In January 2010, she was recruited to come to Penn State as the University's first general counsel, establish the Office of General Counsel and assist in recruiting a permanent general counsel. Who the stakeholders are, who will do the right thing, and what is the right thing. Otherwise, we will always be behind. The University's Official News Source. Writing well is important but our job . From giant corporations to predatory hedge funds, a small number of billionaire owners have a powerful hold on so much of the information that reaches the public about whats happening here. Right now, we are not even close in fundraising. For example, 10 years ago a manager considering an investment in TESLA would certainly, if looking solely at their financial statements, not make such an investment (TESLAs financial positions at that time were awful, compared to its peers). Alvin de Levie and Steven Wagman were elected by university alumni as alumni trustees, and incumbent Brandon Short was reelected. Leaders of the Interfraternity Council did not respond to multiple Spotlight PA requests for comment. Proposed Authorization to Engage External Auditors (Action Item 1). For the past six meetings, the trustees spent more than $75,000 total, or an average of roughly $12,500 per meeting. And I think the university is still not aggressive enough in going after the groups or the individuals that break the rules.. Trustees appointed by the Governor serve until their successors have been appointed and confirmed. When the video of the meeting is released I will post a link to it on my website. [4] Regular meetings of the board are held bi-monthly and take place primarily on the University Park campus, although on occasion meetings are held at other locations within the Commonwealth.[5]. In partnership with the president, the board seeks to advance the institution while acting in the best interests of the University community. We must be able to finance projects like this through philanthropyjust as Ohio State, Michigan, and others do. As a special bonus, all new monthly gifts made today will be matched as 12X their value thanks to the generosity of the Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Trustee spending peaked over the past decade during fiscal year 2015-16, when the board spent more than $415,000 on meetings, according to older financial reports. He rose through successive management positions before being named president in 1974 and CEO in 1983. Back in the days when the ballots came in the mail, this selection process used to be a semi-enjoyable bit of reading and vetting that made me feel as if I played a very small part, but a part nonetheless, in the governance of a great university. The trustees are unique in that they have two distinct advantages. The median compensation for members of. That said, we have many highly-qualified and experienced elected, voting members of the Board capable of taking on such a role. Lodging was the second-highest category of spending for the board during the most recent cycle. [This is to replace Deloitte, our previous accounting and auditing firm. And how do we define what the right thing is? Stay up to date on the boards activities and get involved. Hello everyone, I am Taylar Tunstall, a second year biology major, chemistry minor from the. In July, the board voted to raise tuition by 5%-6% to help increase revenue. M. Abraham Harpster (2022) Co-Owner, Evergreen Farms, Inc. Chris R. Hoffman (2024) Vice President, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Mark H. Dambly (2023) President, Pennrose Properties, LLC. foundations and readers like you 2023Spotlight PA228 Walnut St., #11728Harrisburg, PA 17108-1728. STATE COLLEGE (MCT) - Two candidates for Penn State board of trustees in the crowded field have dropped out of the race. The trustee's payment comes from the trust assets. The struggle continued for three long years and finally in 2012 a newly established IOB bank close to his business unit lent him INR 24,000 which he successfully repaid. Because Microsoft is able to track error messages and other dysfunctions on its products in real-time, they, in most cases, get instantaneous feedback on their products. Members listed below as of May 31, 2022. This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. [3], The main responsibilities of the board are to select the president of Penn State, to determine the goals and strategic direction of the University, and to approve the annual budget. Other factors stem from emotions, not money. Copyright 2023 MH Sub I, LLC dba Nolo Self-help services may not be permitted in all states. Learn more about the purpose, goals, and members of each standing committee. Wyatt DuBois, a spokesperson for Penn State, said in an emailed statement that costs for trustee meetings vary depending on location, attendance, and the agenda. President, A.P. Randolph Houston will also assume a two-year seat as the immediate past president of the Penn State Alumni Association, replacing Wagman. But I know we can be and have been in the past. The Penn State Board of Trustees is the 38-member[1] governing body for The Pennsylvania State University. Wyatt DuBois, a spokesperson for Penn State, said in an emailed statement that costs for trustee meetings vary depending on location, attendance, and the agenda. Hundreds of Penn State faculty are publicly and privately questioning university leadership. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Your support enables us to continue to produce tough, unique reporting you wont find anywhere else. With gratitude, foundations and readers like you Barron, who's set to retire in June, will now receive an annual salary of $876,612 about $21,000 more than last year. The 38-member board spent more than $155,500 on food and associated costs for the gatherings an average of nearly $26,000 for each two-day event. Bognet graduated in 1997 and went on to a career in business and politics, as he ran for a seat in Congress this past fall. Editor in Chief. University officials said they are exploring other ways to increase revenue, which typically comes from tuition and state appropriations. Penn States Board of Trustees supported the 2017 changes, which included restrictions on socials, deferred recruitment from fall to spring semester, increased monitoring of Greek-letter organizations, and university oversight of misconduct adjudication. In a statement, the university said it was disappointed in the IFCs decision. ], Proposed Naming of the Building Located at 2137 Research Drive, State College in CATO Park to the Lidia Manson Building CATO Park (Action Item 2), Proposed Authorization to Expend Funds, ICA Facility Investments, University Park (Action Item 3), [Approval of $7.5 Million Intercollegiate Athletics (ICA) spending, financed via debt, to add a video board, sound system, and other ancillary items to the football practice fields.]. [6] Note: The date in parentheses following each name below indicates the year in which the term will expire. None of us, today, can know where this will end up. The fine increases to $500 to $2,000 for subsequent offenses. Elmwood Park, aa addition to the City ot Kansas, Jackson 000317. ], Proposed Annual Applications, Renewals and Other Filings Required by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. Also, the Philadelphia mayor and school board effusively praised the "historic gift" of the university. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability and public-service journalism that gets results. This may be one of those times when the old adage, Ignorance is bliss might be more conducive to a positive alumni mindset. So it is money thats going back to the university for those services.. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Most trustees are entitled to payment for their work managing and distributing trust assetsjust like executors of wills. But we have fallen well short of the mark in the last decade. SUPPORT THIS JOURNALISM and help us reinvigorate local news in north-central Pennsylvania at spotlightpa.org/statecollege. SUPPORT THIS JOURNALISM and help us reinvigorate local news in north-central Pennsylvania at spotlightpa.org/statecollege. He was a member of the Penn State Board of Trustees, and served as both its president and vice president. So if you're inheriting everything or almost everything in the trust, there's usually no reason to call some of the money a "fee"you'll only end up paying more tax than you have to. So there we have all our criteria. Board of Trustees | Penn State University. STATE COLLEGE Penn States Board of Trustees spent nearly $318,000 on its past six in-person meetings, covering the travel, lodging, food, and other expenses of attendees, according to newly released records. [2] Undergraduate students do not elect any trustees; the court case Benner v. Oswald ruled that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment did not require the undergraduate students be allowed to participate in the selection of trustees. Its members include the university's president, the Governor of the Commonwealth, and the state Secretaries of Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources, and Education, as well as a representative for the Governor. His dad, brother, and sister all graduated from the university, along with at least 20 of his cousins. Penn States new president led a Kentucky university through crises. Trustees are usually not paid for their duties, but they sometimes are. You do not seek power or popularity. The trustees, on the other hand, are the governance that sets the strategies and policies of Penn State. Six members elected by agricultural organizations, Six members elected by the board and representing business and industry, One member elected by the board and representing the student body, One member elected by the board and representing the faculty, One member representing the Penn State Alumni Association, Three members elected by the board as at-large choices. region. First, who are the stakeholders? The COVID-19 Operations Control Center at Penn State released its plans for coronavirus mitigation, which will be in effect during May and the. that include details of the history of increases to Room and Board. STATE COLLEGE Penn State is quietly planning to roll back its oversight of fraternities and sororities, policies the university championed in 2017 following the hazing death of a student. Sign up for our regional newsletter, Talk of the Town. Alvin de Levie and Steven Wagman were elected by university alumni as alumni trustees, and incumbent Brandon Short was reelected. Now lets translate that into action and create a new Board of Trustees! In fact, it is critical to the long-term health of our program that we do so. (Closed on campus holidays). Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability and public-service journalism that gets results. In a statement, DuBois said the board is aware of meeting costs and has worked for years to save money. Although Boards of Advisors do not have fiduciary responsibility, the President, Provost and Board of Trustees rely heavily on these boards to help inform the work of the schools and centers. Spotlight PA relies on funding from Which is great, and tremendously improves the response time in dealing with software coding issues, but doesnt at all catch fundamental user unhappiness with a correctly functioning but useless interface. who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. You'll probably also be in charge of determining the amount of your own compensation. And because as trustee, you're in control of those assets, that means you're in charge of paying yourself. If you're legally entitled to compensation, why not take it? A committee of the Board of Trustees, including many of its most influential leaders, has also come under scrutiny for regularly holding private meetings that potentially violate Pennsylvanias transparency law. The previous fiscal year, 2014-15, the trustee meetings cost nearly $406,000. This is something that is never discussed, especially when Penn State Trustees lament over lack of State funding for the University. Serving on Penn State's Board of Trustees, elected by the alumni, since 2014. In 2018, Pennsylvania enacted the Timothy J. Piazza Antihazing Law, which created stricter penalties for hazing and required universities to report hazing violations. We need to have our eyes wide open as we consider this change, with regard to what it will mean long-term. Board members serve as bridges between Penn's schools and centers and the community beyond campus boundaries. For certain, those who advocate for ESG interpret that language as something very, very different. Error! The legislation comes amid growing public concern regarding oversight on Penn State's Board. For the past six meetings, the trustees spent more than $75,000 total, or an average of roughly $12,500 per meeting. The university declined to say whether any of the changes outlined in the November memo violate that agreement. the success and advancement of the University. Thats what causes my feelings of futility. So, do we want to do this?, Vote - Yea: 29 Nay: 3 (Cairns, Detwiler, Fenchak) Abstain: 1 (Mumin). Edward B. Previously, independent Greek-letter councils oversaw misconduct investigations. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, real work that comes with serving as a trustee, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Spotlight PAs free weekly newsletter and get Sent every Thursday. historical city of Montgomery, Alabama. Penn States recent spending comes during a university-wide effort to tighten its belt and a recent tuition hike. Lubrano also serves as the partial namesake for Penn State's campus baseball facility,. But considering a more robust set of factors, including the consideration that TESLA might become a future market leader in a rapidly growing business, or that TESLAs leadership team had a strong track record of successful innovation a prudent investment manager might very well have made that investment. And I am quite sure, those types of considerations have taken place within Penn States investment management. Employees have questioned university leadership about a $71,000 raise for a top administrator, the creation of a new vice president position during the hiring freeze, and increases to employees workloads at a time when wages are outpaced by inflation. During its May 7 meeting, the Penn State Board of Trustee's Committee on Governance and Long. Success! Granted, thats not necessarily the case, but its certainly possible with the makeup with the board as is. Furthermore, in Penn State University there were people in high place that know about Sandusky behavior and did nothing. For example, the largest university in the state by budget the University of Pennsylvania, whose $12.7 billion total operating budget and $3.7 billion academic operating budget exceed Penn States $7.7 billion and $2.7 billion respectively has over 50 members on their Board of Trustees. The memo says that university officials who enforce the 2017 rules will focus on coaching Greek leaders. This is commonly referred to as ESG, or Environmental, Social, and Governance investing. Donate to the Collegian by clicking the button below. The bulk of those expenses are for lodging, meals and break services, and other services, and that most of those are provided by university entities, Kleppinger said. Second, they are also individuals dependent on. You simply ask, is a thing right, in itself? If we assign three board seats to the state, two to the faculty and one to the board for their use in filling a voice, we have a total of 30 trustees, and we hit our percentage goals above almost exactly. Because alumni and current students are the largest stakeholders, with the most to gain or lose from the universitys good or bad fortunes, lets have alumni and student-elected members comprise 80% of the board. A "Town Hall" panel was held on April 8th, 2021, featuring the six candidates on the ballot for Penn State University Board of Trustee Alumni Elections. Army Veteran, 20+ year Law Enforcement Investigator, Private Investigator, and Digital Forensics Examiner driven to uncover the truth and find answers for challenges of all shapes and sizes . The board has made some, and continues to explore, changes to reduce costs, including remote off-cycle committee meetings, remote attendance for trustees, moving the full board meeting to the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub Building, limiting the number of administrators and staff who are working at meetings and changing streaming services from WPSU to Microsoft Teams managed by Penn State IT, DuBois said. It is not detrimental to our program to do so. As a special bonus, all new monthly gifts made today will be matched as 12X their value thanks to the generosity of the Lenfest Institute for Journalism. For this reason I voted NO on approving this project at this time. who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. Like other boards of trustees throughout the state, USC's trustees are not paid a salary. The financial disclosures for the six meetings from September 2021 to July 2022 were among materials made available for the trustees Committee on Governance and Long-Range Planning meeting Sept. 22. Sign up for our regional newsletter, Talk of the Town. And if it is, you do it no matter the cost.. 843 Words4 Pages. In 1998-99, Ohio State s average faculty salary was $66,890, which was 1.9 percent below the benchmark average of $68,170. These changes, which the university has not publicly acknowledged, were discussed on Nov. 16, 2022, during a private gathering of university leadership, Greek life leaders, and members of the Committee on Academic Affairs, Research and Student Life, which is part of the Board of Trustees. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. That said, a large and rapidly increasing portion of that budget is the cost of debt servicelargely from the construction projects for new and renovated dormitories.