Penn gets $2 million for faculty diversity improvements

Penn has received a multimillion-dollar donation to further its ongoing goals of increasing faculty diversity.

Penn President Amy Gutmann and Provost Vince Price announced in a statement Tuesday that The Pew Charitable Trusts gave the University $2 million to support its Presidential Term Professorships program.

Presidential Term Professorships are a key part of Penn’s $100-million Action Plan for Faculty Diversity and Excellence, which was released by Gutmann and Price this summer. According to the plan, these professorships will “support up to ten term professorships at the junior and senior level for exceptional scholars who will contribute to faculty excellence and diversity.”

Gutmann said in a statement that she was “delighted that this most recent grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts will enable Penn to move quickly to appoint Presidential Term Professors who will add further distinction to our faculty.”

“The Pew Charitable Trusts’ wonderful demonstration of support will significantly strengthen Penn’s efforts to recruit and retain an even more eminent faculty,” she added.

The Action Plan for Faculty Diversity and Excellence will direct funds toward hiring and retaining diverse faculty members over the next five years. It also instructs each individual school to appoint its own diversity officer in order to increase faculty diversity within their school.

The Provost’s Office plans to accept nominations for Presidential Term Professorships from any school or department on campus.

“We are grateful to The Pew Charitable Trusts for this generous award, which will help us further advance the diversity and scope of our extraordinary faculty,” Price said in a statement. “I look forward to working closely with the leaders of the Schools to develop outstanding nominations in the year ahead.”

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