Governance Failure in Action: The James Franklin Contract Process

Was this contract actually approved? Penn State football head coach James Franklin’s new contract has been the source of much discussion since it was announced on November 23rd. Many have already written about and discussed that topic, and Mike Poorman…

Penn State Board of Trustees: Meeting Report, November 2021

There was not much in the way of Governance conducted at the November Board of Trustees meetings, but I will just highlight a couple of items, within a brief chronological summary of the non-governance goings-on that might be of interest.…

What are the Ratings Services Saying about Penn State?

Under Eric Barron, and the Penn State Board of Trustees, Penn State has taken the largest drop in the nation. Is it time for a change? Since 2014 Penn State University has taken the largest drop in rankings of any…

What can Penn State Athletics do in response to the recent SCOTUS rulings? An opportunity to re-awaken the Grand Experiment

There has been an abundance of confusion regarding the recent ruling by the Supreme Court in the case against the NCAA. This ruling has often been conflated with the “Names Image and Likeness” (NIL) legislation that now allows student-athletes to…

Penn State Admi$$ion$: The Changing Admissions Landscape in a Post-COVID Era

Last year, Penn State University President Eric Barron announced that standardized test scores (aka, the SAT Test) would not be required in admissions applications. The rationale behind that change was reasonable: due to COVID restrictions, the SAT Board drastically scaled…

Penn State Athletics: Seven Years of Sandy Barbour, Part II – Academics

PSU Athletics: In-classroom success under Sandy Barbour Sandy Barbour has now been at the helm of Penn State Athletics for seven academic years. Her fiscal, managerial, and fund-raising shortcomings – both at Penn State and at her previous position at…

Saying good bye to Ira Lubert, and a ponderance.

Long-time PSU Trustee Ira Lubert resigned on December 7th, 2020 - the same day as Pearl Harbor Day, appropriately enough given Ira Lubert's track record as the implementer of His "Sneak Attack" Sandusky Claimant settlements. Ira Lubert, long-time PSU Trustee…