Penn State system adds new campuses

Dickinson School of Law will become part of Penn State. As part of recently announced restructuring plans, Pennsylvania State University will merge with the private Dickinson School of Law, and 14 of the university's branch campuses will become fully-accredited four-year institutions. Penn State's Board of Trustees endorsed the merger Friday, while Dickinson's Board of Trustees approved the move Saturday. The merger will go into effect on July 1. And Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Eugene Hickok approved a comprehensive plan authorizing 14 of Penn State's 17 Commonwealth Campuses to grant baccalaureate degrees. The plan -- announced last Tuesday -- will not add any new campuses to the Penn State system, but will restructure the existing system to allow students to stay at the same campus for four years rather than transferring to the main campus in University Park to complete their degrees. John Brighton, Penn State's executive vice president and provost, told the Penn State Collegian that there will be a three-year "transition period" before the merger to allow the two schools to implement the new arrangements. During this time, the Dickinson School of Law -- located 20 miles west of Harrisburg, Pa. in Carlisle, Pa. -- will become the Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University, and its 110 employees will become Penn State employees. Dickinson's Board of Trustees will retain its current authority over the school's day-to-day affairs, although Penn State's Board of Trustees will have ultimate veto power. Brighton noted, however, that little else will change after the merger. The size of Dickinson's entering class will stay at about 180 students, while tuition will remain at approximately $14,500 per year, he said. "The consolidation of these two strong institutions will add strength to both of them," Law School Dean Peter Glenn said. "Our students will now be Penn State students, and we're very proud of that." The merger with Dickinson will complete Penn State's "comprehensive system" which does not currently include a law school, Penn State President Graham Spanier said in a written release. Spanier said acquiring a law school for the Penn State system has been one one of his primary goals since assuming office. Although discussion about a merger with Dickinson has gone on for years, structured talks only began about six months ago. Even before the merger, however, the two institutions collaborated to offer a joint master's degree in Public Administration. In addition to the merger with Dickinson, plans are in place to authorize 14 of Penn State's 17 satellite campuses to grant baccalaureate degrees. "We are extremely pleased that Secretary Hickok has approved our plan to reorganize and improve our Commonwealth Education System," Spanier said in the release. "This will enable us to better serve the interests of the state and provide greater opportunities for students enrolled on our Commonwealth Campuses." Under the plan, the Abington campus will become Abington College, while the Berks and Allentown campuses will merge to form Berks-Lehigh Valley College. Also, the Schuylkill and Harrisburg campuses will merge to form Capital College and the Altoona campuses will become Altoona College. The other 12 campuses will become part of the new Commonwealth College, which will provide additional baccalaureate offerings. Penn State officials said the restructuring will "allow the University to function more effectively and provide its own students with the opportunity to complete their education at the Penn State campus of their choice."