Pennsylvania Western University
Pennsylvania Western University, or PennWest is a proposed public university with campuses in California, Pennsylvania; Clarion, Pennsylvania; and Edinboro, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. It is being created by the merger of the former California University of Pennsylvania, Clarion University of Pennsylvania, and Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and it is set to begin operations as a unified university on 1 July 2022. History. Pre-PennWest. California University of Pennsylvania was founded in 1852, when the town of California started an  academy for kindergarten to college-level courses. In 1864 the school relocated to a new location, now the center of the campus' present location, the following year it was chartered as a normal school. In 1914 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania bought the school, renamed it to California State Normal School, and converted it to a two-year school for training elementary school teachers. In 1928 the state restored the four year programs and it became California State Teachers College. The college's offerings continued expanding through the first part of the 20th century, eventually renaming as California State College in  1959 and adding a graduate program in 1962. On 1 July 1983, the school joined the newly formed State System of Higher Education, gained university status and became California University of Pennsylvania. Clarion University of Pennsylvania was founded in 1867 in northwestern Pennsylvania to serve the needs of that rural part of the state. It started as a Seminary and became a 'Normal School' in 1887 and a community college-level institution in 1920. Clarion became a college in 1929. In the 1960s and 1970s the college expanded its offerings and size significantly. On July 1, 1982, Clarion joined the  newly formed State System of Higher Education, gained university status and became Clarion University of Pennsylvania. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania was founded in 1857 as a training school for teachers. In 1914 it was purchased by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and became Edinboro State Normal School, growing its academic offers to the point it became known as Edinboro State College in 1960, and became a university in 1983 with the formation of PASSHE. System redesign. In June 2016, under PASSHE Chancellor Frank Brogan, PASSHE began a review to identify needed changes for the long-term success of the system and  its universities. The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) was asked to conduct the review, gather data and produce a report. This report, "Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Strategic System Review Findings & Recommendations", published in July 2017, identified two critical problems: declining state funding and demographic decline, as Pennsylvania's citizens increasingly trended older. It also identified numerous issues troubling the system that the consequences of Act 188, the law passed in 1982 that formed PASSHE. The report concluded that the manner in which PASSHE was governed, via the Board of Governors, was increasingly unable to make  decisions as its membership was increasingly politicized, concerned with the overall population of Pennsylvania, rather than needs of students and the state of Pennsylvania, and unclear authority and accountability. Also identified was a lack of collaboration within the system to coordinate post-secondary education policy. Notably, this plan stressed that there were, in its view, some options that would be ill advised, and fail to adress and possibly worsen the core issues. Among those items not recommended was "mergers of any State System institution with another that results in the loss of an individual institution’s name, colors, symbols, or  separate institutional accreditation." On July 1, 2020, Act 50 of 2020 was signed into law, which granted the Board Of Governors authority to develop a procedure to "create, expand, consolidate, transfer or affiliate an institution". However, this power was restricted to only institutions that had fewer than 10,000 students in fall 2019. It also did not grant the authority to close any of the 14 institutions. On 14 October, 2020, PASSHE published "Policy 2020-03: Act 50 of 2020 Implementation Policy" which laid out the process for PASSHE to use their Act 50 powers. In October 2020, PASSHE started work  on plans to consolidate six universities into two universities. The earliest that it was expected the planned changes could have an impact on students was semester of fall 2022. Western Integration. On April 23, 2021 the Board of Governors approved the proposed west and northeast integration plans, and initiated a 60-day comment period. The vote was 17-2. The final plan, which would be voted on, was unveiled on 7 July, 2021. The final proposal would use the authority granted by Act 50 to integrate California University, Clarion University and Edinboro University into a single entity. On 14 July , 2021, the Board of Governors approved the integration plans for both west and northeast integration plans on a roll call vote with no opposition. Formation of PennWest. On July 14, 2021, the merger of California, Clarion and Edinboro universities to create PennWest was approved, pending approval by Middle States, with a planned start date for the merged university of July 1, 2022. On October 14, 2021, Clarion University president Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson revealed the name for the integrated university: Pennsylvania Western University. This name was approved by the Board of Governors in voice vote with no opposition. The name is  to be come effective on 1 July 2022, pending approval by The Middle States Commission on Higher Education, who do accreditation for the university. The same day, students enrolled for the fall 2021 at California, Clarion and Edinboro universities presented with three logo designs, to consider and select for the new logo for the new name, over a two week period ending on 22 October, 2021. On 6 December, 2021 the new logo was revealed, with students having decided on "Design option B", featuring a compass rose design. On March 10, 2022, Middle States Commission on Higher Education approved the  plan to merge the three university's into one, under the University of California of Pennsylvania's accreditation, which would change its name to Pennsylvania Western University. The accreditation and state degree granting authority of Clarion University of Pennsylvania and Edinboro University of Pennsylvania would be terminated on July 1, 2022.