EDITOR'S NOTE: The full Board of Trustees approved the proposal at its meeting on Nov. 8.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa – The Penn State Board of Trustees’ Finance and Investment Committee advanced a plan today (Nov. 7) to construct a new classroom building at the University Park campus.  

“This new classroom building represents a vital investment in our educational infrastructure,” said Tracy Langkilde, interim executive vice president and provost. “With the expected incremental growth in University Park’s student enrollment, expanding our instructional spaces is crucial to maintaining the high standard of education we provide at Penn State.” 

The proposal for the building will be considered by the full board on Nov. 8. 

If approved, construction is scheduled to break ground later this month, with an expected completion date of August 2026, in time for the fall 2026 academic semester. 

The new, 90,000-square-foot classroom building will be located near the intersection of Park Avenue and Bigler Road, adjacent to the Forest Resources Building. The building will contain large lecture halls, and seminar-style and flexible seating general-purpose classrooms, which will be available to all academic colleges at University Park.  

University Park currently has 24 general-purpose classrooms that can seat at least 150 students, all of which are heavily utilized with limited availability. The new building will add approximately 2,200 seats, significantly increasing the University’s accommodations. In addition to classrooms, the building will include class-change seating, study areas and building support spaces.