Trending
As Penn State Altoona begins dealing with the university's plan to cut $54 million -- 14 percent -- from the Commonwealth Campuses' budget for the fiscal year beginning in mid-2025, it won't help to start "finger-pointing," according to the local college's chancellor.
Rather, "we need to be in solution mode," said Ron Darbeau, after a town hall meeting Tuesday for faculty and staff to discuss the cuts -- the specifics of which are unclear.
He's optimistic, Darbeau said.
There is plenty of brainpower among people connected with the campus, and he intends to use it, Darbeau said.
"Folks recognize the urgency," he stated. "And they all have roles to play in moving the needle."
Those roles will mainly be in "recruitment, retention, 'friend-raising' and fundraising," Darbeau said.
"Friend-raising" involves advocating for the campus in the community and soliciting support, he said.
Penn State Altoona is the fourth campus he's been associated with, and the one where faculty and staff have been most "passionate" about their campus and their students, according to Darbeau.
Ultimately, the campus will come out stronger for having dealt with the upcoming financial struggle, Darbeau predicted.
"We will solve this," he said.
Several attendees at the town hall declined -- politely -- to talk to the Mirror as they left.
Communications arts and sciences professor William White was willing to talk, but didn't attend the town hall because he was teaching a class.
"The thing we're waiting to hear is what the impact will be," White said. "I expect the shape of changes are not known at our level yet -- (but) those will really make the difference."
Employees seem to feel secure in the short term, according to White.
Base budget allocations are already set for the current fiscal year and for FY 2024 (2024-2025), according to a Penn State news release last week.
"(But) there's trepidation about the future," White said. "They're worried about their careers -- their long-term prospects."
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.