Pennsylvania State University's Board of Trustees approved the closure of seven Commonwealth Campuses in a vote aimed at addressing declining enrollment and financial difficulties. The decision, influenced by President Neeli Bendapudi, aims to minimize the impact on students by closing the campuses by spring 2027. While some trustees advocated for alternatives to closure, Bendapudi argued that keeping underperforming campuses open only perpetuates decline. The closures will affect around 3,200 students. Concerns were voiced about the long-term implications of these decisions on state funding and the university's commitment to serving diverse communities.
"We are subsidizing decline at the expense of growth," Bendapudi told the governing board Thursday ahead of the vote, arguing that "maintaining the status quo is not sustainable."
Nicholas Rowland, a professor of sociology at Penn State Altoona, stated that the university owed those campuses "more than closure," highlighting the implications of the decision.
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