State System Readies Vote To Consolidate 6 Schools Into 2

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education could merge six of its 14 universities into two new institutions. It released planning documents Monday, two days before an expected board vote on the plan. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that a vote to proceed starts a 60-day public comment period. A final vote would be scheduled for this summer, with implementation in 2022. Chancellor Dan Greenstein warns that some system schools aren’t sustainable without radical change. Under the plans, Bloomsburg, Mansfield and Lock Haven universities in northern Pennsylvania would merge, as would California, Clarion and Edinboro in western Pennsylvania. All six campuses would remain open, with integrated faculty and curriculum.