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Save WPSU

2 min read

Nancy Parks

Aaronsburg

I am a Pennsylvania State University alumna twice over with a BS in Science and Human Genetics in 1973 and an MS in Agronomy/Soil Genesis and Morphology in 1985, with a minor in Geography. I have been an alumna for 52 years. I have frequently spoken out with concerns for the management of this University and I do so again.

No one should be writing about the destruction of WPSU. This venerable institution has provided truthful, unbiased reporting for decades. WPSU is, in fact, the only forum where I can find reporting that I trust outside of specific print media.

The university needs to be administered more efficiently and with an emphasis on the best decisions for a land grant institution and the teachers and students who are studying/researching/working there. Therefore, I demand that WPSU not be sacrificed to the mistaken position that our PSU president and the Board of Trustees are worthy of shutting down dissent -- spoken through WPSU -- in order to pay Neeli Bendapudi an additional $1 million in salary between now and 2032. Our PSU president has consistently acted as and made decisions akin to those of a corporate CEO not a university president. We must not pay the outsized salary that a corporate CEO expects--and especially to an administrator without the courage to finish and expand our badly needed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Center at PSU. Our administrator has herself acted as a bully.

Our community has respect and support for WPSU and its staff writ large. PSU and its Board of Trustees want to "stop dead" the precious and non-partisan reporting of National Public Radio (NPR) and WPSU/PBS. They pander to bullies.

We will not let this happen. Fund WPSU and sign a contract for administration of this special local public resource to WHYY and pay them the necessary $ 3.4 million per year for 5 years, for a total of $ 17 million.

We need WPSU. Let Neeli Bendapudi go.

Starting at /week.