Laurel: To giving students a break. It isn’t the fault of those enrolled at Penn State’s New Kensington or Fayette campuses that university leadership voted to close the schools at the end of the Spring 2027 semester.
With that hanging in the not-so-distant future, it makes sense that some students are trying to maximize their time at the more convenient local campuses by taking as many classes as they can.
That approach once was fairly common. If a semester cost the same for 18 credits as it did for 21, why not take the extra class and shave off some time — and tuition — down the road?
That changed in 2023, when Penn State approved an “overload” surcharge. At a Commonwealth campus, more than 19 credits meant an extra $552 to $641 per credit.
Now, the university is waiving those fees for the next three semesters at the seven campuses being shuttered, citing a desire to “reflect our commitment to supporting students … and helping them stay on track toward earning their Penn State degrees.”
Let’s give credit where credit is due. This might be the first reasonable and responsible move Penn State has made since announcing the closures.
On the watch: To the future of hockey. Reports broke Wednesday that controlling interest in the Pittsburgh Penguins is changing hands.
It was just 2021 when Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle sold their stake to Fenway Sports Group for $900 million. Four years later, Fenway is reportedly selling its piece of the Penguins to the Hoffmann Family of Companies, a Chicago-based investment group. ESPN and TSN peg the price at somewhere between $1.7 billion and $1.8 billion.
Is this a good thing? Is it a bad thing? Right now, it’s hard to tell.
The Penguins have not exactly posted championship results in recent years. There was one first-round playoff exit in 2022, just months after Fenway’s purchase, followed by three seasons without any postseason play. Maybe the changes Fenway made — including bringing in Kyle Dubas as president of hockey operations — simply haven’t delivered.
Or maybe ownership alone was never the fix.
Either way, this would mark yet another December ownership change for the franchise. If the sale goes through, it will take time to see whether it makes a meaningful difference on the ice or off it.
In the meantime, it does raise a thought. If the Penguins’ departing owners are in the mood to reshuffle their Pittsburgh portfolio, there is one change everyone would like to see.
Doesn’t Fenway have some experience in baseball?
