Erickson, Sims to Meet with Students Monday; PSU Board Leaders to Address Faculty Senate Soon

Penn State leaders will continue meeting with constituents in conversational settings this month and in March, the university reported.

The next such session is slated for 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday, when university President Rodney Erickson and Vice President for Student Affairs Damon Sims will hold a casual conversation with students. That event, to be held in the Hintz Family Alumni Session, will be the second of three student-oriented conversations with the administrators.

It will be open to all Penn State students, an ‘opportunity for (them) to have a direct discussion with members of Penn State’s administration in a relaxed and comfortable environment,’ a news release reads.

Meanwhile, new Penn State board Chairwoman Karen Peetz and Vice Chairman Keith Masser are scheduled to attend the university Faculty Senate meeting on March 13. There, they’ll address the group and take questions from members, the university reported.

Peetz and Masser succeeded Steve Garban and John Surma as board chair and vice chair, respectively, in January.

‘We are eager to listen, receptive to new ideas and welcome more openness and communication among the president, the board, the Faculty Senate and the faculty in general,’ Peetz said in a news release. ‘We are discussing plans for additional meetings with students and alumni, as part of our commitment to open dialogue with a variety of university groups.’

Earlier this month, according to the university, some Penn State board members met with the university Staff Advisory Council, the Faculty Advisory Committee, the Academic Leadership Council and the President’s Council, among other campus groups. The board’s meetings in January included sessions with student leaders from across the university system.

‘The information we are gathering is critical to formulating our plans for the future,’ Peetz said in the news release.

A board retreat on Feb. 18 and 19 included conversation about the trustees’ future operating structure, the university reported. No decisions were made at that point, however.

Related coverage

• StateCollege.com’s Penn State news page