Thursday, in a nearly two-hour conference by the Penn State Board of Trustees, members voted 25 to 8 in favor of closing 7 Penn State branch campuses, including Penn State New Kensington.
“I think it’s a big mistake,” said Alan Hooks of New Kensington.
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Reaction on the campus of Penn State New Kensington after the Penn State Board of Trustees voted to close the DuBois, Fayette, Mont Alto, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre, York and New Kensington campuses.
Dr. Becky Morrow, a professor at Penn State New Kensington, said, “This is really the only chance they get at a college education and that’s what breaks our hearts.”
Morrow teaches biology and forensic science at Penn State New Kensington.
She said, “The faculty were all together, we’re grieving for ourselves, but more so for the students to be honest. “
Penn State says its decision to close the branch campuses is based on data collected that shows enrollment declines and a projected decrease in PA’s college-aged population.
Neeli Bendapudi, President of Penn State University, said, “It is not for want of your extraordinary talent, commitment, or impact. This moment is not a reflection at all of any individual or campus.”
People who live in the area say the New Kensington campus has a history of helping local students start their careers here before eventually heading to the main campus.
Hooks said, “What price do you put on the education of the students of that community that the community needs somewhere for some of these people to start?”
PSU’s board of trustees gave their opinions before the vote, with several specifically fighting for New Ken.
Anthony Lubrano, PSU Board of Trustees, said, “Penn State must evolve to survive, Penn State New Kensington already has.”
The board has promised to lay out a detailed and specific transition plan for the campuses’ closing. They say there will be a two-year “wind down” period with Penn State New Kensington closing in the spring of 2027.
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