PSU Board Of Trustees Outline Progress, Plans

8 people were supposed to speak today, but only 6 showed up. The entire public speaking section of the meeting only took about 20 minutes, and one of those speakers was a Penn State alum, claiming that they'd been going around to local high schools, and telling those upper classmen not to go to Penn State. That comment opened the ears of Penn State Board of Trustees Chairman Karen Peetz.

"That's very disappointing; I would have expected that alumni would get behind the university at the time of need the most, so that comment was extremely disappointing."

One of the main point's Peetz brought up during the three hour Board of Trustees meeting is that Penn State's accreditation is safe and secure.

"It's certainly a relief for the team that was working on it, its one of those things where you kind of had to go through the process even though you thought you knew what the outcome would be, but you're never sure..."

Peetz says she disagrees with Auditor General Jack Wagner's comments earlier this week that the school's president and the Governor of Pennsylvania shouldn't have a vote. Board member Anthony Lubrano agrees with him, and also thinks that the board needs to be smaller.

"It's very difficult to assimilate all of us and involve us in the conversations that are necessary for us to govern this university."

Peetz also outlined Penn State's plan to hire a new president when Rodney Erickson retires in 2014. 

"I don't think we're going to have any trouble at all to get fantastic candidates for the presidency of Penn state."

Peetz says they'll involve the community in the hiring by hearing their voice through their delegates. They'll form two groups, a University Search Committee including faculty members, alumni and students. Who'll work along-side a committee with more than 10 Board of Trustees members. Lubrano says he wasn't shocked at the process, but once he heard that Karen Peetz would select the members.

"...I knew I wasn't one of them."

The board will then interview the candidates on the list put together by the committees before choosing Erickson's successor.