mortar institutions have a future anyway? I don't mean the Harvards of the world, but what can't be mostly or entirely taught online?

I think you hit the nail on the head. while I see some value in having satellite campuses, most are commuter students that couldn't get or afford the main campus. Today, that is easily access with online learning.

To me, the value of college is, of course, the academics. That can be accomplished online. the second side is the social side. Here, kids can use college as a halfway house between being a kid and being an adult. I see value in kids going to school so that they learn how to control themselves when not under their parent's control.

I no longer see the value, based on the expense, of the satellite campuses.

 

[BobPSU92]

 

[IrishHerb]

But don't ditch diggers now require a college degree?

 

[BobPSU92]

But don't ditch diggers now require a college degree?

Does a PSU degree get one anything else these days?

 

[LBUfanatic]

I think you hit the nail on the head. while I see some value in having satellite campuses, most are commuter students that couldn't get or afford the main campus. Today, that is easily access with online learning.

To me, the value of college is, of course, the academics. That can be accomplished online. the second side is the social side. Here, kids can use college as a halfway house between being a kid and being an adult. I see value in kids going to school so that they learn how to control themselves when not under their parent's control.

I no longer see the value, based on the expense, of the satellite campuses.

There is going to be a tremendous amount of pressure on publicly funded post-secondary institutions in Pennsylvania to more align majors and curriculum with employer needs. In theory, this means less emphasis on liberal arts degrees and more industry-specific — and even elements of CTC training. What that means for both UP and satellite campuses remains to be seen, but these are going to be the expectations from the decision-makers allocating public investments. Combine that with the dramatic decline in birth rates in the past 5-10 years and colleges and universities are going to be facing very difficult decisions over the next 10 years.

 

[Obliviax]

There is going to be a tremendous amount of pressure on publicly funded post-secondary institutions in Pennsylvania to more align majors and curriculum with employer needs. In theory, this means less emphasis on liberal arts degrees and more industry-specific — and even elements of CTC training. What that means for both UP and satellite campuses remains to be seen, but these are going to be the expectations from the decision-makers allocating public investments. Combine that with the dramatic decline in birth rates in the past 5-10 years and colleges and universities are going to be facing very difficult decisions over the next 10 years.

agreed. STEM programs, for the most part.

 

[Bkmtnittany1]

Does a PSU degree get one anything else these days?

I hire them to be my latex salesmen!