Our Faculty and Staff 

Continued employment: All non-tenure-line faculty appointments at closing locations will be honored through the end of their current appointments.

Other positions: As a non-tenure-line faculty employee whose primary work location is closing, you may also choose to apply for any open staff or faculty position at Penn State. The University will offer a priority hiring consideration to support non-tenure-line faculty members at closing campuses when applying for available staff and faculty roles across all Penn State locations. Additional details will be provided in summer of 2025.

Retirement: Eligible non-tenure-line faculty employees may retire at any time if they meet the requirements under HR54 Continuation of Group Insurance after Age 60, Age 65, and after Retirement or Death.

Service credit bridge to retirement eligibility: If as a non-tenure-line faculty employee you remain at your current campus and perform your job responsibilities until the last day you are scheduled to work at the University, and if, as of the separation date, as a non-tenure-line faculty employee you are within 36 months of satisfying the age and service eligibility criteria and meet any applicable health plan enrollment requirements under HR54, you will be eligible to:

• Enroll in the medical plan offered to retirees or meet vesting criteria for the Retirement Health Savings Plan under Policy HR54.
• Receive any other benefits for which retirees are eligible, including the tuition discount for retirees as outlined in Policy HR36 and for their dependents as outlined in Policy HR37.

The additional employment service credit is for the purposes of calculating eligibility for Penn State benefits and has no impact on SERS/PSERS or emeritus status.

Resignation: As a non-tenure-line faculty, you may find employment outside of Penn State and voluntarily resign from your position at any time in accordance with HR52 Resignation or Retirement from University Employment.

All current non-tenure-line faculty contracts will be honored — even with the reassignment of a tenured faculty member into the unit. Consistent with current practice, reappointment of non-tenure-line contracts will be based on unit needs.

Conversations regarding whether incentives will be offered, their nature, and eligibility requirements for receipt are ongoing.

While there may be rare exceptions depending on University needs, tenure-line-faculty will be required to relocate to a different campus if they wish to remain employed at Penn State. Relocation will be determined by need and evaluated based on program requirements throughout Penn State. Additional details on this process will be provided in the coming months.

The University is assessing potential support options for those affected. As a tenure or non-tenure-line faculty member who increases your commute by at least 50 miles, you will be offered a one-time, taxable relocation payment, pursuant to Policy HR104 Payment for Relocation Expenses.

Reassignments will be driven by student need for faculty expertise at closing campuses.

Penn State is committed to supporting employees during career transitions by offering resources related to financial well-being, career transition planning, and mental well-being, including specific support for faculty. The University is developing a comprehensive set of resources to support employees impacted by the campus closures and will reach out directly once they are in place. In the meantime, the University’s contracted Employee Assistance Program, SupportLinc, is available to all impacted full-time and part-time employees and their household members.

If you are an active, full-time non-tenure-line employee at a campus impacted by closure who 1) applies for a full-time position at Penn State within the first week it is advertised internally, 2) are in good standing, and 3) meet the minimum qualifications for the advertised vacancy, you will be offered an interview and hiring consideration prior to the consideration of any other candidates. Additional information on the priority hiring consideration hiring process will be available in summer 2025.

As an employee, you are considered in “good standing” if you are meeting the expectations of your position and have not been the recipient of recent documented discipline. Recent documented discipline is defined as within (1) one year prior to the date the check was initiated.

All non-tenure-line faculty appointments at closing campuses will be honored through their current appointments. Penn State will close the announced seven campuses after the spring of the 2026-27 academic year, but it is impossible to predict employee-level needs on each campus throughout the entire two-year period prior to closure. Decisions on employment and individual reappointments will be based upon need.

Following current practice, salary setting for non-tenure-line positions is based on a range of criteria including title, profile and level of the position advertised, the incumbent’s relevant experience and qualifications, internal equity within the hiring unit, as well as unit budget allocated for the vacancy.

Prior to applying to an open position, non-tenure-line faculty should consider whether the location parameters of the role align with their interests.

Consistent with Penn State policy, the tuition discount benefit will be offered only to those who are active full-time employees or who meet the eligibility criteria for retirement.

Any unemployed person may file a claim for Unemployment Compensation benefits, with eligibility determined by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. Impacted employees are encouraged to consult the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania website for more information.

A task force has been created to provide a process for non-tenure-line (NTL) faculty members impacted by campus closures to gain priority consideration for open NTL and staff positions across Penn State. The process will launch July 1. View the task force at https://facultyaffairs.psu.edu/committees-councils-and-taskforces/.

Conversations regarding whether incentives will be offered, their nature, and eligibility requirements are ongoing.

If you are an active, full-time staff employee at a campus impacted by closure who 1) applies for a full-time position at Penn State within the first week it is advertised internally, 2) are in good standing, and 3) meet the minimum qualifications for the advertised vacancy, you will be offered an interview and hiring consideration, based upon seniority based on most recent full-time hire date, prior to the consideration of other candidates. Additional information on the priority consideration hiring process will be available in summer 2025.

As an employee, you are considered in “good standing” if you are meeting the expectations of your position and have not been the recipient of recent documented discipline. Recent documented discipline is defined as within (1) one year prior to the date the check was initiated.

If you are a full-time staff employee who applies for and is offered a position at any Penn State location that increases your commute by at least 50 miles, you will be offered a one-time, taxable relocation payment, pursuant to Policy HR104 Payment for Relocation Expenses.

Penn State is committed to supporting employees during career transitions by offering resources related to financial well-being, career transition planning, and mental well-being, including specific support for faculty. The University is developing a comprehensive set of resources to support employees impacted by the campus closures and will reach out directly once they are in place. In the meantime, the University’s contracted Employee Assistance Program, SupportLinc, is available to all impacted full-time and part-time employees and their household members.

Penn State will close campuses after the spring of the 2026-27 academic year, but it is impossible to predict employee-level needs on each campus throughout the entire two-year period prior to closure. Decisions on employment will be based upon need. For the few staff on term-limited contracts, reappointments will be based upon need.

Part-time staff are valued members of our community. They may apply to advertised full- or part-time vacancies at Penn State. Part-time staff at closing campuses also have 24/7 access to SupportLinc, the University’s Employee Assistance Program, and to the suite of financial well-being webinars being offered by the University.

Following current practice, salary setting for staff is based on a range of criteria including title, profile and level of the position advertised, the incumbent’s relevant experience and qualifications, internal equity within the hiring unit, as well as unit budget allocated for the vacancy.

Prior to applying to an open position, staff should consider whether the location parameters of the role align with their interests.

Consistent with Penn State policy, the tuition discount benefit will be offered only to those who are active full-time employees or who meet the eligibility criteria for retirement.

Any unemployed person may file a claim for Unemployment Compensation benefits, with eligibility determined by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. Impacted employees are encouraged to consult the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania website for more information.

Penn State is committed to limiting the impact of potential Commonwealth Campus closures on its valued faculty and staff. To assist, the University is offering resources for employees and their families focused on finance and retirement; career transitions and opportunities; and mental health and wellness. Click here for more information and additional resources on the Penn State Human Resources website, which will be continually updated through the transition period.