STATE COLLEGE – Penn State University officials have developed a website to help the public follow the reconfiguration of finances and facililties after the decision to close Penn State Mont Alto and six other campuses, as concern and criticism over that decision continues to swirl.
The site can be found at https://roadmap.psu.edu/commonwealth-campuses-future/.
Tyra McGarvie, communications and news specialist for Penn State, referred questions to that site as well as a list of other resources that indicate Penn State lacks funds to adequately fulfill its mission without the closure of the seven campuses and also without additional state funding.
Analysis disagreement
The website begins with, “Following a comprehensive, data-informed strategic review, Penn State will close seven Commonwealth Campuses after the spring of the 2026-27 academic year, and continue long-term investment in 13 others, providing the best opportunity for future students to succeed in vibrant Penn State environments for years to come.”
Despite the university’s claim that the decisions were data driven, at least one Mont Alto parent has re-analyzed the data and found the university’s analysis lacking. Sheila Vieria, who holds a PhD in mechanical engineering, said the data indicates that both Mont Alto and York, based on population and youth projections, should remain open, while other campuses should close, if any need to be. She suggested the Penn State’s own data simply were not followed.
Penn State Faculty Alliance petition
Her findings support those of Penn State faculty members, more than 500 of whom submitted a petition the day before trustees’ May 22 vote, contending that additional data-driven analysis is needed. Their petition reads, in part:
“President Neeli Bendapudi’s administration and its fast-tracked plan to close multiple Commonwealth Campuses represent Penn State’s most significant employment crisis. Hundreds of faculty and staff – our colleagues – face uncertainty, job loss, and future displacement. These campuses are not just buildings under threat; they are workplaces, classrooms and communities that deliver a high-quality Penn State education across the Commonwealth.
“The administration’s narrative that campuses are financial drains is misleading and harmful. What was initially framed as a response to budget concerns is now, by President Bendapudi’s admission in a recent faculty senate plenary session, a decision not driven by cost savings. If that’s the case, then why close these campuses at all?
“Why not invest in them and strengthen their essential role in fulfilling Penn State’s land grant mission? These campuses are vital public institutions that provide access and opportunity for students of diverse backgrounds across the state. The dedicated employees who build supportive learning communities across our Commonwealth deserve dignity, transparency and fair treatment in return for their labor, not abandonment.
“There has been no analysis of this plan’s financial, educational, or community impact, raising many questions about the legitimacy of the administration’s ‘data-driven’ decisions. Faculty, staff, students and local communities have been left in the dark while decisions are made behind closed doors and at a reckless pace.
“Furthermore, there is no transparent or reasonable plan for how impacted faculty, staff, and students will be treated, leaving a door open for further unethical decisions to be made reactively…
“Many students attending our Commonwealth Campuses are from lower-income families or experience circumstances that make transitioning their education to University Park inaccessible. President Bendapudi’s administration appears to be breaking Penn State’s promise that students will be able to complete their degrees at their chosen campuses – a consequence of poor upfront planning and a lack of consultation, which has been a recurring theme throughout this entire process.”
The Alliance said they will form a union “to ensure all faculty are valued, respected, and heard on this issue, as well as issues like pay, benefits, job security, and other working conditions. We believe that faculty across every campus deserve a democratic voice in shaping the future of our university. We stand with the University Faculty Senate, which called for an immediate pause to the closure process pending a full data- and consultation-informed review. “
Faculty open letter
The Alliance referred as well to a faculty-authored Open Letter to the Board of Trustees, signed by 775 faculty members. In that April 21 letter, they thanked Penn State Trustees Jay Paterno and Ted Brown, along with their coauthors of the April 18th op-ed piece entitled “‘Abandoning Our Soul Should Not Be an Option.’ Closing Campuses Isn’t the Only Answer to Meeting Penn State’s Challenges.”
The Alliance asked other trustees to consider a primary question: when it comes to the fate of the commonwealth campuses, “Have all the viable alternative options and innovations been explored?”
“We believe, as they do, that the answer is a resounding no,” Alliance members said.
Penn State Faculty Senate
The Penn State Faculty Senate passed its report in April opposing the closure of commonwealth campuses and asked the university administration to pause the decision until an impact assessment can be conducted. Their report said it is not clear how closures will benefit student success, the process has moved too quickly and impacts on Penn State and the communities it serves have not been fully assessed.
“We’re also concerned that other options were not adequately considered, nor was there time for faculty senate committees to discuss and propose alternatives to closing campuses,” Douglas Edmonds, an assistant professor at Penn State Hazleton, said. The faculty senate passed the positional report, 97-62.
Seeking more state funds
The university also is seeking a $30 million boost from state coffers in the current legislative session to help equalize its state per-student support compared with other state institutions.
Penn State trustees, alumni
In their letter, Paterno, Brown and the other signers – Alice Pope, Penn State Trustee emeritus;
Randy Houston, former Penn State Trustee and President of the Penn State Alumni Association; and
Jeff Ballou, Former Penn State Alumni Association Council Member – said the data around the commonwealth campuses “suggest that we are losing roughly $40-$50 million per year operating them. That seems like a big number, but in an operation with a $10 billion budget that amounts to a 0.4% investment in the commonwealth. Not 4% but rather 4 tenths of 1 percent.
“At major universities across the country, they subsidize law schools or other units that lose money because they are investments. That 0.4% is an investment in the soul of Penn State and the heart of our land-grant mission to bring access to the university to people across the commonwealth. That 0.4% seems like a small price to pay for our soul.
Penn State Mont Alto alumns
.In the meantime, petition gatherers among Penn State Mont Alto continue their work, with the number at nearly 4,000. The petition can be found at https://www.change.org/p/support-penn-state-mont-alto
