It would be hard to find a pair of individuals who are so disparate in background yet so united in objectives. But here they are, teamed up on a two-person slate to pursue alumni-elected seats on the Penn State Board of Trustees during the April 10 to May 2 election.
The first individual is a 72-year-old who grew up in State College as the son of a Penn State staff member. After his 1973 graduation from the university, Alvin de Levie earned his law degree from Villanova and then launched a practice in the greater Philadelphia area. Forty-eight years after moving away from State College, he returned to town with a greater love for the community and the campus than ever. He was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2021.
The second is a 34-year-old native of Scranton who came to Penn State in 2009 as a freshman and walk-on quarterback for the football team. Appreciated more for his determination and his moxie than his physical talent, McGloin became a part-time starter at the end of the Joe Paterno era—leading the Nittany Lions to Paterno’s 409th and final victory in 2011. In 2012, he started all 12 games for coach Bill O’Brien and led the Lions to a surprising mark of 8-4 while becoming the all-time Penn State leader in career touchdown passes thrown.
Overlooked in the 2013 NFL draft, McGloin again brokered his leadership skills and tenacity into scattered playing opportunities, mostly as a backup with the Oakland Raiders. Upon completion of his football career, McGloin began sports broadcasting for several networks before being elected a Lackawanna County commissioner last November.
Knowing about their joint candidacy and knowing that the next three years will be critical ones for Penn State, I arranged to talk with de Levie and McGloin recently at the HUB-Robeson Center — my first sit-down conversation ever with McGloin and perhaps my 10th over the last few years with de Levie. Speaking candidly, I left that HUB discussion with a very good feeling about the 72 + 34 combo. I honestly don’t know anyone who loves Penn State more than de Levie. And I don’t know anyone who could outwork McGloin on behalf of his alma mater. Here are portions of our recent discussion.
How did you two guys meet?
McGloin: Alvin had come to Lackawanna County last spring, maybe April or May, and I met him then. We’ve stayed in touch since then, and one day this fall we met in State College at The Corner Room to talk about ways to give back to Penn State.
de Levie: A retired couple sat at a table next to us, and it turned out the gentlemen had been a graduate assistant trainer for Joe. So he had some good stories, and we had a good time talking. Then after that discussion, Matt mentioned that maybe we could run as a team for the Board of Trustees — me for reelection and him for election. So we spent a few weeks discussing things to see if we had the same values and commitment. And once we saw that it was a good match, we decided to run as a team for the board.
McGloin: I think what’s special about Alvin and I running as a two-person slate is that there’s almost 40 years that separate us, but our values, vision and commitment to the school is the same. I think that speaks wonders about the legacy of this school.
Talk to me about this two-person slate, because it’s an informal thing; it’s not codified. Why are you running together?
McGloin: As for me, it was instilled in me at an early age by my parents the importance of serving, being active in your community, getting up off the couch. I’ve never been one to sit on the bench. So that’s why I ran for elected office, becoming a county commissioner back home. Well, I love Penn State, so I’m going to do something about it, and that’s the approach that I’ve always had. So for me it’s about serving. And I don’t know if there’s anybody other than Alvin de Levie who’s done a better job over the past few years in serving this university, fighting for this school on a daily basis.
In your mind, what makes Alvin stick out?
McGloin: Well just right here. Walking through the HUB and spending time talking to students — actually listening to their concerns, taking notes, reporting back to the board or to our president. Attending events, attending fundraisers, attending games, relocating back to where he grew up after a 45-year career in the Philadelphia area. His parents knew who they were and what they stood for, and that’s what he represents in all that he’s done for the school.
As for the two-person slate, we can work with anybody. So I would never tell somebody who to vote for, but whoever it is from the three on the other slate [Brandon Short, Steven Wagman and Carl Nassib], we can work with any one of them. That’s our job first and foremost, to get along with everybody on that board knowing that we’re part of something bigger than ourselves.
What are the major issues Penn State will face during the three-year term you would serve if elected?
McGloin: Based on the conversation we just had with three students here in the HUB, I immediately think of tuition. I was a preferred walk-on here at Penn State, so I know how extremely difficult it is for these kids and their families when it comes to tuition. I came from a middle-class family, so I watched my parents struggle to find ways to pay for me to go to school. I was lucky that after one year, Joe Paterno awarded me with a scholarship… very fortunate, very lucky. But I saw how difficult it was for my parents during my first year.
de Levie: The overriding issue that I’m always looking at is student success and well-being. Everything we do as board members must be devoted to making sure our students succeed while at college and after college. So if everything is geared to student success, the one thing we must talk about is the situation of the Commonwealth Campuses. We’re in the process of trying to figure out how Penn State can get more appropriation from Harrisburg, because right now both Pitt and Temple get more appropriation from Harrisburg per student than we do.
I understand that. In fact, Penn State has always been called a “state-related university” because it receives state funding. But these days, with state funding continuing to shrink, I’m thinking it might be time to call ourselves a “state-unrelated university.” According to the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, Pennsylvania ranks 49th nationally for per-student public funding of higher education. And a January Spotlight PA story said that even among Pennsylvania’s state-related schools, Penn State gets around $5,800 per in-state undergraduate student while Pitt gets $9,500.
de Levie: Well, for Pennsylvania to rank 49th in contributing to higher education, that’s miserable and something has to be done about that. Don’t get me wrong, we’re grateful for the money we do get from Harrisburg and we’ve been working with representatives in Harrisburg on many issues. Dr. [Neeli] Bendapudi is doing a great job in that respect, and I give her kudos for that. But we have to make sure our budget is balanced, that we take care of our Commonwealth Campuses and that every department on every campus has sufficient funding to ensure student success.
McGloin: You mentioned the Commonwealth Campuses, and I’m in touch with Penn State Scranton. I know they’re struggling. I’ve said it a number of times already that we need to be a resource for our Commonwealth Campuses. I believe they are the glue that holds Penn State together and to be in a position now where their funding will be cut by $54 million between fiscal years 2025 and ’26… that’s a major problem.
de Levie: Yeah, I think they’ve been told that we need to cut the budget by that amount and then they will be given advice regarding what percent of the budget from each campus will be cut. Some of the campuses will do better than others. It’s a matter of fairness, but again, it’s all about student success.
With respect to the Commonwealth Campuses, Matt, you just mentioned the Scranton campus, and I’m sure they have some needs. Do either of you think there are some campuses where big cutbacks are warranted because enrollment is low? In other words, is Penn State spending too much per student at certain campuses?
de Levie: There are some campuses that have lower admissions right now. But those campuses are still very, very important because a lot of the students at our Commonwealth Campuses are first generation college students within their families. We have to give them that opportunity. We just have to find a happy medium where we can help those campuses grow.
And we also have to recognize some of our Commonwealth Campuses are doing a fantastic job. I’m very close to the situation at the Behrend campus in Erie, and they have one of the best plastics engineering technology programs in the nation. In fact, Behrend used to be the 40th-rated engineering school in the country as a standalone. That’s fantastic. We have to work with our Commonwealth Campuses, and we have to make sure there’s no duplication in staffing between campuses that may be geographically near each other.
Let’s talk more about the fact that tuition keeps rising.
de Levie: Yeah, the tuition issue. I was fortunate that I got a discount on my tuition way back in the ‘70s because my dad was a faculty member here at Penn State. But I still washed pots and pans so I could afford to live in a fraternity. So the whole issue of student expenses is something I’ve been concerned about since I was a student.
A few years ago, I created a fund in my parents’ name. My dad founded the study abroad programs, and I wanted to give money to help students study abroad. It was suggested I put the money into Penn State’s endowment, but if you put it into the endowment they only will spend 4 percent a year. So I said, “Well, with the money I’m donating, if you spend 4 percent that will barely send one student abroad per year. So why don’t you spend all the money so you can send as many students abroad as possible? And then when you use that money up, I’ll give you more.” So we were able to send 18 students abroad. That got me thinking.
Now, I understand with an endowment that we’re helping to take care of our students 20, 30, 40 years from now. It helps pay for research professors and all kinds of things. But can we not also create a fund for people who want to specifically help students today? And I’ve been encouraged by actuaries, people in development, other trustees and people in Harrisburg to keep looking at this. If we got sufficient monies, we could tell students, “When you matriculate as a freshman for your four years at Penn State, you’ll know that any tuition increase during your years will be minimal, if any at all.” Now, the next year when new students come, there might be a tuition increase for them, but not for those who had enrolled before. Other universities have this kind of plan.
Is there a label to describe this type of tuition system?
de Levie: I don’t have a fancy name for it. But I like “The Penn State Commitment.”
McGloin: I think it’s important for people to remember that Al is the only person running in this trustee election that has voted ‘No’ to a tuition increase every time it’s been brought up. And I’ll join him in this fight to find ways to avoid or minimize tuition increases. As a county commissioner, I see people getting caught up in the politics, but we run a business first and foremost, and that’s how I treat it. In Lackawanna County, we have well over a thousand employees and a budget of roughly $165 million. So there will be a parallel for me with the Penn State Board of Trustees although on a bigger scale.
I’d like to hear thoughts from both of you on other issues. Money might be connected to everything, but some issues are less financial than others.
de Levie: Well, town and gown relations are important. Before I was even on the Board of Trustees, I met with the State College mayor, the head of planning and some township managers. Matt has knowledge from Lackawanna County, and he’s also met with our [Centre] county commissioners and our borough council people and met our mayor.
So one of the things I have proposed is that when Hammond Building and the nearby engineering units are demolished, that will open up an opportunity for a major new gateway from College Avenue onto campus. We could accommodate the need of the College of Engineering for classrooms and office space along the campus side of College Avenue that’s closer to Burrowes, but along College from perhaps Fraser to the Allen Street area could have open space. There could be an amphitheater in the warmer months that would be reconfigured into a skating rink for the winter. We could have concerts, and we could have shows and events that will bring people from central Pennsylvania into town to visit our businesses and restaurants. Quality of life. Quality of life. That type of town-gown relationship is very important.
Speaking of physical enhancements to the campus, I’d like to hear more details from you on your idea to create a shrine on campus to honor “THON.”
de Levie: Well, we have the Nittany Lion Shrine. And the “We Are” sculpture sits catty-corner across from Bryce Jordan Center. But Penn State is also known worldwide for THON, the largest student-run philanthropy. And what the students do with THON is absolutely amazing. My dream, and now it’s Matt’s dream, too, is to create a portrayal of THON on the grounds of the BJC. I’ve talked to philanthropists to help fund the cost, and they’re ready to jump on board. I spoke with the outgoing student director of THON to gauge interest, and they seemed excited about it. I’ve spoken to artists and sculptors and we could show, in bronze, the kids, the dancers, the students working behind the scenes, the families. We could show Four Diamonds and we could have the letters F, T, K—“For the Kids.” But if THON is the largest student philanthropy, it also ought to be the students who really put this project together.
So what must the Board of Trustees do to facilitate it?
de Levie: I think the administration should just be vocal. And we will be vocal. But since we have a great fine arts program, let those students get involved in the design. And we have a great landscape department, so let those students get involved in designing the surrounding area. Matt and I are dedicated to getting things started and then — excuse the phrase — hand the ball off to the students.
Talking about a THON shrine brings us to the topic of “legacy.” At the last Trustees meeting, Anthony Lubrano put forth a resolution—and it was seconded by you, Alvin—to give the name “Paterno Field” to the playing surface at Beaver Stadium. But this measure was tabled and one trustee called it “political.” Matt, what do you think?
McGloin: I learned more about life while playing under Joe Paterno than I did about football. And I’ve said that a lot. I just happened to play a fifth year under Bill O’Brien which helped me transition professionally and have a professional football career. But as the years go on and I’m able to look back on the path I learned from Joe Paterno, I use it in everyday life, I use it as an elected official, I use it as a father, I use it as a husband. So people talk about the legacy. What is the legacy? The legacy is Joe.
I was here in 2011, right? I was here. I was here during the darkest days, the darkest periods any university has ever faced. And I was here through the 2012 transitional phase with Bill O’Brien and this university sticking together and fighting in a way that no other university, I believe, would ever have been able to do. And again, the question that gets asked a lot is, “What’s Joe’s legacy?”
And I say that 2012 is a massive part of Joe’s legacy. No, he wasn’t the coach then, and he wasn’t here. But we had that group of fifth-year seniors who were good football players and great people, who learned responsibility under Joe. For me, the time has come to find a way to bring everyone back together by finding a way to underscore Joe’s legacy. We can’t move forward until we know where we’ve been.
