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. Closures will impact hundreds of Penn State workers, including those at campuses that remain open—employees from other locations may be relocated in ways that displace those at “safe” locations.
Our students are already experiencing the fallout through undermined degree programs caused by faculty and staff departures and the deepening sense of uncertainty and anxiety across the university. 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.
We, the Penn State Faculty Alliance, are organizing 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. We also refer our colleagues and the public to the powerful faculty-authored Open Letter to the Board of Trustees. A union is more than just contracts; it is a vehicle for shared governance, workplace justice, and the defense of our public higher education.
We believe in one Penn State for all campuses, all employees, all students, and all communities. We call on Penn State University’s administration to:
- Stop the campus closure process immediately;
- Conduct a full analysis and consultation to identify opportunities for investment in the campuses;
- Commit to transparency and involve employees and communities in meaningful decision-making;
- Treat all university employees with dignity and respect.
If you share this belief and stand in solidarity with Penn State’s faculty and staff, please sign this petition to add your voice to the call for fairness, dignity, and transparency.
This letter was drafted by the Penn State Faculty Alliance and signed by the following organizations, faculty, students, staff, and community members.