Faculty Senate Committee Wants to Reshape Board of Trustees

A special committee from the Faculty Senate wants to give Penn State’s Board of Trustees a total makeover. The committee has released a document outlining numerous recommendations for reform. If those recommendations are accepted they would dramatically alter the Board’s current makeup.

The 61-page document outlines a number of areas for improvement. It calls for a smaller-sized board with more faculty representation. The proposal would also reduce the number of Board members selected by governmental and special interest groups. The report was posted online Monday by Faculty Senate President Larry Backer and was forwarded to all members of the Board of Trustees.

“The governance committee will look at it, we’ll weigh it against all the other recommendations that we have and then the board will decide,” BOT Chairman Keith Masser told the Patriot News. Critics, including Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner, have recommended changes to the Board in recent months, which includes significant overlap with the Faculty Senate’s report — specifically with the recommendation to create a smaller board from the current 32-member system.

The Board of Trustees expects to vote on some structural changes in May, although the extent of those changes is still unknown.

You can read the full report here: (Faculty Report)