NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. — A campus community is fighting for its survival as Penn State debates the future of its branch campuses.
A group of Penn State New Kensington students, alumni and other supporters gathered on campus on Friday.
They said the decision to close some of the 12 smallest branch campuses is happening too fast and that it’s too final.
Because of rain, several dozen Penn State New Kensington students and supporters held the rally to save their school inside the gym.
Zaine Iusi is a freshman at Penn State New Kensington. He is studying aerospace engineering.
He plans to go to Penn State’s main campus for his junior and senior years but he said he could not afford to go there for all four years and di not want to be too far from home.
“I like spending time with my family and can’t do that if I’m halfway across the state, or for some people, states away,” Iusi said.
Penn State announced earlier this year that it plans to close some of its campuses because of declining enrollment and other financial reasons.
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State Representative Jill Cooper said it is happening too fast.
“I expressed to leadership that I felt the process could have been done better,” Cooper said.
Even though state lawmakers do not have control over which campuses, if any, will close, Cooper has been working across the aisle to put some pressure on university leadership to rethink their decision.
“I think it would be very devastating to us here. Like I said, it’s been a part of the economic growth and revitalization of New Kensington but it’s still is, to me, something that will be hurtful and be felt for a long time here,” Cooper said.
The decision on which branch campuses will close is expected sometime next month.
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