Commonwealth College to shut Clearfield campus
Commonwealth College of Pennsylvania is shutting down its campus in Clearfield, citing declining enrollment and monetary challenges, officers introduced in an announcement Tuesday.
Commonwealth College was fashioned in 2020 amid a consolidation effort that noticed Bloomsburg College, Lock Haven College and Mansfield College mix right into a single establishment. The small Clearfield website, which is able to shut following the 2026–27 tutorial 12 months, is considered one of 4 areas for the general public college, which is able to retain its bigger campuses in Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield.
Officers pointed to a median annual working deficit of greater than $1.6 million over the past 5 years with enrollment falling from 395 college students in fiscal 12 months 2019–20 to 177 within the fall semester.
“This determination was not made evenly however was obligatory to make sure Commonwealth College’s long-term sustainability as we adapt to satisfy each evolving instructional calls for and accreditation expectations,” college officers mentioned within the closure announcement. “The choice was based mostly on a complete assessment and evaluation of the operations in Clearfield, together with analysis of enrollment, tutorial array, bodily plant, monetary well being, and future sustainability.”
Whereas Clearfield has struggled with enrollment, officers famous within the announcement that head rely is up 13 p.c throughout the college for the reason that three establishments grew to become one.