Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses have been facing some enrollment issues…
That’s according to data released by the University.
The Chancellor here at Penn State Altoona says that higher education enrollment numbers have been going down for the last several years, he says this has affected them, but they plan to continue to remain a staple here in the Blair County area.
“There are bright, well meaning, passionate individuals, who are also collaborative, trying to figure out what is the best way for us to position ourselves, not just for the now, but for the next 10, 50, 100 years”
There are twenty Penn State campuses throughout the Commonwealth, and since 2019, only two have seen an increase in enrollment.
Those are, Schulykill and the University Park Main Campus.
“Not including the main campus, we have two commonwealth campuses in our region, Dubois and Altoona.”
According to data released by the university, Penn State Dubois has seen a thirty seven percent decrease in enrollment.
Meantime, Penn State Altoona has seen more than a twenty percent decrease.
The university says they are working with the chancellors to come up with a strategic plan and next steps.
“We’ve looked at adding new programs to campus and in fact we’re continuing to do that now. Penn state Altoona is looking to widen both its undergraduate profile as well as to add, strategically, masters degrees and perhaps even associates degrees as they make sense.”
Penn State Altoona Chancellor Ron Darbeau says that they also plan to expand athletics on the Altoona Campus.
Darbeau says these campuses mean so much to the area they are in, and give people all throughout the Commonwealth the opportunity to be part of the Penn State family.
“We bring to our students the full might and the full width of the Penn State experience, which remains one of the most sought after experiences in higher education across the world.”
