The Paterno name has a strong presence on Penn State’s campus and now Jay Paterno is carrying it on to the Board of Trustees, where he hopes to focus on a variety of issues in light of any challenges or controversies.
On July 1st, Jay Paterno will take his seat on the board after getting about 75% of the votes in the election.
“It’s good on one hand but on the other hand there’s a lot of expectations,” Paterno said.
But with his last name, many question if his seat on the board is an attempt to rebuild his father, Joe Paterno’s, legacy.
“The truth of the matter is there’s really no escaping it,” Paterno said.
He also addressed if he plans to try and bring back the statue of his dad.
“That’s not…That’s for other people to worry about. I’d look at it and say that’s beyond my control,” Paterno said.
He said both his parents have contributed to the University, and his new position will allow him to do the same on an administrative level.
“There’s some people you’re never going to convince and if you say that it’s about the future, they say ‘oh he’s disingenuous, he’s not being honest.’ But that’s what it is. And they’ll see. They’ll see over the next couple years,” Paterno said.
Paterno said he wants to focus on academics; from online classes to other ways to make college more affordable.
He mentioned looking at schedule options, adding that shortening the time to get a degree could cut a large percentage of tuition costs.
“We’ve got to be open to really be willing to reform or change or put everything on the table as an option to make sure that we do remain, that we become affordable,” Paterno said.
The term for the Board of Trustees is 3 years and Jay Paterno said that’s just enough time to implement change and learn things along the way.
After that, he’ll decide if he’d run for the position again.