As the new semester begins, the closing of seven Penn State Commonwealth towns and the Faculty Senate, which discussed the problems of personnel and admission, and new feedback initiatives this week.
Frantizek Mark, Penn State Hazleton Mathematics Professor and Chairman of the Faculty Senate, said some faculties and staff had already begun to leave their roles in the closing towns, causing more workload and stress to those who were closed in towns and even towns.
June The priority lease process prompted 11 employees and one faculty member found a new job.
“The processes have been developed and we have already seen that two months after this implementation has already been positive,” Mark said at Tuesday’s meeting. “It is not ideal because many more people leave than use this process, but it is definitely a positive development. More work needs to be done, but this is a promising start.”
There was also a bit of confusion about which campuses were closed, several people said during the meeting. President Neel Bendapiudi answered the question of how “too many people” do not know that cities like Brandywine, Greater Allegheny, Lehigh Valley and Scranton remain open.
Initially, twelve of the 20 Commonwealth towns were investigated to close until the list was narrowed to seven to close-Fayette, Dubois, Wilkes-Barre, Shenango, New Kensington, Mont Alto and York.
“There was an immediate dramatic fall in our admissions,” the question states, and another one repeated and said that the confusion about which towns were openly negatively affected the applications and admission to the towns.
Bendapudi stated that significant changes in Penn state had created a difficult environment. When the town tried to get information and advertisements that say, “We are here to stay”, Bendapudi said it was agreed with people, including some of the Faculty Senate leaders who said they were insensitive to campus cities that are closed and inappropriate.
“We are committed to all of our towns. I realize that it was a difficult news and that there was a fall to the reception. But I call you to watch – it’s not one -on -one because some towns are closed that it was a shrinking. It will be a demographic rock we’re talking about.” Benders.
Penn State President Neeli Bendapiudi speaks at the Faculty Senate meeting on Tuesday, 2025. September 9th.
The official number of university admission will not be publicly available only later in the fall.
When the university first announced that it would close some towns, he said that the remaining cities of the university would continue to invest in a long -term perspective. The Faculty Senator questioned how this investment would look like, and if there is any investment plan, how to change or transfer the faculty control line to university cities that will remain open. Sotiropoulos said these investments continue.
“This investment, by the way, I want to explain is not only financial … It is also a lot of time and effort and other resources to help these towns in a difficult environment,” he said and listed examples such as registration management strategy and student success initiative.
May The Board approved seven cities of the Commonwealth after 2027. Spring semester. The University faces challenges, including long -term demographic changes, declining registration, fixed public funding and increasing operating costs, which was under pressure from the university’s campus ecosystem, and the resolution to close the towns.
In a 143 -page university campus recommendations report, the University made a reason to close seven towns. Although the reasons for the campus vary in the campus, recurring issues included a decline in reception, poor finances and a minimal growth room. The latter may be competition between other schools, dismissal (eg near another town of PSU), Stoka Town Housing and Aging Home County.
University leadership said they would do everything they could to support employees in the affected towns who want to continue their career in Penn. The closing towns will not accept student candidates or transfers after this fall semester.
Penn State Faculty Senate, Administration begins a new feedback initiative
The University’s Road Map, which features information about Penn State towns and the future, is a new feedback page for providing teachers, staff and students to give their questions and comments on towns. The page is a partnership between the Faculty Senate and the New Executive Vice President and Provost Photo Sotiropoulos.
Those who provide a page can provide their contact information and submit their submission on a public bulletin board, or they can provide anonymously. The submission will be viewed and added to the frequently asked questions on the page and will help you inform you of future community updates – the permission of the university states.
Mark, chairman of the Faculty Senate, announced a new page at the Senate meeting of Tuesday’s Faculty.
He said it would be important for the chairman of the Faculty Senate to have access to the committee’s discussions and report to other committees to inform them.
“This joint effort is a very important step in ensuring that Commonwealth teachers, staff and students are listened to and see, and their contribution is considered. When choosing feedback transparently, we can include a wide range of prospects in the process and working with complex challenges,” Mark said during the meeting. “I am delighted that the Senate and the University cooperate in this way, as this strengthens our ability to approach these transitions in a thoughtful and engaging way.”