My name is Ross MacCallum, Penn State Class of 1980, BA / Speech Communication.
I am a candidate for the Penn State Board of Trustees, and I need your support to place my name in nomination.
Nomination ballots were distributed on January 15th to all eligible voters for the 3 alumni positions on the board that are up for election this year. If you did not receive a ballot and believe you are eligible to vote, contact the board at bot@psu.edu to request a ballot.
I am the father of a current Penn State student. My father and grandfather both graduated from Penn State, as did many other members of my family.
I currently am a U.S. government contractor working as a consultant in digital media at the Voice of America in Washington, DC, and I live in northern Virginia.
I promise to bring common sense and media-savvy to a board desperately in need of both.
I support the following:
*Faculty Senate initiative to vote “no confidence” in the current Board of Trustees.
*Removal of all current board members to permit a fresh start.
*Efforts to streamline the board and reduce the number of members appointed by various agencies.
*Reducing the number of members appointed by the governor.
*Immediate resignations of the current board president (Mr. Garban) and vice president (Mr. Surma) in light of their sloppy handling of events revolving around the Sandusky scandal and, in particular, the unprofessional manner in which Coach Joe Paterno was relieved of his duties.
*A more public and transparent board that involves all members without the need for a so-called “core group” that acted, in many cases, without the knowledge of all members in critical matters such as the hiring of Dr. Spanier and the dismissal of Coach Paterno.
*The return of Dr. Rodney Erickson’s status to interim president until a new board is constituted to begin a national search for the next university president.
*Maintaining Dr. Dave Joyner as the interim Athletics Director until he is replaced by a permanent A.D. hired by a newly constituted board after a national search.
Additionally, I support the legacy of success created by Joe Paterno on the field, off the field, and in our libraries and support the new head football coach, Bill O’Brien, asking all Penn Staters to give him a chance to succeed.
I also support tuition reform for all students. Penn State is on the verge of becoming unaffordable for many children both inside Pennsylvania and around the U.S. As a first step, I propose a third layer of tuition that falls between in-state and out-of-state that helps the children of Penn State grads to attend the university. Several schools inside Pennsylvania already offer this type of tuition level to non-residents from other mid-Atlantic states. Penn State should do the same and include all non-resident children of PSU grads, as well. This reform will come too late to help me as my son graduates in 2013, but it surely will help future generations.
Thank you for your consideration. The deadline to return nominating ballots is Feb. 25. The final election ballots will be distributed in April.
I am Ross MacCallum, Class of ’80. I am Penn State.
We are… Penn State!!!