Apr 25, 2025 4 min read

News of Penn State Fayette’s fate and that of the other 11 campuses slated for potential closure will not come until after graduation.

Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi announced the delay in a statement Thursday.

In her original February letter announcing the intent to close some campuses, she said she expected the final decision would come before spring commencement.

After consulting with students, faculty and staff, she said, her team had recommended holding off to avoid conflicting with the ceremony and final exams.

“I know this delay may bring mixed emotions – relief for some, renewed frustration for others,” she said in Thursday’s statement. “Please know that this decision reflects our belief that you deserve both clarity and compassion. Thank you for your continued patience and commitment to Penn State and each other. We are navigating this moment together — and we will move forward as well.”

Penn State Fayette assistant professor of chemistry Julio Palma, also a representative on the university’s faculty Senate, called the move another example of bad planning, bad communication and lack of transparency on the part of the university.

“They said one thing that they committed weeks ago to do, now they change it,” he said. “Absolutely disrespectful towards the staff, students and faculty, the way they communicate. Very disrespectful, not surprising.”

Since the closures, he said, the local community had provided support. A meeting organized by the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce and the Penn State Faculty Advisory Board drew an audience of around 100 people, including around 80 in person, Palma said.

As a university senator, Palma said, he also continues to emphasize the importance of the campuses to the students and the surrounding local communities.

“We are the only land grant mission university of the state of Pennsylvania, and we receive tax dollars from our taxpayers, which include taxpayers from Fayette County,” he said. “So that is a betrayal to that.”

Fayette was one of 12 Penn State campuses Bendapudi announced in February were being targeted to close after the 2026-27 school year.

In a March update, the three-administrator group tasked with making the recommendations elaborated on what factors they’re considering. Those include enrollment declines, population declines in many rural counties, and looking at ways other state universities handle their land-grant mission — such as fewer, larger campuses, extension services and partnerships to provide education at scale.

Bendapudi said the university Board of Trustees would meet in mid-May to vote on her recommendations. That meeting will be publicized ahead of time, and people will be advised on how to observe the meeting, she said. The results would be communicated quickly to the university, she said, and the university would provide in-person and online opportunities for questions and support.

In a joint op-ed published Friday at statecollege.com, four members of the board — Jay Paterno, Ted Brown, Alice Pope and Randy Huston — along with board candidate Jeff Ballou called for the university to give the campuses more time to come up with solutions, such as regional health hubs or partnerships with industry.

After sharp population losses, enrollment had stabilized over the past couple of years, they said. The financial losses brought on by the 12 branches amounted to 0.4% of the university’s budget, which the writers said was a “small price to pay for our soul.”

Palma said their points echoed the arguments he’s been making for years.

“Closing campuses is a lazy and easy way out, but it’s not innovation, it’s not transformation,” he said. “It was refreshing to see that there are some members of the board of trustees that are so supportive of the campuses.”