‘Future is bright for PennWest’
New university president prepared to tackle challenges
Dr. Jon Anderson’s first order of business as the new president of Pennsylvania Western University is to vigorously promote the three campuses of California, Clarion and Edinboro.
That is key, he says, to addressing the formidable challenge he faces at all three PennWest campuses – a substantial decline in enrollment.
In fall 2023, 11,305 students attended the three campuses, reflecting an 11.5% drop from fall 2022.
“Enrollment across the country is a real challenge right now,” Anderson said Monday in an interview at the California campus. “PennWest is no different from those national trends. We have to get the story of PennWest out there. We have to help people see the transitional experiences students receive when they come to these campuses. We have to continue to deliver an experience to students that they’ll want to tell their friends about. If we do that, enrollment will take care of itself. We’re digging into every market, every partner we have to make sure we use the resources we have to spend on enrollment as wisely as possible.”
Anderson, 50, took over as president of PennWest on July 1, succeeding Dr. Lorraine “Laurie” Bernotsky, who had served as interim president since 2023.
He was previously provost and vice president of academic affairs at Southern Utah University, a regional institution with more than 15,000 students. Before that, he was provost and vice president for academic affairs at Middle Georgia State University, which has five physical campuses and online programs.
Anderson is originally from Utah, but spent most of his adult life in Georgia. He earned his doctorate in business administration/management from the University of Kentucky; masters in education from the University of West Georgia, and bachelor’s in sociology from Utah State University.
“It’s really important for us not to forget the purpose of a regional institution,” Anderson said. “If you look at the three campuses, they build up to be staples of communities they serve. That role is where I spent my entire career in higher education – regional institutions that provide a quality educational experience and elevate the communities they serve.”
Working with integrated campuses and the ability to spread resources to a greater number of students attracted Anderson to move across the country. He was also interested in returning to the Appalachian region.
“When this opportunity came up to live back in the Appalachian region and to work at an institution and for a system that is really forward thinking, creating the next version of what a regional comprehensive institution could look like, it was a thrilling opportunity,” Anderson said. “I think we have the ability, because we’re spreading administrative costs over a larger number of students, to deliver a student experience that is unparalleled.”
PennWest is one of 10 universities that falls under the umbrella of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). Recently, the PASSHE Board of Governors voted to freeze tuition rates for the seventh straight year.
“That requires really strong administrative acumen for people to use the resources in new and different ways to make sure the student experience is being strengthened with the few dollars available,” Anderson said of PASSHE. “They’re really creating a state-owned system of higher education that’s going to serve local communities. PASSHE has pulled a plan together that will really deliver for students.”
Anderson said he’s had a chance to meet several PennWest students and is impressed.
“Our students come from the communities we serve,” Anderson said. “There’s a huge likelihood, they’ll go back to the communities they came from. By helping bring them here and broadening minds, enhancing their skill set, creating these memories and relationships they’ll have forever, then sending them back to those communities, the taxpayers are getting the return they were hoping for.”
Anderson and his wife, Kristy, have seven children and seven granddaughters. Their youngest son, Bryce, 9, accompanied them on their move to Western Pennsylvania, and they will consider all three of the PennWest communities home. Anderson said he plans to spend time on each of the three campuses every week, depending on the needs of each.
“We like to say we’ve moved into all three,” Anderson said. “Our primary address for mailing and other purposes is the Clarion residence, but we stay in each of the residences in each campus every week.”
Anderson is excited about what lies ahead.
“This will be an institution that provides every bit of quality that each of the three campuses have known since they were created, but it will be expanded since students have access to the three campuses,” Anderson said. “They’ll have the ability to take many more classes than they used to, they’ll have access to many more faculty, access to many more collaborations. They will have the experience their parents and grandparents had, but will also have access to greater resources they haven’t had in the past.
“I would not have moved my family across the country if I did not firmly believe in the mission of PennWest – the mission that we can deliver on the quality education that students deserve. The future is bright for PennWest.”