Penn State Trustees Spent $318K For Meetings In Past Year: Reports

STATE COLLEGE, PA — The Penn State University Board of Trustees spent around $318,000 on expenses like food and lodging during meetings for its 38 board members over the past year, according to a media report and official documents. Board spending has exceeded $300,000 in each of the last four years, save for the 2020-2021 year including the bulk of the pandemic, which is actually a decrease over the $400,000-plus spent in 2014 through 2016.

The statistics, made available after the university's Committee on Governance and Long-Range Planning meeting last week and first published by Spotlight PA, come as the university hikes its tuition for both in and out of state students.

The university acknowledged the cost of the Board's operation and said that a chunk of last week's meeting focused on efforts to "further develop a Board culture that prioritizes fiduciary duties and core responsibilities be carried out effectively and efficiently."

In a statement to Spotlight PA, Penn State officials added that costs for trustee meetings can change based on the agenda and location.

During the public comment section of the same meeting, others spoke more broadly on what they perceived as the university's misguided spending strategy.

"Would the $12.5 million the AD is spending to remodel its Field Hockey Stadium be better used
to fund scholarships for needy students?" professor of labor studies Paul Clark commented.

Under the university's recent tuition hikes, residents would see a 5 percent increase at the University Park campus, and a 2 percent increase at other campuses. Non-residents would see a 6 percent increase at University Park and a 3 percent increase elsewhere.

“We understand the impact of a tuition increase on our students and families, and we do not take the decision to raise tuition lightly," Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi said in a statement at the time. "Unfortunately, the circumstances of our current budget made these increases necessary in order to maintain the highest-quality educational experiences for our students."

The school also said that increasing tuition alone would not solve the school's ongoing budget issues. The university is looking at other ways to reduce expenses, and "additional cost-cutting measures and efficiencies will be required."

The Board's statement to Spotlight noted that they largely pay university vendors for their costs, so the money is going back to school entities.