Meredith Carter, a senior at Penn State New Kensington, strongly believes there’s a disconnect between Penn State decision makers in State College and students at its branch campuses.
Carter was among roughly 40 students, professors and community members who attended a rally Friday at the Upper Burrell campus advocating against the closure of Penn State New Kensington.
“A lot of people at University Park think we want to go up there,” said Carter, 21, who graduates from PSNK next month with degrees in biobehavioral health and psychology. “But in reality, a lot of us don’t want that. We want to stay in these communities.”
The small campus environment at Penn State New Kensington, she said, was a better fit for her than attending the main campus would have been.
“In my opinion, it’s much better for my needs,” said Carter, of Penn Hills. “I like getting to know my professors and the smaller class sizes.
“I think Penn State is claiming to be a land-grant university, but at the same time is not upholding that by this quick fix.”
Twelve Penn State branch campuses — including Beaver, Greater Allegheny, Fayette and New Kensington — are at risk of closure because of declining enrollment and finances, Penn State administrators say.
No campus would close before the 2026-27 academic year.
Administration intends to announce which campuses will close next month.
Those who spoke Friday in the Penn State New Kensington gym said Penn State New Kensington, as well as the university’s other branch campuses, underscored the affordability and accessibility of the colleges, especially for students in rural communities.
Penn State Fayette, for example, is the only college that offers four-year degrees in Fayette and Somerset counties.
According to Penn State’s website, 47% of students at PSNK are first-generation college students.
And, according to an open letter from PSNK professors, the number of Pell Grant recipients at branch campuses can reach 50%; at the main campus at University Park, that number is below 15%.
New Kensington math professor Kristen Pueschel pointed to a recent op-ed by trustees Jay Paterno and Ted Brown advocating against the closures and criticizing the current process.
“We’re standing together and calling for more time to make this decision, and to reaffirm the importance of our campus,” Pueschel said.
Elected officials attending the rally included Upper Burrell supervisors Ross G. Walker III and Kenneth Slahtovsky, and state Rep. Jill Cooper, R-Murrysville.
Cooper said she has a House resolution urging Penn State to be transparent with its closure decisions. The legislation’s co-sponsors include house Republicans and Democrats in districts where Penn State branch campuses are located.
That resolution, according to Cooper, calls for a process that would ensure people have access to the data and criteria being used to evaluate the campuses, provide opportunity for affected communities to participate in the decision-making process, demonstrate how educational access will be maintained in those communities and develop transition plans to minimize harm to students, employees and local economies.