By Spotlight PA State College’s Wyatt Massey
The State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, a nonpartisan, independent newsroom devoted to investigative and public service journalism in Pennsylvania, created this report. Visit SpotlightPA.org/newsletters/talkofthetown to subscribe to Talk of the Town, a weekly newsletter including events, in-depth local stories, and more from north-central PA.
According to data examined by Spotlight PA, Penn State University has adhered to its commitment to save expenses when meeting in person with its 36-member Board of Trustees.
According to a university official, Penn State was looking into methods to cut costs in response to a 2022 report by Spotlight PA on board expenses during a budget shortage.
From a peak of around $91,000 per meeting in fiscal year 2016 to about $51,200 in fiscal year 2023 and $52,100 in fiscal year 2024, average meeting expenditures have mostly declined over the last ten years when adjusted for inflation. July marks the start of fiscal years, which end in June.
According to documents obtained by Spotlight PA, trustees on Penn State’s governing board are not compensated for their services, but the institution does pay them for associated expenses including travel, mileage, car rentals, lodging, and meals. Every year, the board usually meets for five two-day sessions, the majority of which are hosted at State College.
Spotlight PA sent an email to Penn State’s Office of Strategic Communications asking for details regarding specific expenses and the actions the university took to save costs. The university didn’t reply.
More details on the group’s expenses are provided by the board’s governance committee’s categorized spending reports, which Spotlight PA examined. Although the cost of food and lodging might vary greatly depending on the meeting, these expenses are frequently the biggest outlays for any gathering.
The university paid house trustees $39,170 for the September meeting, which was more than the aggregate lodging expenses for the three board meetings prior. The board’s choice to have its fall meetings during home football games, when hotel rates are higher in State College, may be one reason for the higher expense.
Penn State spent about $22,000 on a trustee reception dinner in May 2023. The reception expenses at its subsequent gathering, held in Erie in July 2023, exceeded sixteen thousand dollars. A year later, the dinner expenses for Altoona and State College sessions were $6,373 and $492, respectively.
After the university administration started attempting to reduce an annual budget deficit that was initially estimated to be more than $150 million, scrutiny of the board’s spending increased in 2022. Penn State responded by offering buyouts to its statewide staff, making drastic cuts, and enacting a temporary hiring moratorium. By the summer of 2025, Penn State anticipates having a balanced budget for education.
Along with other governance and operational changes, the Pennsylvania auditor general suggested in 2017 that Penn State release per trustee expense reports. The university did not implement the modification, although it did state that it will take the suggestion into consideration.
ENDORSE THIS JOURNALDonate to help us revitalize local reporting in north central Pennsylvania at statecollege.spotlightpa.org. Foundations and readers like you who support accountability and results-driven public service journalism provide funding for Spotlight PA.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!