Central Penn adjusts to small-college challenges
President explains steps to keep CPC strong in the long run
By Noah Lopez
Knightly News Reporter
noah.lopez@mymail.centralpenn.edu
The summer 2024 term brought an unexpected change on campus for many students: The Bart A. Milano Building was closed, with offices and classes moved to other buildings.
The building also held the Knightly News Media Club Nasir Harris Podcast Studio and the Central Penn College Museum, the latter a treasure trove of Central Penn history that was used for meetings.
The Underground, a complex below Milano’s west wing that includes offices, a fitness center, a dance studio, a large student lounge and the Capital BlueCross Theatre, the last which is used for meetings and some events, remains open.
This building closure is part of a challenge facing Central Penn College (CPC) and other small private colleges across the country. As the higher-education sector evolves through enrollment declines and changes in learning trends, these institutions are struggling to keep up with how students learn and how colleges are funded.
Small private colleges like Central Penn often face financial pressures that make it difficult to maintain and upgrade campus facilities. Unlike large public universities with state funding or wealthy supporters, smaller schools must carefully manage their limited resources and search somewhere other than state legislatures and other public sources to replace lost tuition. As a result, some are forced to close buildings or cut back on programs to stay afloat. Many colleges, particularly small private schools, have closed in recent years.
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education adjusted not long ago by combining six of its 14 universities in parts of the commonwealth into multicampus schools.
The decision to close Milano Hall is a clear example of these struggles at Central Penn. While it’s necessary for the college to adapt to new education trends, such as the increasing demand for online and hybrid classes – a long-time sweet spot for CPC – it also highlights the tough choices small colleges must make to survive.
Shifts in enrollment and learning modalities
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the number of students taking online courses nearly doubled between 2019 and 2020. A 2023 report from EDUCAUSE found that 70 percent of colleges are investing more in digital resources, which often means less funding for physical campus spaces.
However, the financial struggles of small colleges aren’t just about online learning. As seen with Cabrini University, a small Catholic school in Radnor Township, outside Philadelphia, that closed early this year and whose campus Villanova University acquired, smaller colleges are also struggling with declining enrollment. Cabrini, for example, which offered 40 undergraduate degrees and a handful of graduate degrees, saw its enrollment drop by more than 60 percent since 2016, according to CNN.
Colleges that depend heavily on tuition, like CPC and Cabrini, are especially vulnerable when they can’t attract enough students to cover operating costs as learning preferences change and enrollments decline. Cabrini made staff cuts and other changes but couldn’t bring in new revenue, eventually announcing in 2023 that it would close at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year.
Rachel Burns, a senior policy analyst with SHEEO (State Higher Education Executive Officers Association), in Boulder, Colorado, told CNN that many schools survived the pandemic thanks to federal aid, but now that aid has ended, and they’re facing the same financial problems they faced before the pandemic, when enrollment and learning trends began to change. With fewer students and rising costs, it’s hard for them to stay open.
Here at Central Penn
CPC is facing similar issues.
The closure of Milano Hall reflects the tough choices schools like CPC must make to stay afloat. As more funding is directed toward online programs and the majors that are bringing students in, it becomes harder to keep traditional campus buildings open and to maintain programs, some of which Central Penn put on hold early this year but could well reactivate as demand returns.
In a recent interview, CPC President Linda Fedrizzi-Williams explained that the closure of Milano was part of a larger plan to better use campus space.
“We have a lot of extra space,” she said, explaining that CPC doesn’t need as many classrooms because fewer students are attending in person.
Faculty and staff were moved to other buildings, and CPC is now looking for new ways to use the empty space.
“We’re looking at creative ways to fill that space,” Fedrizzi-Williams said, adding that possible tenants could include a coffee house, a daycare center or personal trainers.
These businesses could help serve students while bringing in additional income for the college.
Fedrizzi-Williams stressed that these decisions were made to help keep CPC going for the long term.
“Colleges are closing at the rate of one a week,” she said, noting that Central Penn, founded in 1881 in Harrisburg and a presence in Summerdale since the early 1970s, is working hard to stay open by finding novel solutions to its financial problems.
As part of this effort, CPC has launched a land-development plan to make better use of its campus. The college has invited businesses and organizations to submit proposals for using empty spaces, acreage on campus included.
Fedrizzi-Williams clarified that the college isn’t selling the campus but developing it to support the school and the local community. Several businesses showed interest soon after the request for proposals, including a nonprofit group and a healthcare clinic that could serve students and the community. College officials will update the campus community soon.
To address student concerns about CPC’s future, Fedrizzi-Williams reassured students that the college is focused on staying open and getting more students enrolled. She encouraged students to help spread the word about CPC and invite their friends to join.
“If students want to help, referrals are a big part of that,” Fedrizzi-Williams said
When asked about campus life, Fedrizzi-Williams admitted that students feel there aren’t enough activities, especially on weekends. To fix this, CPC has partnered with an entertainment company to bring more events to campus throughout the year.
“We’re going to have concerts, comedy shows and other performances,” Fedrizzi-Williams said, adding that these events will offer free or low-cost tickets to students to help make campus life more active.
Fedrizzi-Williams also explained how CPC is constantly reviewing its academic programs to make sure they meet student needs and lead to strong job opportunities. Programs that don’t attract enough students might be paused, but Fedrizzi-Williams stressed that they can be brought back if interest grows.
“We’re always looking at what programs are in demand,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Fedrizzi-Williams is hopeful about Central Penn’s future.
“We’re doing everything we can to keep moving forward,” she said.
Though many small colleges are navigating tough times, CPC is focused on making smart decisions to ensure its long-term success.
Comment or story idea? Contact KnightlyEditors@CentralPenn.Edu.
Edited by media-club co-adviser and blog editor Professor Michael Lear-Olimpi.
