Penn State Board of Trustees

The Penn State Board of Trustees is the 38-member[1] governing body for The Pennsylvania State University. Its members include the university's president, the Governor of the Commonwealth, and the state Secretaries of Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources, and Education, as well as a representative for the Governor. The other members include six trustees appointed by the Governor, nine elected by alumni, six elected by Pennsylvania agricultural societies, six by a board representing business and industry enterprises, 3 at-large, 1 student, and 1 academic trustee.[2] Undergraduate students do not elect any trustees; the court case Benner v. Oswald ruled that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment did not require the undergraduate students be allowed to participate in the selection of trustees.

As of 2022, the chair of the board of trustees is Matthew W. Schuyler, a graduate of Penn State and chief brand officer at Hilton.[3]

The main responsibilities of the board are to select the president of Penn State, to determine the goals and strategic direction of the University, and to approve the annual budget.[4] Regular meetings of the board are held bi-monthly and take place primarily on the University Park campus, although on occasion meetings are held at other locations within the Commonwealth.[5]