Penn State’s Faculty Senate is considering a vote of no confidence against President Neeli Bendapudi, two sources within the Faculty Senate told Onward State. Per one source, the vote will likely come up at the Faculty Senate’s next meeting on February 25.

Both sources communicated with Onward State under the condition of anonymity.

The complaint filed in the Faculty Senate cites issues with Bendapudi’s decision-making, budget model, approach to Penn State’s research programs, commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, enrollment expansion, and more.

One source in the Faculty Senate said that, as of Thursday night, they expected the measure to pass, despite the difficulties in passing such a measure. A no-confidence vote doesn’t change anything for Bendapudi other than send a strong message from the Faculty Senate.

Bendapudi and her administration recently made headlines during a Faculty Senate meeting when Bendapudi’s vice president for Commonwealth Campuses, Margo DelliCarpini, gave a three-minute statement avoiding a direct answer regarding the future of the Commonwealth Campuses.

Bendapudi’s time at Penn State has been marked by a budget deficit, which has forced the university into discussions regarding financing its athletic programs, Commonwealth Campuses, and expansions on the University Park campus. While budget cuts have already come for Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses, and some campuses expect to close down, the university has pledged more than $1 billion on upcoming and current renovations and construction for stadiums and academic buildings on University Park’s campus.

The Faculty Senate previously attempted to reach an agreement with Bendapudi over the Faculty Senate taking on greater responsibility in “shared governance,” though Bendapudi declined to sign that pledge.

The last time the Faculty Senate passed a no-confidence vote was against the university’s COVID-19 measures in 2021.

You can read the full measure put forth to the Faculty Senate below.

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