UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State's Board of Trustees held its first public comment session during its regularly scheduled meeting this afternoon (Sept. 14) on the University Park campus.
"The Board of Trustees is committed to conducting its business in a more transparent and open process. Recently, committee hearings and general discussions have been opened to the public, and instituting a public comment period builds on that commitment," said Karen Peetz, chairman of the Board of Trustees. "The Board is grateful for the perspectives added to our collective conversation, and we look forward to providing this opportunity for input and expression regularly to the University community."
During its July 13 meeting, the Board of Trustees revised its Standing Order VIII, "Rules and Regulations for the Conduct of Public Meetings of the Board of Trustees, its Standing Committees and its Special Committees" to incorporate the expression of public views.
During a reserved portion of its regular meeting, the board now may hear from anyone wishing to speak who has preregistered no later than 48 hours before the start of the meeting. The board will allow 30 minutes for public comments and questions per meeting, with an individual speaker permitted up to three minutes to speak. A maximum of 10 speakers may be scheduled for each meeting on matters pertaining to the current agenda and other topics.
A set of guidelines -- including a timetable for requests to be submitted for consideration and a brief list of topics that will not be entertained for privacy, proprietary or other discretionary purposes -- is online at http://www.psu.edu/trustees/public_expression_guidelines.html.
The next opportunity to submit a request to address the board will begin on Friday, Nov. 9, five business days before the Board of Trustees' Nov. 16 meeting at University Park. Requests must be received by 1:30 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at the Board of Trustees office.