In July 2020, the Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education passed a resolution authorizing the Chancellor to begin reviewing opportunities for integrating State System institutions.
University integration is the coordination or blending of two or more institutions into more efficiently functioning entities, retaining the name, maintaining presence, and preserving the cultural and community identity important for regional institutions and their rural communities.
The goal of university integrations is to expand opportunities for students beyond those a single school can achieve on its own, with emphasis on supporting the success of all Mansfield University students. University integration is student-focused and aims to retain the high-touch, personal on-campus experiences, services, and faculty-student interactions that have historically reinforced our campus identity, brand, and value proposition. This will also build upon on an existing foundation of collaboration and partnership to efficiently expand and deliver undergraduate and graduate programs across the region and beyond. As envisioned, university integration would also focus on enhancing responsiveness to workforce-aligned, nondegree, certificate, and stackable credentialing programs to meet regional and statewide economic and workforce demands.
In September 2020, the Chancellor's Office announced that integration of Mansfield University, Bloomsburg University and Lock Haven University would be explored. The integration process is designed to be transparent and consultative, requiring a great deal of planning and careful implementation that will unfold over the next two years, including a year of review.
All Mansfield University students should be afforded the opportunity to receive a high-quality education that is tailored to their needs, academic abilities, and career or employment goals. The integration of Mansfield, Bloomsburg, and Lock Haven will:
- reinforce Mansfield University’s high-touch, on-campus experiences that preserve our historical identity, brand, and value proposition;
- build on a strong foundation of collaboration and partnership that already exists between these State System universities to efficiently deliver and expand undergraduate and graduate programs – at scale – across the region and beyond; and
- facilitate the development of workforce-aligned non-degree and certificate programs to meet the demand of post-traditional and adult learners.
“For our students enrolled at Mansfield University, and for students still considering Mansfield University as their destination of choice, your prospects have never been brighter. It is expected that this process of integration will provide even greater educational opportunities. In the future, you will have access to a broader range of programs while maintaining a campus experience that makes each institution unique at the local level.” – Dr. Charles Patterson, President of Mansfield University