Penn State’s Board of Trustees was originally scheduled to meet Friday, but all indications are that they will now meet Wednesday morning.
In the meeting, it is expected the future of Penn State president Graham Spanier as well as the future of football coach Joe Paterno will be reviewed. ESPN had mentioned Wednesday through various outlets that former Pennsylvania Governor and United States Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge is a possibility to replace Spanier as the university president.
A move to insert Ridge would be seen as a giving the school a clean slate, as Ridge has no educational or administrative ties to Penn State other than his previous relationship with the school as governor. Ridge attended the Dickinson School of Law, earning a degree in 1972. At the time there was no association between the law school and Penn State. Penn State merged with the law school in 1997.
As for Paterno, it will be an interesting decision. There are plenty of reports that suggest his support within the Board of Trustees has weakened, but just how much has it diminished?
There are 48 members on the Board of Trustees, with 10 positions appointed directly by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and includes Governor Tom Corbett and Spanier. If the state is to have any influence they will officially count for less than a quarter of the voting panel, although it is unlikely the representatives appointed by the state would differ from the rest of the board.
If a decision is made to part ways with Paterno, then it could be made during these meetings. Whether or not the decision is released will be another story. If this is considered an emergency meeting we may never learn the official discussions behind closed doors. There are a few ways this could play out, ranging from the extreme of terminating Paterno’s contract as soon as today to allowing him to coach through the remainder of the season.
Late Tuesday night, the Board of Trustees released a statement to address the scandal that has rocked Penn State. Here is that full release:
The Board of Trustees of The Pennsylvania State University is outraged by the horrifying details contained in the Grand Jury Report. As parents, alumni and members of the Penn State Community, our hearts go out to all of those impacted by these terrible events, especially the tragedies involving children and their families. We cannot begin to express the combination of sorrow and anger that we feel about the allegations surrounding Jerry Sandusky. We hear those of you who feel betrayed and we want to assure all of you that the Board will take swift, decisive action.
At its regular meeting on Friday, November 11, 2011, the Board will appoint a Special Committee, members of which are currently being identified, to undertake a full and complete investigation of the circumstances that gave rise to the Grand Jury Report. This Special Committee will be commissioned to determine what failures occurred, who is responsible and what measures are necessary to insure that this never happens at our University again and that those responsible are held fully accountable. The Special Committee will have whatever resources are necessary to thoroughly fulfill its charge, including independent counsel and investigative teams, and there will be no restrictions placed on its scope or activities. Upon the completion of this investigation, a complete report will be presented at a future public session of the Board of Trustees.
Penn State has always striven for honesty, integrity and the highest moral standards in all of its programs. We will not tolerate any violation of these principles. We educate over 95,000 students every year and we take this responsibility very seriously. We are dedicated to protecting those who are placed in our care. We promise you that we are committed to restoring public trust in the University.
Follow Kevin McGuire’s Penn State coverage on Twitter.
