Integration FAQs

Contingent upon approval of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (our institutional accreditor) – “Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania” would become the accredited, degree-granting university that results from the integration of hitherto separately accredited universities: Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield. Leveraging the continued distinctive identities of the three partner institutions that contribute to it, Commonwealth University will offer a range of benefits to its students and communities, notably in the number of programs, separate complement of athletic teams, as well as co-curricular and career preparation opportunities that will be available.

Additionally — as the accredited entity, as with all institutionally accredited universities, Commonwealth University will:

• Confer degrees upon students at all campuses
• Employ faculty and staff at all campus locations
• Develop a single academic curriculum, assess student learning, and evaluate and improve effectiveness
• Be the official repository of all student records
• Hold institutional accreditation and all special program accreditations
• Recruit and enroll students at all campuses through a single admissions process on behalf of its partner campuses
• Package student financial aid through a single OPEID number, while maintaining three unique federal school identification numbers, allowing students to select a home campus of their choosing.

Centered on student success, our shared vision is to expand high-quality educational opportunities for students, position institutions for growth, and meet regional economic and workforce needs across Pennsylvania. At a time when universities across the country, including our own, are financially challenged, integration would creatively ensure that its institutions are open, vibrant, and equipped to support our students toward building a successful future.

Yes. The name Bloomsburg will remain. Our logo, beloved Husky mascot, and traditions will remain.

The State System's mission is to provide affordable, high-quality public higher education across the Commonwealth, and this approach is designed to bolster that mission.

Our athletics programs are a vital aspect of campus and student life, contributing to much of what we love most about our universities. As announced on April 20, 2022, the NCAA has approved our plan to retain a full complement of athletic programs as they currently exist at each of our institutions.

For current student-athletes – we are operating as we would in any other year.
For those currently being recruited, we are retaining our existing sports teams on each campus.
     
Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield are charter members of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and compete primarily at the NCAA Division II level.

• Bloomsburg sponsors 23 varsity athletic programs including an NCAA Division I men's wrestling program that competes in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
• Lock Haven sponsors 21 varsity athletic programs including Division I men's wrestling and field hockey. The men's wrestling program is an affiliate member of the MAC and the field hockey team competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10).
• Mansfield sponsors 13 varsity athletic programs including sprint football, which is a member of the Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL).

To succeed individually, we must succeed in common. 500+ students, faculty, staff, trustees, and community leaders have been participating in the Northeast Integration planning since September 2020.

University integrations were unanimously approved by the Board of Governors on July 14, 2021. This effort has been designed to increase opportunities for students while ensuring our institutions are here to serve for decades to come.  

The Process

• Begin implementation (July 2021 - August 2022) 
• Submit the implementation plan(s) for final approval by the Board; unanimously approved on July 14, 2021
• Share the implementation plan(s) with the public, holding public hearings and taking public comments on the plan (May - June 2021) 
• Develop the implementation plan(s) for any integration(s) identified by the Board to move forward (October 2020 - April 2021) 
• Conduct a financial review of financial impacts of potential integrations (July - October 2020)

The integration plans are available on the State System Integrations webpage.

The State System is at the beginning of what will be a lengthy review, consultation, and planning process, with an estimated time of over a year to implement the integration plans. It would be inappropriate to speculate on the potential employment impacts of the multi-university integration, but the State System remains committed to an open, transparent, and consultative process from start to finish.

At its summer meeting, the Board of Governors unanimously voted to move the integration forward. Following a year of implementation planning to operationalize the integration strategies, the integrated entity will come together beginning in July of 2022.

Yes. All current students will be able to complete the degree in which they are enrolled in now. Also, all incoming students for Spring and Fall 2022 will also be able to enroll in any currently available academic programs at each campus. Nothing changes for current students or for students who enroll in Spring 2022 and Fall 2022.

Yes. In fact, it has never been a better time to be a student at BU. You will be able to finish your program of study and earn your degree at BU. You will also have access to many new opportunities, experiences, and degree programs that will arise from university integrations.

We’re excited to share with you the academic program array (majors and concentrations) for the Northeast integrated university that will be available to students in the future. As you will see from the linked array, the Northeast integrated university academic programs include a robust set of more than 80 degree programs across a wide variety of disciplinary fields. These academic programs will be phased in over a three-year period as our faculty design the curriculum for these programs.

Yes. BU will continue to offer undergraduate and graduate degree programs as we do now at bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree levels. As envisioned, university integration will allow BU students access to an expanded array of courses, minors, majors, degrees, and stackable credentials that can help students maintain efficient time to graduation. For a full list of current degree programs, visit our areas of study page.

Areas of Study

The Northeast integrated university academic programs include a robust set of more than 80 degree programs across a wide variety of disciplinary fields. The academic program array will be phased in over a three-year period as our faculty design the curriculum for these programs.

ACADEMIC UPDATES - October 2021

Faculty members have received their departmental assignments following several rounds of review and revision. In the coming months, aligned with the three-year phased-in curriculum, we look forward to announcing the academic programs and pathways that will benefit our students. Faculty, supported by integration leaders and university administrators, will work together to develop curriculum and implement it over  a three year period. Further details, including college structure and departments (majors, minors, concentrations, and certificates) are forthcoming.   

Below are the five colleges and academic departments* set forth by the Academic Affairs team. Further confirmation will come following Council of Trustees approvals and the response from Middle States.

Zeigler College of Business:

• Accounting
• Finance, Insurance, Risk Management, and Economics
• Instructional Technology, Technical Leadership, and Information and Technology Management  
• Management
• Marketing and Sales

College of Education and Human Services

• Counseling, Student Affairs, and Education Administration
• Early Childhood Education
• Middle Level, Secondary, and K-12 Education
• Social Work
• Exceptionality Programs: ASL and English Interpreting, Special Education

College of Health Professions

• Allied Health
• Communication Sciences and Disorders
• Exercise Science
• Nursing – Graduate
• Nursing – Undergraduate
• Physician Assistant

College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities

• Anthropology, Criminal Justice, and Sociology
• Communication Studies
• English
• History, Political Science, and Philosophy
• Languages and Cultures
• Media and Journalism
• Music, Theatre, and Dance
• Psychology
• Visual Arts

College of Science and Technology

• Biology
• Biochemistry, Chemistry, Engineering, and Physics
• Mathematics, Computer Science, and Digital Forensics
• Environmental, Geographical, and Geologic Sciences
• Interdisciplinary & Multidisciplinary Studies

In addition to the above, students will have the opportunity to design a program of study that will meet their career goals.  

* Pending Middle States Commission on Higher Education approval.

ACADEMIC UPDATES - September 2021

In addition to expanded academic program offerings at each campus, below are some of the developing examples of new academic opportunities that will become available through integration. 

• Artist or Musician in Residence opportunities, aligned with faculty expertise, to explore new techniques and develop new skills in state-of-the-art studio settings. 
• Business – Plans exist to expand professional development, Business Idea Competition, and more through the AACSB-accredited business program at BU. 
• Criminal Justice – Opportunity for alignment with Police Academy (spend 6-months in academy as part of your degree program) or add EMT-certification (6-weeks) at Mansfield. 
• Education – Broader opportunities for student-teaching (including residential housing opportunities) are forthcoming, including plans to closely align with districts and employment opportunities they can offer to our graduating seniors. 
• Environmental, Geographical, and Geological Sciences field camp opportunities will expand, offering opportunities to explore differences offered through our respective locations. A new soils minor may be offered through BU/LHU soils expertise/partnership.  
• Nursing/Physician Assistant Programs – There are plans to offer expanded clinical settings or clinical rotation opportunities. 
• Pharm.D. Program – Expand on new BU partnerships with Temple and Farleigh Dickinson universities and their respective Schools of Pharmacy – these partner institutions are excited to expand their reach into Central PA through LHU/MU. Signing ceremonies were held in September 2021. 
• Scientist in Residence opportunities that align with faculty expertise and research opportunities. For example, collaborative tree swallow nesting research through BU/MU faculty connections is already taking place. 

No. You can expect a traditional, residential campus experience at BU with courses delivered on-campus and with the close personal interaction with your professors that BU is known for. There is no plan to move any face-to-face programs currently offered at BU to another campus, and general education courses will continue to be offered at each campus. You will continue to have the choice to take courses of interest online if they're available in that modality. Some students choose this method to allow more flexibility in their scheduling.

Integration will create many new opportunities to access courses, majors, minors, majors, degrees, and stackable credentials. Some courses and programs may be conducted remotely and through hybrid modalities across the identified campuses. This is a model that BU has undertaken with great success with our BASTL and MBA programs.

As envisioned, university integrations would allow for courses and programs to be conducted in-person, remotely, and through hybrid modalities across the identified campuses.

Online or distance learning can take several forms.

• Synchronous delivery uses tools such as Zoom or other web conferencing tools to let students participate in a class in real time from a remote location. For example, a student at one campus might use Zoom to join a class taught by a professor on another campus. This delivery mode is sometimes called “remote learning.”
• Asynchronous delivery allows students to complete coursework on their own schedule, from any location. In addition to completing required readings and other assignments, students in courses delivered asynchronously may utilize instructional videos, discussion boards and other tools to engage with the professor and classmates. This delivery mode is sometimes called “fully online.”

Hybrid programs typically require students to take a mix of in-person and online/remote learning courses as they progress toward their degree.

In-person programs, which can be completed entirely on campus, may include some remote or fully online course options to provide more flexibility for students as they plan their schedule. Currently, a majority of students taking in-person programs choose to take at least one online course per semester. What percentage of courses should I expect to take online if my major is not located at my home campus? Although this may vary by major or campus, we expect at least 75% of your courses will be delivered in person, on your home campus. The majority of students currently take at least one online course per semester, so this is consistent with what most students are experiencing now.