What one of Penn State’s ‘wisest’ moves of the coronavirus was — and other BOT meeting highlights
As Penn State President Eric Barron looked back Friday on how the university reacted to the global pandemic, he pointed to one step he felt was “one of the wisest” — and supporters like Jay Paterno couldn’t help but agree.
On March 11, during spring break, the university announced that all classes would start taking place remotely that following Monday. Had that decision not been made, Barron said Friday during his presentation to the board of trustees, both Centre County and the university could be in a very different position right now.
“They would’ve been told to head home within about three days,” Barron said, referring to students. “... To imagine all those students having to leave or stay in place, three days later, it would have truly been a nightmare.”
Barron acknowledged, had students been told to return to campus after spring break, such a move could’ve easily become a “super-spreader event.”
Instead, Centre County was among the 24 counties in Pennsylvania to partially reopen Friday. The county now has just 117 cases of COVID-19, with the immediate area surrounding the university — ZIP codes 16801, 16802 and 16803 — combining for 43 cases.
Trustee Jay Paterno also applauded the Penn State president for the move during spring break.
“As somebody who lives in the community and is dependent upon the healthcare system here, you made the right call,” Paterno said Friday. “You were ahead of the curve on that. The university leadership should be commended for that.”
According to the state’s hospital preparedness dashboard, Centre County has no ventilators in use and boasts nearly 90 available hospital beds (15 ICU, 42 medical/surgical, 31 airborne isolation).
Reduced summer tuition is official
The university first proposed the idea of reduced summer tuition in mid-April, but the board of trustees unanimously passed it Friday.
The changes mean a typical in-state underclassman at University Park will save about 23%, or $171, per credit. A non-resident will save about 34%, or $501, per credit. (In those specific examples, in-state residents will now pay $576 per credit while those out-of-state will pay $957.)
Trustees were twice asked — during a committee meeting Thursday and the BOT meeting Friday — whether any other Big Ten schools are offering similar discounts. It is believed that Penn State is the only one.
Application rates remain steady
Total undergraduate applications for summer/fall 2020 are at 100,519 — which is just a fraction smaller (0.3%) compared to last year, which saw an “enormous increase,” per Barron.
“This is a very healthy number of applications,” Barron added.
Paid accepts are down 6.8%, but the deadline for submitting deposits has been extended one month to June 1 due to financial concerns surrounding the coronavirus. If just 1,200 students of the 5,800 who requested the extension actually take it, that would erase any decrease.
Overall, international applications are down 11%, out-of-state applications are up 5%, and in-state applications are down 4% compared to this time last year.
$100K donation for students
Ed and Helen Hintz, Penn State’s 2016 Philanthropists of the Year, recently donated $100,000 to the university’s student emergency fund.
According to the university, gifts to the Student Care & Advocacy Emergency Fund will be made available “to students in financial need across the commonwealth who apply for emergency assistance.” Typically, students are awarded no more than $1,000.
Naming the new art museum
The new art museum, which will eventually be constructed near the Arboretum, finally has a new name. Well, old name.
Penn State’s current art museum is now called the “Palmer Museum of Art.” The new museum, which boasts about twice the exhibit space, will be called ... the “Palmer Museum of Art.”
The Palmers have donated more than $50 million, and the new museum is expected to be the largest art museum between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
“This is a celebration of philanthropy and gifts to the university, and the decision on the construction does come later,” Barron added.
BOT elections
Six trustees were appointed or elected Friday, but only one is “new.”
The three alumni-elected trustees are Alice Pope, Jay Paterno and Anthony Lubrano. Pope and Paterno were re-elected, while Lubrano will serve again after taking a two-year hiatus. The three beat out Jeffrey Ballou, news editor of Al Jazeera English.
Their three-year terms will start July 1.
Others chosen include Mark Dambly (Business and Industry), who’s served since 2010; Walter Rakowich (Business and Industry), who’s been there since 2014, and Matthew Schuyler (At-large), who’s served the last five years.
Faculty awards
Since 1960, just 75 individuals have received the title of “Evan Pugh Professor” — which is the “highest honor that can be bestowed by the university on its faculty,” Barron said. And, this year, two professors have earned it.
The first was Susan Trolier-McKinstry of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Last year, she was named to the National Academy of Engineering, and her work is internationally recognized. The other was Penny Kris-Etherton from the College of Health and Human Development Department of Nutritional Sciences. She’s the chair of the Lifestyle Council for the American Heart Association.
The Penn State Laureate is Penn State Harrisburg’s David S. Witwer, a professor of American studies from the School of Humanities.
This story was originally published May 8, 2020 at 6:28 PM.
