R-9: Record of Policy and Procedure Changes to Support Campus Closures

Purpose:

This document is intended to provide a record of specific policy or curricular actions taken to support the campus closure process at seven Penn State commonwealth campuses.  This is necessary because some of these changes do not have a natural home in our usual systems, or they might not appear for months following our normal processes. This document will address only a limited number of issues; for general and comprehensive guidance, please consult the Commonwealth Campus Future website.

Changes to AAPPM Policies:

The Administrative Council on Undergraduate Education (ACUE) approved temporary changes to four policies to assist students at closing campuses in timely degree completion.   The first change is to the policy governing change of campus:

We have inserted the following language into the policy regarding eligibility criteria for early change of campus:

From Fall 2025 through Spring 2027, students who are enrolled at any of the seven Commonwealth Campuses slated for closure may request an early change of campus if they are unable to register for a schedule of courses needed to make degree progress with at least 9 credits of in-person instruction (excluding summer session).

The other three changes concern these policies:

Each has had the following language added, which will extend higher priority and/or increased flexibility normally reserved for adult learners to students at the closing campuses:

To support the academic progress of students at the seven Commonwealth Campuses slated for closure after the Spring 2027 semester, students from those campuses who were enrolled in Spring 2025 or in any subsequent semester will be afforded the same consideration as adult learners for the purposes of this policy.

To understand the details of how these changes might be of assistance, students should speak with their academic advisers.

Flexibility to Change of Campus Practice:

With support from ACUE and the University Faculty Senate, students at closing campuses will have the option to change their campus without being in a major that is officially offered at the new campus. This is a break from normal practice. This will only be possible in situations where the new campus offers appropriate courses to allow students to complete their existing majors. Students will not be able to self-select majors not offered at their new finishing campus in Update Academics in LionPATH when changing campuses, but exceptions can be made by campus registrar staff and university college records staff.   Students who graduate in a major not offered at their new campus will graduate from the University College, rather than their new campus.

Financial Support:

R-105 students enrolled at any of the seven campuses scheduled to close will receive a fee waiver for the student-initiated fee during the 2026-27 academic year.

R-105 students enrolled at any of the seven campuses scheduled to close may take up to 24 credits per semester without paying the tuition surcharge that normally applies when exceeding 19 credits. This waiver is automatic for students at closing campuses with a cumulative GPA above 2.0. Students should consult with their academic adviser to determine whether taking more than 19 credits is appropriate for their academic plan.

Opening of Majors at Additional Campuses:

To accommodate students moving from closing campuses and in anticipation of future demand for select programs offered at those campuses, Penn State is authorizing continuing campuses to begin offering a small number of majors.  The process to open these majors at new locations is being streamlined through senate and administrative approval channels. These changes are normally made public through the Penn State application nearly immediately, but do not appear in our Undergraduate Bulletin until the spring update. To provide a single point of reference, these approvals will be posted here as well as being announced through multiple channels.

  • EMET_BS, EMTAL_BS, EMTBK_BS: Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology, B.S. approved for Penn State Beaver
  • 2BET_AENGT: Biomedical Engineering Technology approved for Penn State Greater Allegheny
  • 2FORT_AS: Forest Technology, A.S. approved for Penn State Altoona
  • 2WLT_AS: Wildlife Technology, A.S. approved for Penn State Altoona
  • 2RSUC_AS: Radiological Sciences, A.S. approved for Penn State Greater Allegheny
Revisions: 

Posted: 11-6-25