After Internal Criticism, PSU Board of Trustees Adds New Member to Presidential Search Committee

Changes were made to the Penn State Presidential Selection Council Friday at the university’s Board of Trustees meeting. One new member was added to the council. 

Trustee William Oldsey was appointed to the committee by board Chair Keith Masser, bringing the number of council members to 13. Oldsey is an alumni-elected trustee and is a partner with the banking firm Atlas Advisors.

“[Oldsey] will help us continue this important process, as well as bring his wealth of experience to the table,” Masser says.

Board member Anthony Lubrano has previously raised questions about the make-up of the search committee, noting that only one alumni-elected board member was involved. With today’s action there are now two alumni-elected members on the committee.

Masser says the council hopes to finish the presidential selection process before current President Rodney Erickson plans to retire in June. The successor to Erickson was originally supposed to be announced before the November board meeting.

“The search is moving with positive momentum and we continue to do our work,” Masser says. “We are, and always have been, committed to finding the next great president of Penn State.”

Before the board meeting, however, a vocal critic of the activities of the board announced he will be running for a position on the board.

Former state Lt. Gov. Bob Jubelirer, who has already run unsuccessfully for a board seat, says he is completely committed to winning. 

Jubelirer says he wants to make the board subject to state sunshine laws through legislation, and that the board should be more open about its practices. Jubelirer also says he agrees with trustee Anthony Lubrano that more trustees should be involved in the presidential selection process, and not just a select few.

He will also be seeking an endorsement from PS4RS, and hopes to receive an endorsement from the Paterno family.

“I’m absolutely committed in every way possible to win this election,” Jubelirer says. “I’m a very hard worker and very competitive.”

Jubelirer says he will focus more on social media in his new campaign, something he says has been lacking of in the past.

Erickson did give a short report also Friday, saying that applications to the university have risen since last year.

“Undergraduate applications for summer-fall 2014 are up 16 percent overall,” Erickson says.

Erickson says these numbers include an 18 percent increase in baccalaureate applications to University Park and 12 percent for Penn State’s commonwealth campuses.

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