Penn State's Board of Trustees met on Friday, July 13, 2007, on Penn State's University Park campus. The following items were presented to the board for action or informational purposes:
Penn State Board of Trustees meets; President Spanier's remarks
Penn State's Board of Trustees held its regular, bi-monthly meeting July 13 at the Penn State York campus. In his opening remarks to the board, President Graham B. Spanier commended those at the campus for being highly involved in the York region. The campus is considered a partner for a wide variety of community programs and projects, and also provides on-site education for a number of area companies. He also reported that Penn State Hershey and the College of Medicine has attracted more than 6,800 applications for 145 openings in the class of 2011, and that the medical center, faculty member Thomas Gardner has garnered a $9 million grant from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the largest nongovernmental funding award in the history of the College of Medicine. Spanier also congratulated the men's gymnastics team, which earned its 12th national championship this year, and the fencing team, which earned its 10th national championship. Both teams were honored at the White House. He also updated the board on several other topics, including student season football tickets, which sold out in record time; the Aug. 30 launch of the Big Ten Network; the Google Book Search Project; enrollment figures; and other topics.
Read the full text of the president's remarks at http://live.psu.edu/story/25051
Commonwealth Campus student life offers life-enriching opportunities
Penn State's Board of Trustees learned today (July 13) that University students across the Commonwealth, at commuter and residential campuses, can choose from a variety of co-curricular activities to enhance their educational experience, according to Student Affairs officials from the Abington, Berks and York campuses. Students at Commonwealth Campuses have opportunities to study abroad, assist with faculty research, learn how to counsel their peers, volunteer in the community, keep themselves healthy and prepare for their careers. They also raise funds for Penn State's Dance Marathon and for local service agencies, as well as for Third World children's educational expenses and for world hunger relief.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/25054
Innovative major supports homeland, corporate security
Post-modern warfare can be characterized as unknown, unpredictable combatants using both conventional and unconventional weapons in unexpected, radical engagement against nontraditional targets. Given the dramatic shift in warfare tactics, American universities need to adapt the nature and pace of academic research to counter such threats, said Henry C. "Hank" Foley, dean of Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), during a presentation today (July 13) to the University's Board of Trustees. In an initiative led by President Graham B. Spanier, Penn State's College of Information Sciences & Technology has developed an innovative undergraduate major in security and risk assessment to prepare students for technological careers in both corporate and homeland security. In addition, the University created its International Center for the Study of Terrorism, a collaborative partnership of several international universities headquartered at Penn State and sponsored by the Colleges of IST and Liberal Arts, to study the social psychology of terrorism.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/25056
Penn State York touts research efforts
With members of the Penn State Board of Trustees and administration meeting at Penn State York today (July 13), Joel M. Rodney, chancellor of York campus, shared recent developments at the campus and stressed its commitment to active learning through student/faculty research. Rodney welcomed the board by sharing four developments at Penn State York which he believes show how the campus continues to make life better in York, across two continents, and across the Susquehanna.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/25057
Private support to Penn State hits all-time high
Record levels of philanthropic support from alumni and friends in 2006-07 have provided a strong start for Penn State's new capital campaign, according to a report to the University's Board of Trustees today (July 13) from volunteer campaign chair Peter Tombros. Gift receipts totaled a record $190.3 million for the year ending June 30, 2007, compared to $165.2 million the previous year. Gifts came from 143,517 donors, another all-time high and an increase of more than 10,000 from the previous year.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/25062
Trustees approve operating budget
Although the state Legislature has not yet passed a budget for the 2007-08 fiscal year, Penn State's Board of Trustees has approved the University's operating budget. The $3.4 billion budget is based on the governor's executive budget recommendation, which would amount to a projected $332.9 million appropriation from the state. Should the actual appropriation differ, the University would present a revised budget to the trustees at a later date.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/25058
Trustees approve tuition
Penn State's Board of Trustees today (July 13) approved a tuition increase for lower division students at University Park of 4.3 percent for non-resident students and 5.5 percent for resident students. For students at the Commonwealth Campuses an increase of 4.5 percent is proposed for both residents and non-residents. While the percentage increase is less for non-resident students than for resident students, the dollar increase is greater.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/25059
Trustees approve Abington campus master plan
A campus master plan for Penn State Abington received approval from the University's Board of Trustees Friday (July 13). "Campus planning has been an essential business practice here at Penn State," said Gary C. Schultz, senior vice president for finance and business/treasurer of the University. "The master plan is a guide to help make critical long-term decisions regarding the physical development of the campus. Informed and thoughtful long-range planning will help to make the campus better with every investment and every design decision."
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/25060
Trustees approve property purchase, lease termination
Penn State's Board of Trustees Friday (July 13) approved the acquisition of one property and the termination of a lease agreement at another in Altoona. The board gave its approval to the purchase of the property at 1417-19 12th Ave. in Altoona from 1240 Associates. Additionally, the board approved the early termination of a lease with the Central Pennsylvania Health Services Corp. and the acquisition of improvements made on the property.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/25061
Alumni Association updates trustees
The Penn State Alumni Association reported on its strategic goals, accomplishments, membership growth and continued service to the University in a presentation to the Penn State Board of Trustees today (July 13). Alumni Association outgoing President Lewis H. Gold, a 1959 Penn State liberal arts graduate, outlined the Alumni Association's agenda and results of the 2006-07 academic year.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/25063