Dec 14, 2021 2 min read

A consolidation of California University of Pennsylvania with Edinboro University and Clarion University was approved this summer as a means of keeping the three campuses open.

The merger takes effect in the 2022-23 school year.

Since the colleges faced rising costs and declining enrollments, the state System of Higher Education’s board of governors voted unanimously to approve the plan that integrates the three schools, as well as the merger of Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield universities.

The state system was under a direction from the Legislature to redesign the 14 state-owned universities. California University would have to eliminate programs without the integration.

In September, a new name for the colleges was approved. Effective July 1, 2022, California University of Pennsylvania will be known as Pennsylvania Western University-California.

Students at Cal U. seemed to have mixed emotions about the name and the merger.

“I think it was kind of silly because Edinboro and Clarion are very close geographically,” said junior John Barnes of McMurray. “We’re about two hours away from them. Why are we lumped with those schools? It doesn’t really make sense.”

Students at California, Clarion and Edinboro selected the woodmark design for the new integrated university, Pennsylvania Western University, its three sister campuses – PennWest California, PennWest Clarion and PennWest Edinboro – and the PennWest Global Online division.

The new name and accreditation for the combined campuses still has to be approved by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

– Paul Paterra