State lawmakers, county commissioners, university officials, students and business leaders gathered at Penn State Schuylkill in Schuylkill Haven to talk about how the campus can continue to serve the community in the coming years.

The Schuylkill Campus was one of 12 commonwealth campuses being considered for closure in the coming year.

In May, the campus learned that it would not be one of the seven shuttered campuses — thanks to an outpouring of support from the community that it serves, said Dr. Corey Scherer, interim chancellor.

“We were put on the safe list, and we had a moment and we took a breath,” he said speaking at a roundtable session in the John E. Morgan Auditorium on Monday.

“Now is when the real work begins,” Scherer said. “Now is when we see and imagine what we’re going to be for the future. That’s the work we’re doing now.”

He turned the floor over to Michael Stefan, the university’s vice president of Government Relations, who said he has been having the hard conversations about what happens to the campuses that are closing.

But he and others realized they also need to spend time at the remaining campuses and look to the future, he said.

“How we can we work with communities and elected officials around the campuses to identify ways not only for campuses to continue to survive but also thrive,” Stefan said.

“We want to ensure that these campuses continue for the long term,” he said, noting that they will be looking at what investments can be made, not only in dollars but time and talent.

Thriving for decades

State Sen. Dave Argall thanked Scherer for hosting the roundtable, and for Stefan for traveling to listen to ideas for the future. He also acknowledged the strong community effort to keep the campus open, but the work isn’t done.

“I’m extraordinarily pleased that Penn State has decided to continue its investment here, but it needs our help,” Argall said.

“Penn State Schuylkill can indeed thrive for decades to come, serving more and more students, further contributing to the economic growth of this region,’ he said.

Argall was joined by Reps. Tim Twardzik, Jamie Barton, Dane Watro and JoAnne Stehr, along with Carbon County Commissioners Barron “Boots” Hetherington and Gary Hess.

“Innovative programs and the new nursing program have strengthened our local workforce and provided critical opportunities for students to pursue their dreams close to home,” Twardzik said.

“By working together,” he continued, “We can ensure that ensure that Penn State Schuylkill thrives for decades to come.”

A thriving Schuylkill Campus was a recurring theme during the more than two-hour long discussion that included multiple panels of speakers, including students Zach Fisher, A.J. Serrano and Carter Strouse.

“Please know that the future of Penn State Schuylkill isn’t just about keeping the campus open,” Fisher said. “It’s about investing in the people who make it thrive.

“I think we still have some challenges ahead, but we also have determination, creativity and heart,” he said.

Success stories

Serrano and Strouse also touted the campus’ cooperative education program that provides vital, real-world, hands-on experience for students while they continue their studies.

“The Co-Op has benefited my career so far as I met my employer at a career fair during my freshman year,” Strouse said. “Not many people can say at 19-years-old, they have an insurance license and work at an agency part-time while going to college.

The Two-Plus-Two program, which allows students to do two years at one campus and transfer to another to complete studies, should be utilized more, Strouse said, and more four-year degrees should be offered at Schuylkill.

He also advocated for an engineering program at the campus, which would easily increase enrollment, and others also advocated for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields of study.

Joseph Gera, vice chair of the Penn State Schuylkill Co-Op National Advisory Council, who worked for IBM for 33 years, was one of those voices advocating for STEM based programs.

Over the next 10 years, STEM jobs will see 8% growth compared to non-STEM jobs at 2.7%; and average salary is $102,000 in 2023 and higher now, compared to average non-STEM salary of $47,000, he said.

Gera pointed out that it’s a misconception that people need a four-year degree for STEM jobs, as there are also those with associate degrees — pointing to many utility workers in the workforce today.

Gera also pointed to opportunities for the Schuylkill Campus to offer some of the programs that shrunk because of commonwealth campus closures, and expand a successful nursing program to physical and occupational therapy and expand the campus’ student recruitment by partnering with health care systems in other areas of the state.

He also pointed to programs for dental hygienists and dental assistants which have growth rate and average salaries on par with STEM jobs he had mentioned. Gera said a partnership with the dental school in Tamaqua for practicums could be a possibility, with students doing course work at the Schuylkill Campus.

“One thing I learned from many years at IBM was to always think bigger, broader and bolder,” Gera said.

John Hart, another member of the Schuylkill Co-Op National Advisory Council, pointed to the community’s sense of ownership in the campus and support of business community.

Other speakers included Robert S. Carl, Penn State Schuylkill Advisory Board; Dr. Nicole Andel, faculty member for 25 years; Dr. Michael Cardamone, professor emeritus, who has been associated with the campus for more than 50 years.

Cardamone advocated for the university to continue applying a different tuition for commonwealth campuses, actively seeking scholarships for students who want to attend, and legislators to see creative ways to use state appropriations to reduce commonwealth campus students’ tuition burden.

Still other speakers were Samantha Chivinski, executive vice president of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce; Frank Zukas, president of the Schuylkill Economic Development Corporation; Darlene Robbins, president of Northeast PA Manufacturers and Employers Association; Micah Gursky, director of business development St. Luke’s University Health Network; Terry Purcell, chief operation officer for the Lehigh Division of Jefferson Health; and Dr. Shawn Fitzpatrick, superintendent of the Schuylkill Haven Area School District.