STATE COLLEGE — Penn State trustees decided Friday to add six voting members to the 30-person board after alumni-elected members failed to prevent the changes.

The board voted 16-9 to add a student, a faculty member and the immediate past president of the alumni association, along with three spots that the trustees themselves will pick as a way to find new members with special expertise or experience.

Supporters said they were responding to requests by different groups for representation, and that despite the larger size, the board would remain more or less in line with similar institutions.

“This proposal adds valuable constituencies to this board,” said Chairman Keith Masser. “It adds three at-large seats that allows this board to be more effective by filling experience gaps, and it spreads the power so that no two constituency groups can determine an outcome.”

But alumni-elected trustee Anthony Lubrano, who voted against the proposal, said the expansion will not improve the school’s governance.

“What we’ve done here is try to appease everyone,” Lubrano said.

Trustee Al Lord, elected by alumni, said he was concerned about the balance of power on the board.

“Each time we add a director or trustee, you neutralize one of the trustees on the other side,” Lord said. “Were this board totally simpatico, I think we would all be indifferent.”

Those divisions were reflected in several votes, and new trustee Walter Rakowich said they troubled him.

“The numbers (of trustees) don’t matter, what matters is trust, and we don’t have trust on the board,” Rakowich said. “And that’s what we need to start working on.”