How I Am Fixing Penn State.
I remain a strong advocate for Penn State stakeholders and for the best interests of the University. Here’s why you should vote to keep me on the Board.
If there is one thing that I believe my fellow Penn State trustees would agree with, it is that my first term as a trustee has been, to borrow a phrase from Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi, a ‘transformational experience’.
Almost three years ago, when I ran for my first term as a Penn State Alumni Trustee, I wrote "How I Will Fix Penn State”. At the time, Penn State’s tuition was the highest in the Big10 Conference, our academic standing was plummeting, and the long-term debt had quadrupled to nearly $3.5 billion.
Those challenges continue to exist, and I am proud to say I have voted NO on every unwise proposal that contributes to these issues (and have frequently been the only NO vote). I have proposed solutions and advocated for changes that build solutions. And in July 2024, I was duty-bound to sue the Penn State Board of Trustees for financial information necessary to fulfill my obligations after I had exhausted the prescribed protocols the Board leadership dictated, yet still withheld. Believe me when I say, I am putting my money where my fiduciary responsibility is.
One thing I have learned in the last three years is that I may be the only trustee who understands, first hand, what a 5% yearly tuition hike means to the average Penn State family’s bottom line. Penn State now has the most expensive in-state tuition in the Big10 Conference and many students are hopelessly priced out of the opportunities generations of Pennsylvania families used to raise themselves up economically and socially. That is very wrong, and the fact that our cohorts at Ohio State and the University of Michigan have figured out how to avoid this trap is embarrassing.
A few weeks ago, in court, Board Chair David Kleppinger scornfully referred to Penn State alumni as my ‘alleged’ constituents. My (and the eight other trustees) formal title is Alumni Trustee, and I’m at a loss to understand why Board leadership is working so hard to silence our voice. Alumni have serious concerns that I rarely hear addressed in meetings, except by me and a few others. And while the alumni are a core constituency, I listen to all stakeholders and try to be their voice as well.
Penn State’s issues are symptomatic of poor governance and a lack of focus on the University’s core missions. Unanimous YES votes will not fix Penn State. I know this because conformist trustees are what got us in trouble in the first place, and are keeping us there. I care deeply for our alma mater and there is no one who understands Penn State’s challenges and is more qualified to address them than me. I have proven that I am not a rubber stamp, and that I can, and want to be, held accountable.
I humbly ask alumni for your write-in vote so that I can continue to work for a better Penn State future. On your ballot, enter ‘Barry J Fenchak 1984’. For help getting a ballot, to contact me, or more information visit https://barryfenchak.com.
Let’s do this for the glory.
As a member of the Penn State Board of Trustees, I will from time to time be made aware of certain confidential information. Any public opinions or statements made now or in the past are from me, individually, and not by or on behalf of the Board of Trustees. I will also engage with Trustees and administrators in private, off-the-record conversations, with the expectation of privacy on both parties. I take these expectations seriously, as they are required in order to catalyze important discussions. As a fiduciary, it is also important that I engage in conversations with all stakeholders of the University. Stakeholders like you. Discussions will involve publicly available information and issues before the Board, as well as my personal thoughts, concerns, and ideas. I also will continue to solicit your thoughts, concerns, and ideas, and plan to engage in meaningful conversations with you on those topics. I hope that you will continue to share your concerns and ideas with me at barry@barryfenchak.com.