From the HARRISBURG PATRIOT NEWS Editorial:
…The 2012 freshman class at Penn State’s main campus this fall is expected to exceed last year’s numbers by 200 students.
… [U]niversity’s president, Rodney Erickson, says while the numbers are up, there is “some softness” in enrollment at some of Penn State’s 24 Commonwealth Campuses.
While that comment, which Erickson made recently to this editorial board, might not be cause for alarm, it does indicate a need to take a hard look at the structure that has been in place for more than half a century at the university. The question should be asked: Do all the branch campuses serve the needs of — and make sense financially for — Penn State?
…But we wonder, as tuition at the university continues to grow and state funding continues to drop, whether Penn State needs 24 branch campuses any longer. This is especially true given that Erickson says the university is expected to boost its blended learning, a mix of online and classroom instruction. Last year, 5 percent of Penn State students took online courses, a number projected to increase…
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