Dive Brief:

• A majority of faculty members at the six universities in Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education that are slated for consolidation don't support the proposal to do so, according to a new survey from its faculty union.
• Nearly 70% of the roughly 1,000 faculty surveyed said they don't back the plan, while some 78% don't think the process has been transparent. 
• PASSHE has drawn criticism for moving to combine the institutions into two new entities but says the change is needed to combat budget troubles within the 14-school system.

Dive Insight:

PASSHE officials want to merge California, Clarion and Edinboro universities into a single entity focused on online education, while the united Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield universities would emphasize stackable credentials. Based on the schools' current enrollments, the resulting two organizations would be the second- and third-largest PASSHE institutions.

The system's enrollment has been trending downward for more than a decade. Officials have said they aim for the consolidations to reduce students' cost of attendance and expand educational options. In-state undergraduate tuition climbed about 33% since 2010 in response to enrollment declines and heavy cuts to state appropriations.

While the system has been slow to share details about the integrations publicly, its leadership is ratcheting up pressure to get them done. PASSHE Chancellor Dan Greenstein told lawmakers in March that he would recommend dissolving the system if it didn't make operational changes.

His assertion drew a mixed response from lawmakers. One pledged to sponsor such legislation, and another called it a threat to make the PASSHE governing board approve the merger plan. The faculty union also said it viewed the statement as a threat. Greenstein, however, has presented the situation as dire. 

Consolidations won't be enough to improve PASSHE's financial position, according to some observers, who say more state money is needed. But Pennsylvania's highly saturated and competitive public higher education market is a barrier to getting those funds.

"Everyone knows change is necessary, even if it's hard," PASSHE spokesperson David Pidgeon said in an emailed statement, adding that the system has pursued the integrations "in the full light of transparency."

The system is expected to update the governing board on the mergers this month. The proposal will also be open to a two-month public comment period. 

Jamie Martin, president of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties, which conducted the survey, in a statement encouraged the system to take faculty concerns to heart. "Unfortunately, there is little faculty buy-in to the current plan," she wrote.