Trustees talk finances, neighbor relations

Planning ahead for the coming year, Penn’s 57-member Board of Trustees — as well as Penn President Amy Gutmann and many other administrators — met last week to discuss and approve the University’s finances, academic policy and campus and neighborhood initiatives.

The Trustees, chaired by David Cohen, approved a 3.9 percent increase in undergraduate tuition at Friday’s Stated Meeting after the Budget and Finance committee passed it Thursday, in addition to a 7.7 percent increase in the financial aid budget.

The Student Life committee discussed the Student Intervention System from the Vice Provost for University Life and the ways it helps students in crisis.

Showing how users create an avatar and explore Penn’s campus on the Internet, the Student Life committee demonstrated the new virtual campus tours from VPUL.

The External Affairs committee discussed new ways that Penn can better communicate about its programs and news. New initiatives include the Penn mobile website — which launched earlier this semester — and Penn InTouch mobile that will launch in late March or early April.

At the Facilities and Campus Planning meeting, the committee announced Morris Arboretum received platinum level certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Facilities and Campus Planning also discussed the University’s recent acquisition of the Axis/Stratum Property at 20 S. 36th St. and the second phase of the Penn Connects project.

The Committee on Neighborhood Initiatives explained the community’s conversion of many buildings around campus into student housing and the strength of retail around Penn despite national trends. They also discussed the state of health clinics in the area and initiatives for arts and culture.

In Friday’s Stated Meeting, Gutmann announced that Penn had reached the $3 billion mark on its Making History Campaign, which ultimately plans to raise a total of $3.5 billion.

The Trustees also announced that Eduardo Glandt agreed to extend his term as the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Dean until June 30, 2015. They also gave updates on the Schools of Medicine and Nursing, the strong state of the University’s finances and new appointments across schools.

Staff writers Jessica Yu, Grace Ortelere, Eillie Anzilotti, Seth Zweifler, Amy Berger and Dorcy Chen contributed to the reporting of this article.

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