Penn State president discusses changes for upcoming year

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (WTAJ) – With the new school year in full swing, Penn State is seeing some big changes across its campuses thanks to a new initiative and the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP).

PSU President Neeli Bendapudi says she wants to focus on a new regional leadership model, saying it will help the campuses work together and better suit the needs of their areas.

"What we are trying to do is make sure that we are extremely sensitive to the ambitions, the aspirations, the goals of our student body," Bendapudi said.

Another big change comes from the VSIP, where around 10% of PSU's workforce chose to leave with the promise of a year's salary and other benefits while they search for another job.

The long-term effects of this change are still not known, but Bendapudi says that they "do not anticipate" another round of the VSIP or layoffs in the future.