Administrators at five of Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities have given faculty notice that layoffs and program cuts could occur in the 2018-19 school year, as the State System of Higher Education struggles generally with an enrollment drop.
Mansfield University administrators filed a notice March 21. Faculty at California, Clarion, Edinboro and Cheyney universities have since been notified.
State system spokesman Kenn Marshall says the notices are to let the faculty of those schools know that cuts are possible, so discussions can begin now about how to avoid or minimize them.
Since 2010, enrollment has dropped 20 percent at California, 53 percent at Cheyney, 29 percent at Clarion and Edinboro and 35 percent at Mansfield.
The changes could see new programs offered in emerging fields of study, as well as cuts to more established programs.
