Penn State trustees to meet Thursday, but no vote on campus closures expected

Penn State’s trustees will meet Thursday morning, but a decision on branch campus closures will not be made then, according to a university spokesman.

The board of trustees tentatively scheduled a public meeting Thursday to discuss President Neeli Bendapudi’s recommendation regarding the possible campus closures. University administrators in February announced that 12 out of Penn State’s 19 Commonwealth Campuses — including Beaver, Fayette, Greater Allegheny and New Kensington — could close after the 2026-27 school year because of declining enrollment, demographic shifts and finances.

As required, Penn State purchased a legal notice advertising the meeting, spokesman Wyatt DuBois said.

But, at the board of trustees meeting last week, the trustees requested additional time to discuss the Commonwealth Campus recommendation in executive session, DuBois said.

“With a full agenda for this regular May meeting, there was not enough time to fully discuss the recommendation,” DuBois said.

“Given the importance of this matter, board members expressed a desire to have more time to examine and discuss the recommendation, so the previously scheduled public meeting for May 15 was changed to an executive session.”

DuBois said that, after the Thursday meeting, more information will be released regarding the timing of the public meeting. It would need to be advertised at least three days in advance, he said.