PITTSBURGH (TNS) — A day after receiving a historic appropriation boost in Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed Commonwealth budget, the head of Pennsylvania’s 14 state universities drew legislative praise for keeping campus reforms on track but also heated questions over lost academic majors.

Both occurred during a joint hearing before the state House Appropriations and Education committees Wednesday — the latest update mandated under Act 50 of 2020, which allowed for campus mergers.

State System Chancellor Daniel Greenstein testified that the Middle States Commission for Higher Education is to meet in mid-March on the proposed merger of six system campuses, with a preliminary decision likely in April. The mergers include California, Clarion and Edinboro universities in the west and Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield universities in the northeast.

Greenstein said campus fundraising, a gauge of community support, has not been adversely impacted by the controversial mergers, and he received praise from members including Rep. Curt Sonney, R-Erie, for keeping the changes on schedule.

”Clarion, in the face of integration last year, had its best-ever fundraising year,” Greenstein said. “Bloomsburg, similar. Fundraising proceeds apace.

”We’re not Harvard in terms of endowment,” he quipped. “But we’re getting there.”

The chancellor said early signs hint at an enrollment rebound for the fall but also said much can change. System enrollment stood at nearly 120,000 in 2010 but has since fallen to approximately 89,000 students.

Unease over degree program cuts, though, made for contentious moments during the 90-minute hearing.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently reported on the likely demise of physics, philosophy and music as majors on specific campuses being merged. Those lost majors drew sharp questions from legislators, including a testy exchange between Greenstein and state Rep. Peter Schweyer, D-Allentown.

”During the consolidation, I kept hearing over and over and over again, about the fact that this is going to somehow, someway enhance and increase the number of educational opportunities that our students have,” Schweyer told the chancellor.

Given programs being eliminated, Schweyer said, “That doesn’t jibe.”

In response, Greenstein pointed to individual campus examples from the west. California University of Pennsylvania, he said, offered 110 programs in 2018. It would need to cut those to 60 on its own, but under the mergers, it will offer 100 — a decline of 10.

Clarion, which offered 80 programs, would have to cut those in half to 40, but as a merged entity, students will have access to 100 programs — a net gain.

”When I am talking about student access to opportunity, that is what I am talking about,” Greenstein said. “If they’re standing on their own, they (universities) can only afford the number of programs they can enroll students into. As they get smaller on their own, their program footprint shrinks.”

Schweyer said the chancellor for the last two years raised the specter of closing universities but never suggested mergers would mean fewer majors. He said physics was a particularly troubling example.

”Never once in all of the hearings that we ever had, did any member of this General Assembly hear that physics may not be a major being offered at state-owned universities. Never.”

”I just don’t understand it,” Schweyer added.

”I just don’t accept the fact that we are going to have fewer opportunities,” Greenstein responded. “We are going to have more than we would otherwise be able to afford. If we want physics standing up face to face on every single campus, I need to go back and rewrite the budget ask.”

”Or, we could charge students. Should we do that?” Greenstein shot back. “We’re already at $23,000 (total attendance cost.) Where would you like us to find the resources?”

These are your universities, so the question is really for you: Are you, as a collective, interested in ensuring that each one of our universities has the full spate of liberal arts, science and applied courses? Harvard doesn’t do that. Just saying.”

Schweyer suggested the answer did not address his question, which is what the Legislature was led to believe would be the result of turning six universities into two.

”All due respect,” Schweyer said. “What I would have liked from you was a consistent message other than, ‘We could close a couple universities” if mergers are not approved.

”You have had that, sir,” Greenstein said.

”OK, again. We’ll agree to disagree,” Schweyer said.

State System leaders sought a historic boost in Wolf’s proposed state budget to $550 million for 2022-23. He included that and more, a proposed $552 million amount, plus millions more for endeavors including direct-to-student financial aid, almost 16% above the current $477 million appropriations.

Among other outcomes, the increase would enable the State System would to freeze tuition for an unprecedented fourth year, Greenstein said.

Tuition at $7,716 a year for in-state students is the least expensive university option in the Commonwealth. But with room board and other fees, costs are pricing low- and middle-income students out of the market.

Officials including Mr. Greenstein had linked high campus prices with the state’s ranking near the bottom among states in support of higher education — 47th out of 50 states.