STATE COLLEGE — Penn State is offering buyouts to Commonwealth Campus employees to reduce its multimillion-dollar budget deficit, a dramatic step for Pennsylvania’s flagship university.

Campuses affected in the Philadelphia area include Penn State Abington in Montgomery County, Penn State Brandywine in Delaware County and the Great Valley campus in Chester County.

Penn State University is offering eligible faculty, staff and administrators on its 20 Commonwealth campuses the option to leave their jobs with a lump sum payment and benefits. The move comes as Pennsylvania’s flagship public university works to shrink a multi-million dollar budget deficit.

There are no current plans to implement the program at University Park, the law schools or the College of Medicine, but that may be reevaluated in the future.

Penn State University is asking faculty of its Commonwealth Campuses to voluntarily depart from the university, launching a new “Voluntary Separation Incentive Program.” The university announced the program Wednesday,