Penn State Fayette, The Eberly campus will have a new major added to its catalogue next year, and the school is also adding technology for its students.
Students enrolling at the campus in the 2022-20223 school year will have the option of enrolling in the humanities program, a bachelor of arts degree program, said spokeswoman Shannon Sankey. The program involves interdisciplinary coursework in programs including arts, communications, English, history, literature, philosophy, theater and writing. The program is designed to encourage critical thinking and “prepares students for work in an increasingly interdisciplinary world,” said a press release on the new program.
Penn State Fayette also restructured its criminal justice program. Students can earn a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree through the program, which replaces the Administration of Justice degree, Sankey said. The new program expanded coursework in biases, criminology, juvenile delinquency, community, victimology and other areas, she said.
“Students have the opportunity to participate in new community program called Bridges to Life, which allows students to facilitate restorative conversations between incarcerated individuals at Fayette SCI and general victims of crime,” she said.
The school’s athletics department found new ways to reach their fans during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sankey said. The department created a live broadcasting channel that they plan to continue using, featuring live games on The Fayette Athletics Network, or The Fan. The athletics department also added a co-ed soccer team, which had its first season this past fall.
She said the pandemic changed the university, but they were able to conduct classes in person this year.
“Certainly the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to reshape the higher education environment for students, staff, and faculty alike,” she said. “This academic year, Penn State Fayette adapted nimbly to Penn State and CDC guidelines as they became available — from masking and distancing requirements to testing and vaccination. Despite the challenges, we are extremely proud of how our community has worked together to protect one another so in-person learning and activities could resume.”
Students also have new equipment available to them at the campus library’s new video studio. One Button Studio allows students to create videos for projects like skits and elevator pitches using equipment including GoPro kits, lenses, boom poles and camera stabilizers, Sankey said.
The campus faced a decrease in enrollment during the Fall 2021 semester with 525 students enrolled, according to Director of Enrollment Dan Pinchot. The number represents a 9% decrease from the fall of 2020, he said. In the same time period, there was an 8% decrease in enrollment at the 19 state university campuses in Pennsylvania.
He said the majority of the 52 students who left between 2020 and 2021 were already enrolled and chose not to return “for a semester or two,” he said. New admissions remained about the same in that time period, Pinchot said.
“Financial challenges and health concerns seem to be the driving force behind much of the decline, especially as Penn State campuses returned to a mostly in-person learning experience,” he said. “As Penn State Fayette looks ahead, application numbers for fall 2022 are up significantly compared to last year, with a significant gain in applications from out-of-state students. It’s too early to predict what fall 2022 enrollment will look like, but the campus is optimistic that it can attract and retain a healthy number of students – especially with increasing scholarship dollars to offer and an enhanced focus on athletic programs.”
Gloss