Penn State DuBois is one of seven campuses that will close in two years after the university’s board of trustees approved the plan last week, pointing to declining enrollment and shrinking surrounding communities.
“The decision, of course, has been devastating to all of us," said Jungwoo Ryoo, the chancellor at Penn State DuBois. "A change of this magnitude is deeply personal and really hard on all of us.”
On Friday, leadership at the DuBois campus held an open house for faculty and staff to answer questions about what comes next, and to offer support.
“We're, of course, still trying to process the news and trying to recover from it," Ryoo said. "All of us are sad. The mood at the campus is really heavy.”
Penn State is closing seven of its 19 campuses. Plus, Clearfield County is losing another higher education institution. Commonwealth University is closing its Clearfield teaching location in two years.
Ryoo said he is optimistic about the future of higher education, despite the recent closure announcements.
“Especially because of all these newly emerging technologies out there, including artificial intelligence. The role of higher education is even more important because being human is what we need, and that's what we teach in higher education," Ryoo said.
Ryoo also thanked everyone who helped advocate for the DuBois campus to stay open and said he is dedicated to supporting the DuBois community through this transition.
Penn State DuBois will stop accepting new students after the upcoming fall semester, and the campus will officially close after the spring semester of 2027. The other Penn State campuses to close are Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre and York.
