Penn State’s Commonwealth campus leader is preparing to leave amid closure discussions
She was named provost of the College of New Jersey, effective July 1.
The vice president for Commonwealth campuses at Pennsylvania State University will be leaving the system this summer for another job, just as the school likely will be starting to carry out plans to close some campuses.
Margo DelliCarpini has been named provost and vice president of academic affairs at the College of New Jersey, the school announced Tuesday morning. She starts her new job there July 1.
Penn State announced earlier this year it would be closing some of its Commonwealth campuses, with a decision on which ones coming before commencement in May. DelliCarpini is one of three administrators heading the team evaluating which campuses should be targeted for closure. The closure plans follow years of falling enrollment at the Commonwealth campuses.
DelliCarpini did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither did Penn State, though in a release the school stated that work on the Commonwealth campus plan would continue.
» READ MORE: Penn State plans to close some Commonwealth campuses
In a statement through TCNJ, DelliCarpini said she was “thrilled” to be joining the school.
“The mission of TCNJ is aligned with my own professional values and commitment to public higher education that truly transforms lives and values access, affordability, and excellence,” she said.
DelliCarpini joined Penn State in 2021 as chancellor of the Abington campus and professor of linguistics. She was named vice president for the Commonwealth campuses and executive chancellor in 2023, overseeing 20 campuses.
“Dr. DelliCarpini will be a stalwart leader of our extraordinary faculty and a wonderful partner for the college’s leadership team,” TCNJ president Michael A. Bernstein said in a statement. “She possesses impeccable academic credentials, brings an impressive record of academic administrative leadership, and has a strong appreciation for the teacher-scholar model.”
DelliCarpini, who got her degrees from Stony Brook University, came to Penn State from the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she was vice provost for strategic educational partnerships and dean of the College of Education and Human Development.
Just how many Commonwealth campuses will close is uncertain, but Penn State president Neeli Bendapudi said in February none would shut down before the end of the 2026-27 year. She said she expects to have a recommendation from the evaluation team no later than the end of this semester and to make a final decision before commencement.
The three Commonwealth campuses in the Philadelphia region ― Brandywine, Abington, and the graduate education-focused campus at Great Valley ― are not being considered for closure. They are among the system’s largest.
Enrollment has been declining steadily at the Commonwealth campuses. It stood at roughly 24,000 last June, down about 30% since 2010. This fall, overall enrollment at those campuses fell about 2%, but the decline in first-year enrollment was steeper: 8.4%, or 578 students.
DelliCarpini said in a statement on Penn State’s website that making the move will allow her to be closer to family.
“I will always be grateful for my time at Penn State and I look forward to seeing the future Commonwealth Campus ecosystem being in a position to foster opportunity and supporting student growth across the University,” she said.