Integration: Soaring Higher Together

LHU Alumni Association

Dear Bald Eagles,

At LHU we soar higher. But soaring higher is more than just part of our brand—it’s the spirit upon which our University was built. Our Haven family is committed to lifting up our students, propelling them toward success, and in the process strengthening our region. That is why it is important to us that you know about the ongoing work toward the potential integration of Lock Haven, Bloomsburg, and Mansfield Universities.

Integration gives us the opportunity to infuse the values of our brand into a re-imagined vision of higher education in our region. By combining the scale and support of the three institutions’ services, we can offer career pathways for our students that we could not create individually and build stronger institutions with an expanded capacity to serve an increasingly diverse student population.

In the initial stages of a multi-year process, we are currently engaged in building an implementation plan that will be presented to the Board of Governors in April 2021 and followed by a public comment period through July 2021. That is what makes this a perfect time to provide you with a sense of what integration can mean for the LHU community, our students, and your alma mater.

WHAT DOES INTEGRATION MEAN FOR YOUR ALMA MATER?

We remain committed to maintaining the Lock Haven name, and honoring our identity, brand, and traditions, while opening the door to new opportunities that integration presents. At each of our institutions, the original University name will continue to appear on diplomas.

Haven Nation – more than 35,000 strong – will remain.

Integration does offer exciting opportunities to expand your network with nearly 100,000 new friends who share similar experiences and offer incredible professional connections and – together – valuable connections and opportunities for our students.

HOW WILL INTEGRATION AFFECT ALUMNI AND DONOR SUPPORT?

For alumni and donors of all three schools, integration serves as an opportunity for each campus to emerge stronger by leveraging each other’s strengths, increasing services offered, and broadening alumni engagement.

We are pursuing a structure that maintains local leadership, alumni associations, and foundations to keep you connected to the University and the LHU network first and foremost. As always, you can define, restrict, or expand the areas you wish to support financially, ensuring your contributions are directed and remain exactly where you intend. I am thankful to be personally involved in this process as we define our future together.

OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS

Pursing integration together, with our partner institutions, expands opportunities for future students, works to sustain an affordable education, and boldly innovates in support of student success and economic partnerships in our region and beyond. Integration focuses on delivering a quality education by maximizing student opportunities with enhanced program array, course selection, and internship/field placements.

Current & Future Students: Students enrolled at the beginning of the 2021 academic year or earlier are guaranteed to finish their degree on the campus where they began unless they choose otherwise. Students enrolling in 2022 can select the campus where they can maximize the program array’s advantages and customize their learning opportunities.

Student-Athletes: While we don’t know all the answers about what the future athletics programs will look like, we are pursuing a path with the NCAA to maintain complementary teams at each university. As you know, athletics programs are a valued aspect of our campus and student life, contributing to what we love most about the Bald Eagle experience.

NEXT STEPS

As we continue through this process, we commit to updating you as we reach key milestones and welcome your feedback. You will find regular updates in our monthly Alumni Newsletter. To gain insight into the integration process, please visit our integration page. Also linked on that page is the PASSHE Integration site, which houses the broadest level of information and answers to Frequently Asked Questions. I look forward to working together with our faculty and staff, students, administrators, partner schools, and you to incorporate the strengths of all three storied institutions and build one that is stronger together.

Sincerely

Joe Signature