Penn State Trustees to Consider New Committee Structure, Look to ‘Improve Oversight’

Penn State trustees will consider Friday a new committee set-up on the 32-voting-member board.

The Board of Trustees now includes three standing committees, in addition to the Executive Committee: the Committee on Campus Environment, the Committee on Educational Policy, and the Committee on Finance and Physical Plant.

A proposed new committee structure would replace those three with five: a Committee on Academic Affairs and Student Life; one on finance, business and capital planning; one on governance and long-range planning; one on risk, compliance, legal and audit; and one on outreach, development and community relations.

‘The (suggested) move is part of attempts by the board to work more closely on current issues, as well as long-range planning strategies,’ according to a document released Monday by Penn State. ‘Board members will look at the proposed committee structures on Friday during the public meeting and determine if they are adequate to meet the needs.’

The proposed new committee arrangement would be aligned with university operations, the document reads. Its underlying goal would be to ‘help the board improve oversight and gain accessibility to the university.’

Board members are scheduled to assemble Friday at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, one of their six annual regular public meetings. New board Chairwoman Karen B. Peetz, named to the leadership role in January, has said the trustees will put a premium on transparency, reform and change under her leadership.

More details about the board’s Friday meeting are included in this earlier report. Additional earlier coverage is available via the pages linked below. StateCollege.com will post more details as they become available.

Related coverage

• StateCollege.com’s Penn State news page

• StateCollege.com’s coverage of Penn State-charges situation

• Peetz Pledges Fairness to Abuse Victims; PSU Board Adopts Recommendations, Hears from Corbett (Jan. 20, 2012)

• Ballot Positions Set in Penn State Board Race; 86 Alumni Pursue Three Seats (Feb. 29, 2012)