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Penn President Larry Jameson sat down with The Daily Pennsylvanian on April 17 for an exclusive interview a month after being named Penn’s 10th president.
Jameson reflected on his personal development over the past 15 months in the role and shared his hopes for the legacy he will leave after his tenure. He also addressed the challenges currently facing higher education institutions nationwide — including visa revocations, the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and Penn’s policy changes in response to federal actions.
“When Benjamin Franklin formed this university, really the foundation of that was that citizens would be educated so they could participate as citizens and the democracy and use education and knowledge for good,” Jameson said. “We need to be true to our values and true to our mission at the same time that we adapt to what's happening in an external environment that is very relevant to this university.”
Here are five main takeaways from Jameson’s 30-minute interview with the DP:
1. Citing Penn’s policy of institutional neutrality
Jameson cited the University’s institutional neutrality policy — announced in September 2024 — as rationale for why Penn has been less vocal than peer institutions against attacks on higher education. The policy states that Penn will “refrain from institutional statements … except for those which have direct and significant bearing on University functions."
“I'm very focused on the University of Pennsylvania," Jameson said. "We created a position probably a year ago of institutional restraint with our messaging. The point of that which we articulate … is largely so that the institutional voice was not speaking out on behalf of the faculty and students and our stakeholders, but rather enabling them to develop their own positions and points of view.”
When asked about faculty and student voices urging Penn to take a stronger stance against the Trump administration, Jameson responded, "That's a point of view that's being expressed, and I'm listening to it and taking it into consideration."
Harvard University similarly adopted a policy of refraining from issuing controversial statements in May 2024. However, Harvard announced last week that they would not comply with a set of demands presented to the university by the Trump administration. On April 21, Harvard sued the administration for freezing their federal funding.
2. Jameson did not explicitly use the term “diversity” until prompted
When asked if Penn has maintained its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion despite scrubbing all references to DEI from websites and faculty and staff titles, Jameson said that the University has a "a very long-standing commitment to inclusion and nondiscrimination."
Upon further prompted, Jameson addressed Penn’s commitment to upholding “diversity," which he said is "part of inclusion.”
“I think about diversity and probably more forms than you intend, diversity of thought, diversity of fields, diversity of backgrounds, whether it's national origin or religion or race or ethnicity,” Jameson said.
Jameson also noted that the websites were scrubbed in compliance with the executive order adding that the choice “doesn't change our culture and our values.”
3. Acknowledging the anxiety surrounding visa revocations
In response to a question about Penn’s commitment to protect international students at Penn whose visas were — or could be — revoked, Jameson said that he recognizes “the anxiety” for students who are impacted directly or indirectly.
On April 17, a University spokesperson told the DP that the federal government had revoked the visas and terminated the immigration statuses of eight Penn affiliates. At the time of publication, more than 1,650 student visas have been revoked nationwide.
Jameson told the DP that his office is “bending over backwards to provide all the support and resources available” to those who have been impacted by the visa revocations, and added that support for impacted students would depend on the "circumstances" for each individual.
4. Jameson did not mention President and 1968 Wharton graduate Donald Trump
The Trump administration has implemented many federal initiatives attacking institutions of higher education. Jameson did not name to Trump or 1997 College and Wharton graduate Elon Musk — an advisor to Trump — once during his 30-minute interview with the DP.
5. Reflecting on his legacy and priorities for the upcoming year
Jameson noted that while he was already familiar with the University, his role as President has been able to “deeply explore all of the different dimensions of the university” — explicitly naming the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Social Policy & Practice, and the Graduate School of Education. He added he has had the opportunity to meet a lot of “really interesting people,” including both faculty and students.
When asked about his background in the medical field, Jameson noted that he brings many skills of a physician-scientist to his leadership style. He added that he felt a “calling” toward the field of medicine, and is still driven by “the excitement of how science can make the world a better place.”
“I'm a very forward looking person,” Jameson said. “I want my legacy to be that I help Penn adapt successfully to a rapidly changing world, so that each [student] and those who follow … are prepared to play a part in that, to help shape it and be successful.”
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