With the election for Penn State’s Board of Trustees just days away, rising temperatures in the rhetoric surrounding the issues and the candidates seems to be nearing the boiling point.
There are ads, online commentary, letters to the editor and even billboards about the candidates. It’s unprecedented in a university trustee election. We have statements from former athletes, endorsements by sitting trustees and even a “primary election” held by a special interest group recommending the candidates for whom we should cast our votes.
In the meantime, students continue to learn and faculty continues to teach. Scholars continue with their research and outreach. We have national championship sports teams, unparalleled contributions to charities and social issues such as those fighting pediatric cancer, and Penn State students and alumni making a difference across the world in health, business, engineering, science, agriculture and yes, recreation and tourism.
Many have said that the Sandusky scandal is not Penn State. If that is true, the election of the people who oversee the future direction of our beloved university should not be based on one issue.
For those of us who live and work in Central PA, it sometimes seems that the scandal, the legal ramifications, the NCAA sanctions and subsequently the BOT election is a top priority. In reality, even though a significant number of Penn Staters report they are following the events at Penn State closely (PSU Alumni Association survey December 2012), a relative few step forward to vote in the BOT election.
As is true with contentious elections for public officials or big races such as the presidential election, when there is an emotional issue at hand, the percentage of voters increases. For the most part, however, Americans generally take for granted our ability to have a voice.
Penn State Board of Trustee elections are no different. Historically, the election of the trustees has garnered little attention from the alumni base. A university with approximately 560,000 living alumni and 169,000 Alumni Association members might typically see around 12,000 people participate in the Board of Trustees election. In 2012, the number of votes overall jumped to 37,500, no doubt in response to what some perceived as “culture” issues on our campus.
Voting demographics show that the greatest number of trustee ballots are cast in PA and of those, most come from Centre County. Because it’s here and in the local news, our egocentrism lets us believe that all Penn Staters are keeping close watch.
Sadly, even with the Sandusky scandal putting the spotlight on their alma mater, less than 10% of those who have either attended or completed their degrees at Penn State were motivated enough to cast a vote in the last trustees election. In other words, out of sight out of mind.
There are plenty of issues facing our university.
First, is the search for a president. The challenge of finding a leader who can take Penn State on the next leg of the post-scandal journey should not be minimized. The president is the face of the university and his or her leadership qualities, integrity, ability to interpret the mission, and the savvy to interface with the many internal and external forces that shape the university will define our future.
Next is the rising cost of tuition. At the same time families are suffering because of the sputtering the economy, tuition is eating up an increasing part of take home income. The cost of annual tuition, room and board and related fees at Penn State for 2013-2014 is estimated at $27,200 for in-state students.
As tuition increases, the demand for scholarships, grants and aid increases. Funding for those items are not keeping pace either in availability or in concert with inflation. Helping students pay for their education at Penn State needs to be a focus.
With an institution the size of Penn State and because of the variety of things that we do –- education, housing, offices, research laboratories, recreation –- our facilities, technology and other physical plant concerns are a constant. Designing, maintaining and upgrading the environment in which we do business will always need to be a focus of our administration.
They way we deliver education is changing. Our university needs to jump ahead of the curve. Accessible online courses and degree programs, the impact of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and an evolving market place that is putting greater weight on technical and global-friendly skills means universities will have to change.
Budget constraints. Town and Gown relations. The future of our campuses. The pending unfunded retirement mandates. Selecting the men and women who will direct Penn State in the face of tough economic times, competition, public demand and government oversight and reduced support extends beyond the football program.
Some will argue that until the events surrounding the scandal are resolved and the key players and decision makers involved are gone, the other issues don’t matter. They will argue that the other issues are secondary. Many will say that Penn State can’t move forward until our past is behind us.
As a faculty member, Penn State Mom and as an alumna, I think our university is bigger than that. We need to identify leaders who are qualified and ready to face the challenges in our recent past and in our future. Read the candidate’s position statements and their views on all of the challenges facing Penn State. We need to make sure we aren’t casting “one issue” votes.
