Penn State to recommend the closing of Fayette County branch
Penn State Fayette will be one of seven campuses recommended for closure when Penn State University’s board of trustees meets behind closed doors Thursday, according to a report by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
State Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa said in a statement that she was “outraged” to learn the local campus could close, calling the plan “short-sighted, and a direct betrayal of its mission as a land-grant university.”
“While the university’s data shows a $40-50 million annual loss across Commonwealth campuses, that’s just 0.4% of its $10 billion budget. That’s not a reason to cut — it’s a reason to recommit to the people this institution was built to serve,” Krupa said.
In February, Penn State President president Neeli Bendapudi announced that some of the university’s 19 branch campuses would close at the end of the 2026-27 school year. Twelve, including Penn State Fayette, were on the list being considered for closure.
The Fayette County campus, located in Lemont Furnace, has had a significant drop in enrollment – from more than 1,000 students in 2010 to about 450 this fall.
Julio Palma Anda, a chemistry professor at Penn State Fayette and one of its two faculty senators, cited “massive budget cuts” over the past few years at the local campus as one reason for the decline.
“We lack the institutional support we need. I am confident that with stronger support from the university and improved enrollment numbers, we can better sustain and grow our campus,” he said.
Anda said he was disappointed to learn Penn State Fayette would be one of the campuses recommended for closure; however, Anda said he believes that no final decisions will be made when the PSU’s board of trustees meet in an executive session on Thursday.
“My understanding is that this Thursday there will not be a vote and that the board of trustees will be behind closed doors to discuss their plans but there will not be a vote on Thursday,” Anda said.
On Monday, David Kleppinger, chair of Penn State University’s board of trustees, said it was “disheartening” that the proposal was leaked in advance to the board vote.
“I find it deeply frustrating that someone with early access to this recommendation decided to share it with the media with absolutely no regard for how this information would impact members of our campus communities. Our students, faculty and staff deserve better,” Keppinger said.