At last, a decision -- if that's what one can call it in good conscience -- has been reached between the Dickinson School of Law and Penn State after more than a year of contentious debate.

The fact that no concrete plan has materialized, after the so-called "decision" has been reached should be cause for concern among current Dickinson students and graduates, as well as Penn State students who think they might want to pursue a degree in law.

After the proposed "10 year relationship" ends, it's anyone's guess as to what the implications will be for both Carlisle and Penn State. Will the Carlisle campus be relegated to that of a "branch campus," much to the Board of Governors chagrin?

Or will it not cause anyone concern, because as far as the new proposal goes, the Board of Governors, currently comprised of Dickinson alumni, will be packed with Penn State employees.

Will the Carlisle campus have to close its doors after almost 200 years of not only being a law school near the Harrisburg area, but also having economic stakes in the local community?

There are no answers: Only unanswered questions. By incorporating lovely details into their vision, such as offering internship programs to those who stay in Carlisle, and allowing those who study at Penn State to pursue a double degree while staying in Nittany Apartments, their proposal might seem tempting to those who don't fully understand the possible repercussions of uprooting an educational facility and replacing it.

That's another question: What happens to the undergraduates who are pushed out of housing if it's offered to law school students studying here as an incentive?

And that's another thing: The formerly all Dickinson-alumni Board of Governors will be replaced with Penn State representatives, causing those who know the school best to be outnumbered and lost in a crowd whose interests lie solely in raising the status of their law school.

If Penn State wants to have a first-tier law school, perhaps it should consider disaffiliating itself with Dickinson and building it's own law school at Penn State for those who would be interested in pursuing what some would consider a more "prestigious" law degree.

Wouldn't it be easier just to leave the practical law school, which is close to Harrisburg and convenient for internships, alone? After all, it's been around half a century longer than our lovely land-grant university.

It's a shame that both sides were not able to come to a more congenial agreement and determine what truly is best for law school students, instead of deciding the best way to fatten their wallets.