Officials speak out on Penn State closures
By Christina Lengyel | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Public officials are reckoning with the announced closures of seven Penn State satellite campuses. The decision came from the school’s board of trustees in a 25-8 vote Thursday during a virtual meeting.
The university was moved to publish its full recommendation report earlier this month after the details were leaked to the press. The premature announcement led to uncertainty and speculation.
“I am truly sorry that our community is learning of the recommendation through media coverage, rather than hearing about it with additional context directly from me or the board,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi about the leak.
The campuses being closed include Penn State’s DuBois, Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre and York campuses. Per the report, they represent 3.6% of Penn State students, 3.4% of the University’s faculty and 2.2% of its total staff.
The closures won’t go into effect until after the 2026-2027 school year, and students will have opportunities to complete their degrees through other campuses, which include 13 remaining locations as well as its online World Campus; the Penn State College of Medicine; Penn State Dickinson Law; the Pennsylvania College of Technology; and a Penn State Extension presence in all 67 counties.
“I want to underscore that we have and are continuing to develop extensive transition plans to support all members of the Penn State community directly affected by these changes,” said Bendapudi. “Our environment has been changing and will continue to change, and we have to pivot for the future, but, make no mistake, the impact our students, faculty and staff have made has formed the foundation for an even greater Penn State.”
The closures highlight a shift in higher education across the state, in which student demand has dropped while costs have continued to rise.
In a press conference about his proposed investments in education at A. Philip Randolph Career and Technical High School in Philadelphia, Gov. Josh Shapiro was asked about the closures, for which he said his administration will provide the required oversight and approvals.
“I have confidence in the leadership at Penn State. They know they need to rightsize. They know they need to plan for the long-term future, and to do that, they needed to make these tough choices,” said Shapiro. “I also know that when a school like Penn State, a satellite campus, leaves a community, that can leave a big hole, and so my administration is committed to working with Penn State and those local affected communities to make sure they are taken care of going forward.”
Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, represents one of the districts that will be impacted by the closures.
“When it comes to the New Kensington campus, conversations will need to take place to ensure the launch box and digital foundry they have supported continue, and we figure out a path to make the property even more productive than it is now,” said Pittman.
Despite the loss, he said that it’s a necessary step, one Republicans in the commonwealth have been pointing toward in the face of the state’s colleges and universities’ ongoing struggles. The state-owned Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education has also gone through consolidations.
“The harsh reality is that higher education in general throughout Pennsylvania is greatly oversubscribed,” said Pittman. “We have too much physical plant in higher education to support the declining demographics that we are faced with, and there has also been a significant increase in the variety of job opportunities available that don’t necessarily comport with the deliverables of higher education in this state.”
To that end, legislators have emphasized creating more opportunities for career and technical education like what’s being offered at A. Philip Randolph to expand their opportunities beyond academia or even help to focus paths within higher education.
