Faculty Senate Committee Recommends BOT Reforms

A special committee from the Faculty Senate issued a document outlining numerous recommendations for reform in the structure of the Penn State Board of Trustees.

The 61-page document outlines many areas for improvement, including a smaller board with more faculty representation and less governmental and special interest appointments. The report was posted online Monday by Faculty Senate President Larry Backer and was forwarded to all members of the Board of Trustees.

“The governance committee will look at it, we’ll weigh it against all the other recommendations that we have and then the board will decide,” BOT Chairman Keith Masser told the Patriot News. Many groups, including Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner, have recommended changes to the Board in recent months, which includes significant overlap with the Faculty Senate’s report — specifically with the recommendation to create a smaller board from the current 32-member system.

The Board of Trustees expects to vote on some structural changes in May, although the extent of those changes is still unknown.

Check out the full report below.

Faculty Senate