By Greg Woodman
We elect leaders to make hard calls. But lately, when they do, we turn on them.
We saw it with Penn State’s decision to close seven Commonwealth Campuses. We’re seeing it again with the proposed closure of Rockview Prison. In both cases, leadership is accused of betrayal—of abandoning the people, history, the community.
But if we’re honest, the numbers tell a different story. These decisions aren’t failures of heart. They’re the uncomfortable consequence of listening to the market—and trying to lead into it.
And make no mistake: closing seven campuses is not just about numbers—it illustrates a “Happy Valley First” strategy. The core is being preserved. The flagship is being prioritized. This is financial triage meant to protect the heart of Penn State—and the economy of the town that depends on it.
The question isn’t whether the change is hard. Of course it is. The real question is: Can we face it with courage and heart, or will we keep backing away from the truth every time it gets loud?
Leadership or Lightning Rod?
Governor Josh Shapiro, a public official elected to act on behalf of the Commonwealth, and Neeli Bendapudi, the president of Pennsylvania’s flagship state-related university, are both facing the same challenge: making hard, often unpopular decisions rooted in long-term sustainability.
But we can’t keep demanding visionary leadership while punishing anyone who dares to act on it.
If every necessary change becomes a community crisis, we’re not evolving, we’re entrenching.
The Real Leader? The Market
Here’s the truth: the real force behind these decisions isn’t in Old Main or Harrisburg—it’s in the marketplace.
Enrollment is down. Birth rates are down. The ROI of traditional degrees is being questioned. And here comes AI—disrupting everything from job markets to classroom models.
Campuses aren’t closing because leadership lacks compassion. They’re closing because conditions have changed, and the map must be redrawn.
AI, Credentials, and the End of the College Monopoly
Artificial intelligence is not the future. It’s now. Employers are hiring based on skills, not seat time. Today, a student can learn to code in six months, get certified by Google, and land a job that used to require a four-year degree. But here’s the twist—AI can now write code faster, cheaper, and in more languages than most junior developers. The credential isn’t enough anymore. The differentiator is what AI can’t do—lead, communicate, think critically, and collaborate.
So, what happens to a town like State College—who’s number one industry is education—when the education market no longer runs through ivy gates?
We adapt. And we redefine what we’re selling.
Enter NACE 8: The Skills That Still Matter
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has outlined 8 core competencies that employers still—and increasingly—demand:
- Career & Self-Development
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Equity & Inclusion
- Leadership
- Professionalism
- Teamwork
- Technology
This isn’t fluff. It’s the foundation. These are the skills that outlast AI. They’re not just about getting the first job—but staying relevant in the next five.
If Penn State—if Happy Valley—wants to thrive, this is what we must double down on. Not sprawling campuses. Not legacy departments. But real, transferable, market-responsive human development.
If we make NACE 8 our metric for success—not enrollment, not nostalgia—we’ll not only survive this shift. We’ll lead it.
Heart Over Fear
Acting with heart doesn’t mean avoiding pain. It means standing in it with clarity, compassion, and purpose.
It means understanding that “people first” may mean prioritizing future students over current buildings. It means accepting that AI and demographic cliffs aren’t personal—they’re structural.
It also means asking: Who do we serve next? And are we brave enough to let go of what’s familiar to build what’s essential?
The Role of Community: Talk, Don’t Just React
This isn’t about blaming critics or diminishing local pride. It’s about raising the level of conversation. That’s where ConnectHappyValley comes in—not just as a platform, but as a civic space for real dialogue.
Let’s debate campus futures, prison policy, workforce development, and AI disruption out in the open—with honesty, data, and yes, heart.
Let’s stop expecting leaders to bear the burden alone while we heckle from the sidelines.
Let’s start asking, together:
- What business are we truly in?
- Who are our future customers?
- And what kind of community are we building for them?
Final Thought
Because leadership without direction is drift.
And direction without heart is a transaction.
Let’s do this better with courage, honesty, and with heart.
Let’s talk…is why HappyValleyIndustry is dying next month and evolving to ConnectHappyValley.com – a dream to be a hyper local social media platform. Will it work – well – you will decide that – you are the consumer.
5 Responses
For a land grant university to close satellite campuses while paying football coaches millions is obscene. Rockview closure is a horse of a different color. Dropping the student-athlete charade is the appropriate hard decision.
Wow, another grand slam article. What a great discussion and explanation on the value of leadership. Leadership isn’t a popularity contest and it can be very lonely. Life is full of change and those that adapt will excel. As a football town, thankfully we embraced the forward pass when it was introduced to the game decades ago. The community can embrace change and make it work or it can be left behind as the train leaves the station. Those of us with a few decades of life experiences can relate to times when the good old days needed to adapt to the changing environment. Those that jumped in and helped forge the change were the new leaders while those that sat in the back of the crowd complaining were left behind. Now’s the time to step up and help make the change be for the good! There is so much opportunity with this PSU decision it just takes forward thinking and aggressive decision making. This expression can be over used but it’s very true: “think outside of the box. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone”!
Often lost in the recent debate is that the level of state funding Penn State receives is hundreds of millions less than every other state affiliated university in the Big Ten. The enrollment cliff and lack of state support really gave the administration no choice. Now throw in the impending loss of research funding from the federal government, so layoffs of research scientists seem inevitable. The numbers would suggest an even more aggressive branch campus shutdown in the not to distance future.
Thanks Greg. We need t be High-Tech, AND High-Touch organizations, meaning, the People Skills need to be taught, assessed and coached more than ever. (At all levels) Emotional Intelligence is lacking in many leaders with great potential yet they often get in their own way. So, from my experience I’d add a few of these on that list of 8.
Congratulations Greg Woodman– you nailed it. Penn State Presidents for >20 years have known full well that the current Commonwealth Campus System was unsustainable, but the can got kicked down the road for all the wrong reasons. Fortunately, we hired Dr. Neeli Bendapudi– and to her credit she did not rush the decision to consolidate. Instead she became intimately familiar with each campus and worked carefully on a plan that makes sense for both The Commonwealth and the University at large. That’s what real leadership looks like.