UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State leaders hosted a virtual town hall on Dec. 9 to outline emerging elements of a future-focused strategy for the Commonwealth Campuses and discuss the ongoing transition and support for campuses scheduled to close after the spring 2027 semester. During the hourlong event, leaders reflected on themes from fall visits to campuses and answered questions from faculty, staff and students.
“We have the scale, we have the excellence, we have the breadth of talent and we have an ambition worthy of our land-grant mission,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos in his opening remarks. “And these strengths position us not only to adapt, but to lead – to emerge as a model land-grant university for this new era.”
The town hall was part of a series of fall leadership conversations, following the State of State update on Oct. 30 and the research town hall on Nov. 4, each creating an opportunity to engage the University community around institutional priorities and the path forward.
The Commonwealth Campuses event drew more than 1,600 livestream viewers from across the University and featured a moderated question-and-answer session with a panel that included Sotiropoulos; Renata Engel, vice president for Commonwealth Campuses and executive chancellor; Kathy Bieschke, senior vice provost and interim dean of Undergraduate Education; and Jennifer Wilkes, vice president for Human Resources and chief human resources officer.
Engel emphasized that the conversations she and other leaders have had with students, faculty, staff and community members across the Commonwealth are directly shaping the work ahead. She noted that her visits alongside Sotiropoulos to the campuses this fall have reinforced the need for planning and decisions to remain grounded in student needs.
Also joining the town hall discussion and responding to questions were Matt Melvin, vice president for Enrollment Management; Sara Thorndike, senior vice president for Finance and Business and chief financial officer; and Mike Stefan, vice president for Government and Community Relations. They participated alongside the in-room audience of campus chancellors, chief academic officers and financial officers gathered at University Park.
Broad themes that emerged over the course of the town hall conversation included:
- Positioning student success as the strategic foundation for the future, emphasizing areas such as retention, graduation rates, affordability and closing equity gaps.
- Aligning academic programs with student and workforce demand through the Academic Portfolio and Program Review process, using data to inform actions, focusing resources on career-aligned offerings and reducing unnecessary duplication.
- Supporting both ongoing transitions and the long-term strength of the Commonwealth Campuses by enhancing academic programs, strengthening student-support structures and advancing partnerships that connect campuses to community and workforce needs.
- Facilitating individualized degree-completion planning and enhanced flexibility for students at closing campuses by using new advising tools, adjusting processes and tuition-support mechanisms to help students stay on track to earn their Penn State degrees.
- Maintaining operational stability during campus transitions by closely monitoring for gaps, adjusting quickly to emerging needs and sustaining essential services through expedited hiring and redeployment of staff.
Engel closed the town hall by emphasizing the importance of continued engagement across the Commonwealth Campuses. "I look forward to more conversations and, most importantly, to action beyond today's conversations. We'll get to work, and we'll do great things together," she said.
For additional information, resources and answers to frequently asked questions visit the Commonwealth Campuses Future section of the Road Map website.