Penn State New Kensington rallies against proposed cuts to branch campuses

Anthony Palyszeski can speak firsthand about the impact his time as a student at Penn State New Kensington has had on his life.

“My years at Penn State New Kensington turned me into a professional, to enter the workforce with pride,” said Palyszeski, 27, of Harrison, a network coordinator at Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center.

So when the opportunity arose to attend a rally at the Upper Burrell campus that was coordinated in response to proposed cuts to Penn State’s campus structure, it was a no-brainer for Palyszeski to share his story.

Campus officials say the event Wednesday was in response to a proposal that cuts roughly $54 million from the overall budget for Penn State’s commonwealth campuses. A similar rally was held at Penn State’s Fayette campus.

The 20 branch campuses, including those in Western Pennsylvania, would absorb the 14.1% reduction under a proposal being readied for a July vote by university trustees. The proposal, which covers the 2025-26 school year, was outlined by university leaders this week.

The event included a question-and-answer session with campus administrators, students and alumni sharing stories of the impact Penn State New Kensington has had on their lives and what they can do to make their voice heard.

“Because of the budget pressures Penn State has been facing and is facing now, the campuses as a whole are facing fairly severe budget cuts coming up in the next couple of years,” said Joseph Cuiffi, engineering professor and chair of Penn State New Kensington’s faculty senate.

“So we, as faculty, as administrators … are trying to figure that out and make sure no matter what we do to transform this university for the better, that it delivers a world-class Penn State education to you all, doesn’t affect any part of the majors you’re pursuing, is better in the long run for all of us and makes it great at all the different campuses across the state.”

Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers said in a statement emailed after the rally that the university’s commonwealth campus office is taking feedback from chancellors, faculty and staff from different campuses — including New Kensington and Fayette — and “will soon be forming committees to evaluate potential solutions to keep a Penn State educational experience affordable, accessible and of the highest quality.”

“We remain focused on careful evaluation and implementing a sustainable model,” Powers said. “No decisions have been made at this time, and, together, we will tackle the current obstacles and advance solutions that prioritize our students, while embracing a forward-thinking approach. Importantly, all unit budgets — including all commonwealth campuses — are stable through June 30, 2025.”

Bella Vozar, 19, of Leechburg is concerned about the future of her major. She’s studying digital media arts and technology. She started her course load at New Kensington but can finish it only at Penn State’s Erie campus.

Others had similar questions, asking whether budget changes would affect students’ ability to earn scholarships and finish their degrees at PSNK.

Allen Larson, Penn State New Kensington’s interim director of academic affairs, said he feels confident students will be able to finish their majors with Penn State.

Others asked about tuition costs.

“There is a real determined effort trying to keep tuition at the campuses as low as we can,” Chancellor Kevin Snider said.

Cuiffi encouraged students to get involved in student government and participate in the college’s academic program and portfolio review of Penn State’s undergraduate and graduate programs. Students also can join Advocate for Penn State, a legislative advocacy group, and attend Capital Day in Harrisburg to meet with legislators.

“If you want to make sure that what is important to you on this campus stays here, make your voice heard,” said Joey Haskins, a representative of Penn State New Kensington’s Student Government Association. “Student government is the perfect place to make that happen. We need representatives.

“We need students to make sure that changes happen, that things that are important stay, that we make our voices heard.”