Penn State pushes back planned DEIB town hall to April; announcement expected soon
A Penn State town hall focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging has been pushed back to April with the date expected to be announced in the near future, a university spokesperson confirmed.
University President Neeli Bendapudi outlined her “vision for the future” on Feb. 27, the same day the university released a promised dashboard related to DEIB. In separate news releases announcing the moves, the university referenced a virtual town hall planned for March to “discuss ongoing progress related to DEIB, including the new DEIB dashboard and updates from the special adviser for institutional equity.”
On Thursday afternoon, a university spokesperson confirmed to the CDT the town hall was still happening — just not in March.
“Faculty Senate was scheduled to occur on the same day as the proposed town hall, so the university needed to shift the date,” spokesman Wyatt DuBois said in an email. “It’s absolutely a priority and will be rescheduled shortly and shared with the community.”
A faculty senate meeting was most recently held Tuesday, with Bendapudi appearing virtually. The meeting was scheduled more than a year in advance.
Bendapudi last held a public universitywide town hall in November, one that was sparked by backlash from her decision to not fund the Center for Racial Justice.
