Should Penn State tell incoming freshmen that the university is not closing commonwealth campuses? Should families know that these 20 institutions are still functioning and offering classes and degree pathways?
Those questions were posed to Tracy Langkilde, Penn State’s interim provost, during a lengthy meeting of the University Faculty Senate, a body of elected faculty members who have legislative authority over the university’s educational interests.
Ms. Langkilde, like other Penn State officials, provided an uncertain answer about the future of the financially hurting satellite campuses.
“I don't think we can ever say we are never going to close anything, especially given the closures that are happening around our commonwealth,” Ms. Langkilde said. “But we are working on messaging so that our students and families can understand what the situation is. I think leaving voids of information makes people really worried.”
The vagueness of Ms. Langkilde’s response likely intensified the angst felt by branch campus professors who are concerned about their jobs and students. Over the past six months, the campuses have dealt with buyouts, leadership consolidations and a plan to cut $54 million in their funding as Penn State officials try to manage enrollment and financial difficulties.
During Wednesday’s two-hour Faculty Senate meeting, university officials listened to senators’ questions, empathized with them and provided information when possible. But uncertainty still permeated the Zoom call.
The meeting followed Penn State’s announcement Tuesday that it would consolidate the leadership at 11 commonwealth campuses, including five in Western Pennsylvania, in an effort to reduce administrative costs. Also on Tuesday, the university shared that one in 10 commonwealth campuses employees had opted for a buyout offered to tenure-line faculty and full-time staff in May.
On Wednesday, officials offered new estimates of tenure-line professors who took the voluntary separation package at each of the campuses.
In Western Pennsylvania, 5% to 10% of eligible faculty will leave the Greater Allegheny, New Kensington, Beaver, Fayette, Shenango and Behrend campuses this year. More specific numbers will be provided in July.
But because much remains unknown about the future of the campuses, senators are concerned for their colleagues, the campuses and the academic structure of the university, said Michele Stine, chair of the Faculty Senate, at the beginning of Wednesday’s meeting.
“Something that really struck me that someone said today… and I think echoes how all of us feel: We fear this. And we wonder if we're in good hands,” Ms. Stine said. “I think that is the heart of what it is we're talking about today. We're afraid.”
Several professors questioned how their campuses will change after the leadership restructure that will take effect July 1.
Agnes Kim, a physics professor at Penn State Scranton, which will be impacted by the restructure, said she was concerned that by introducing new chancellors to some campuses, those campuses would lack a leader who could see whether things were “falling apart” as a result of the buyouts.
“The chancellor of a campus would be the person who would [say], ‘I know exactly what this person did, and now they're gone, so I know exactly what is going to be needed,’” Ms. Kim said. “This frightening thought occurred to me: Do we still have somebody who can identify these things and communicate them?”
And others worried that commonwealth campus employees could be overworked as colleagues departed in the upcoming months.
To address this, Keith Shapiro, an art professor at University Park, moved to form a special senate committee to investigate how budgetary and employment changes will impact the campuses’ ability to offer curriculum and programs. The motion passed.
“The senate has a lot of work to do going forward in a very, very challenging environment,” Mr. Shapiro said. “We’re going to need some mechanisms to get ahead of the eight ball.”
First Published: June 13, 2024, 1:32 a.m.
Updated: June 13, 2024, 9:41 a.m.
