New PennWest president reveals 'secret sauce' of W.Pa.'s second largest public university

Pennsylvania Western University’s new president had this to say Monday about the struggles preceding him to merge three century-and-a-half-old institutions with proud histories into one:

“Integration is really tough,” Jon Anderson said.

But the 50-year-old educator from Utah, who became PennWest’s chief executive on July 1, nonetheless is bullish on the future of what until two years ago were three institutions — California, Clarion and Edinboro universities.

In part, Anderson told TribLive, it’s because the commonwealth showed a surprising level of support to the State System of Higher Education. Pennsylvania has long ranked 48th or 49th among states in higher education aid, but its dollar support of the State System has jumped by a third in five years to $621 million.

His optimism also flows from PennWest itself — the second largest public university in Western Pennsylvania after the University of Pittsburgh, with a combined 500 years of history. It enrolls 11,305 students, yet comprises three intimate-sized campuses less overwhelming for students.

“That’s our secret sauce. That is the advantage that we have, because a student can come to a physical campus and not get lost,” said Anderson, hired away from Southern Utah University in Cedar City, where he was provost and vice president for academic affairs.

But it’s also true that PennWest has struggled to turn a corner on enrollment losses relative to the State System’s nine other member universities.

Asked about system data that shows three out of 10 — 30% — of students enrolling as freshmen during PennWest’s inaugural fall in 2022 did not return as sophomores, Anderson attributed it to stresses and strains of combining campuses. Only Cheyney University had a lower rate at 68%.

West Chester University had the highest freshman-to -sophomore persistence rate at 84%, followed by Slippery Rock University at 82%. Indiana University of Pennsylvania, another state-owned university in Western Pennsylvania, saw 71% of freshmen enrolling in fall 2022 return for a second year.

Anderson succeeds the school’s founding president, Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson, who relinquished the job in February 2023. R. Lorraine “Laurie” Bernotsky served as interim president before returning to West Chester University as its leader.

Anderson has experience with merged campuses earlier in his career.

Prior to joining SUU, Anderson was provost and vice president for academic affairs at Middle Georgia State University, which has five physical campuses and an online division. It went through a merger of its own.

Anderson also has held administrative positions at the University of West Georgia, where he was deputy provost and associate vice president, and at the University of Kentucky.

In 2022, when the State System created PennWest and also established Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania from Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield universities, some wondered if campuses would eventually close.

Anderson doesn’t see it.

“I am a firm believer in the role of public higher education in any state,” he said.

In a difficult student market, Anderson’s university benefits from six consecutive State System votes to freeze tuition at about $7,700 a year for in-state undergraduates — the same level it was in 2018-19. With room, board and other mandatory fees, the total yearly cost at PennWest is about $23,800.

PennWest poses a geographic challenge, with its three campuses hundreds of miles apart. There are multiple commencements, and sporting events from three athletic programs that a school president needs to attend. Anderson said it’s no problem.

“I love sports,” he quipped.

He and wife, Kristy, have chosen Clarion, 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, as their primary residence. He travels daily between Edinboro to the northwest, and California to the south.

The drives are a chance to conduct duties remotely, he said, though he also likes meeting people on the campuses face-to-face.

What does he do in his spare time?

“Faith and family,” he said. “My wife and I have seven kids. We’re expecting our seventh granddaughter right now. So almost all of our outside work life is focused on family and family time.

“But personally, I absolutely love to do anything outdoors. Love to hike. I love to mountain bike. I love to ski, anything in the mountains.”