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04-04-2021-spring-campus-gundappa-saha

Interim Penn President Larry Jameson sent an email to the Penn community regarding higher education in the context of the new Trump administration on Jan. 28.

Credit: Gundappa Saha

Interim Penn President Larry Jameson addressed the ongoing uncertainty surrounding President and 1968 Wharton graduate Donald Trump’s recent executive orders and how they may affect Penn. 

Jameson’s email marks the University’s first comments on the second Trump administration’s policies — many of which have ignited a firestorm in Washington. The message addressed several executive actions, including Tuesday’s freeze on federal funding and grants, a crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and revised immigration policies. 

“First, we do not know how these developments will play out,” Jameson wrote in the email. “We have convened members of Penn’s administration, the Faculty Senate, the Council of Deans, and other leaders to review these orders, understand their implications, and ensure that we are taking appropriate action.”

Jameson added that given how rapidly the situation is changing Penn is  “also reviewing our policies, programs, and practices.”

Trump’s funding freeze was temporarily blocked on Tuesday by a federal judge in Washington. The hold has delayed the order from going into effect until Feb. 3.

The email reassured students and faculty that the University’s “financial outlook is sound” and that the institution should “continue its essential research.” Jameson suggested that if a federal agency has halted funding, the affected parties should contact the Dean’s office.

Penn received over $936 million in federal funding in the fiscal year of 2023. 

“The American higher education system is the envy of the world and one of America’s greatest strengths,” Jameson wrote in the email. “A social contract has long enabled U.S. colleges and universities to serve individuals, communities, and government for the good of all. This contract has been a cornerstone of innovation and opportunity in our society.”

Earlier this week, Jonathan Epstein, the interim executive vice president of Penn Medicine and interim dean of the Perelman School of Medicine, addressed a similar decision by the Trump administration to freeze communications from United States health agencies — including the National Institutes of Health — in an email to the Penn Med community.

In the email, Epstein acknowledged the “anxiety” Penn was causing as they worked to understand the impact of the changes.

“Please know that we are working with our academic and government relations colleagues to understand and respond to the potential impact of these events,” Epstein wrote. “We are working closely with your department chairs and institute/center directors, and we remain focused on our strategic priorities.”

That pause is set to last through at least the end of the month. 

As Trump cracks down on DEI initiatives, Jameson emphasized that Penn continues to prioritize “non-discrimination and prizing excellence,” and that the University remains committed to its values. 

“This approach guides how we identify and recruit the most talented individuals based on their accomplishments and potential,” he added. 

Earlier this month, Trump also announced a reversal of a policy that previously declared “sensitive locations,” including schools, churches, hospitals, and colleges, off limits for Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.  

“This action empowers the brave men and women in [Customs and Border Protection] and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens—including murders and rapists—who have illegally come into our country. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson wrote in a statement. “The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.”

“I know everyone is afraid, and everyone is highly critical of Penn for not doing anything about it or publicly supporting their undocumented and immigrant population,” a Penn for Immigrant Rights executive board member — who requested anonymity for personal safety concerns —  previously told The Daily Pennsylvanian.

A spokesperson for the Division of University Life wrote to the DP that the division “remains committed to supporting all student communities and their sense of belonging on campus.”

“I ask every member of the Penn community to come together and do what we must: take care of one another, seek help when needed, and ensure the continuation of our critically important work,” Jameson concluded. “Together, we will protect and preserve what defines us as Penn.”