Although it may be feasible to shut down a number of the Commonwealth Campuses in the future because of the state's economic crunch, there are no plans to do so.

At Tuesday's hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senate Majority Whip Michael Fisher, R-Allegheny asked University President Joab Thomas if the University had enough money to operate all of its campuses, said Erik Ross, executive assistant to Sen. Fisher. There are 23 Penn State affiliates, including 17 Commonwealth Campuses.

Fisher asked if there had been a recent examination of the operating costs of the entire University system and if any consideration had been given to those costs, Ross said.

There has not been a budget assessment lately but a committee is going to be formed to assess the entire University in the future, Thomas said. He added there is really no urgency at this point to examine the efficiency of the campuses.

And there are "no plans at all" to eliminate any Commonwealth Campuses or University affiliates, Thomas said.

Nothing has been mentioned about eliminating campuses to John Romano, campus executive officer at the York Campus.

"No one at this point, to my knowledge, has talked about the closing of any campuses," he said.

Kjell Meling, acting campus executive officer at the Altoona Campus also confirmed that nothing has been said to campus officials and said he feels "quite comfortable" with the current economic situation.

Albert Skomra, campus executive officer at the Shenango Campus concurred with Melling, saying nothing has been said to him about the issue and doesn't believe it to be within the University's line of thinking.

"Reduced services, maybe. But shutdowns, no," Skomra said.

Closing some Commonwealth Campuses is not in the mindset of the University or in its best interest, Romano said.

"It would be too damaging to the communities we serve (to eliminate a campus)," Skomra said.

But programs, costs and services do need to be looked at in the future, Romano added.