Pennsylvania Western University, Clarion, also known as PennWest Clarion, is a public university campus in Clarion, Pennsylvania. Part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), the institution was founded in 1867 and offers associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees, as well as certificate programs and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. History In 2021, PASSHE announced that, due to budget troubles resulting from declining enrollment and revenue, Clarion University would merge with Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and California University of Pennsylvania. On October 14, 2021, the state officially adopted the new name of the combined universities: Pennsylvania Western University, and began operations with a singular accreditation the following year. Student body In fall 2016, Clarion University's student body totaled 5,225 students, of which 4,330 were undergraduates and 895 of those were graduate students. Of these students, 35 percent live in university housing. The university's students are mostly female (66 percent), another 830 are minorities (16 percent) and 27 are international (.05 percent). Of the total number of students 4,624, or 88.5 percent, come from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Students come from 44 states, the District of Columbia and 11 countries around the world. Faculty and staff Clarion University has 294 faculty members and 451 administration and staff members. Other locations The university maintains a regional campus, Clarion University - Venango in Oil City, and a site in Pittsburgh at West Penn School of Nursing. Clarion also offers an extended studies program featuring online courses, remote sites, and various hybrid learning situations. Academics PennWest Clarion offers 175 degree and certificate programs through its three colleges and two schools, delivered on campus and online. Student groups Clarion University offers more than 130 student organizations including academic, athletic, Greek, political, multicultural, service, and other special interest groups. Athletics The PennWest Clarion Department of Athletics, which maintains the institution's pre-merger athletic branding as "Clarion", currently sponsors men's intercollegiate baseball, basketball, golf, football, swimming and diving, and wrestling along with women's intercollegiate basketball, softball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, track and field, volleyball and tennis. All sports compete in the NCAA Division II, except for wrestling which participates in NCAA Division I. The athletic director is Dr. Wendy Snodgrass. Notable former Golden Eagles include wrestling great Kurt Angle, a former Olympic gold medalist and national champion who went on to a successful professional wrestling career in WWE and Impact Wrestling; former UFC Champion