Apr 21, 2018 3 min read

Geraldine Jones – Cal U. graduate, Cal U. employee, Cal U. president – discoursed on a favorite subject Friday.

“This university has played a central role in my life for nearly 50 years. I’m not only a proud alumna, but its No. 1 fan,” said Jones, the featured speaker at the monthly Washington County Chamber of Commerce breakfast at Nemacolin Country Club.

On a chilly morning leading up to the chamber’s annual golf outing, Jones pitched the virtues of California University of Pennsylvania, located a few rolling miles east of the Beallsville/Centerville club, and came up aces. Keeping up with Jones was an easy endeavor for an estimated audience of 100.

During a half-hour address, the president of Cal U., part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, outlined the educational attributes of the school and how it helps drive Washington County and local economies.

Jones acknowledged the university’s long, proud tradition of preparing educators, but said the institution strives to be wide-ranging in its academic offerings.

“You would be hard-pressed to find a school district in Western Pennsylvania that doesn’t have a Cal U. graduate,” she said. “Cal U. will always have a strong teacher education program.

“But the regional economy changes, and we have to adapt. We review programs with two questions in mind: Will students enroll in a particular area of study? And will employers hire our graduates?

“While Cal will not abandon the past, we will always adapt.”

A sturdy support system also is in place, Jones said, putting students in position to have “ample opportunities to succeed.” She added that California is one of two schools in the PSSHE to experience year-over-year increases in enrollment. The university currently has about 5,500 undergraduates.

Another of its strengths, the president stressed several times, is that Cal U. is more than an institution serving people in the 18-to-22 age range.

“Our school is not just for 18-year-olds,” she said. “We welcome high school graduates, without a doubt. That’s part of our mission. But that’s only part of what we do. California looks beyond the traditional student.”

Jones said 23 percent of all California students are adults who are past their early 20s, seeking bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees – either in the classroom or online.

Despite state funding cuts, Jones said Cal U. “is still among the most affordable places to pursue a degree.” The school, she added, is “always seeking corporate and private donors.”

The university sits on the southeastern end of Washington County, across the Monongahela River from Fayette County. Both counties, apparently, benefit tax-wise from its location. Jones said 43 percent of Cal U.’s 800 employees live within 10 miles of campus.

Washington County, according to Jones, has a large concentration of Cal U. alumni – about 8,000 of its 55,000 living graduates. That translates to tax money and local spending.

Overall, she said, California has more than a $340 million impact on the Pennsylvania economy.

“Cal U. is a true asset, with culture, sports and entertainment,” Jones said in closing. “I’d love to have you visit our campus and see what Cal U. is all about.”