One month after Larry Jameson was named Penn’s 10th president following a 15-month tenure as interim leader, he sat down with The Daily Pennsylvanian for an exclusive interview to discuss his tenure to date, recent federal actions, and his role in guiding Penn through a period of unprecedented uncertainty.
The DP spoke with Jameson — who was formally appointed as president on March 13 — as Penn and universities across the country face mounting attacks and pressure from President and 1968 Wharton graduate Donald Trump and the federal government.
Response to federal actions
Jameson declined to speculate on a ”hypothetical” situation that would require Penn to respond to federal demands — which have been delivered to peer institutions like Columbia University and Harvard University — adding that Penn's response would depend “what was asked of us” by the government.
“We haven't received the same demands or letters that other places have,” Jameson said. “Time will tell if that changes, but that's not the case right now.”
Jameson explained that different University stakeholders are involved in determining Penn’s response to federal pressures based on the unique characteristics of the situation. For non-legal matters, Jameson said Penn consults a “variety of different stakeholders within the University,” including the deans, the Faculty Senate, and — “in some cases” — the Board of Trustees.
“If it's a legal question, we have outside legal advice,” he said. “If it's a request for information within the confines of the law, we provide the information when requested of us.”
Six days after Jameson was named Penn’s permanent president, the Trump administration paused $175 million in federal funding to Penn, citing the University’s failure to bar transgender athletes from women's sports.
Jameson told the DP that he has not ruled out taking legal action to restore the frozen funding.
“I like to keep as many options available as possible,” Jameson said. “We continue to get information about the contracts and grants that were involved there, and review these both with the investigators and the relevant agencies.”
As federal actions targeting higher education continue to escalate, leaders at Penn's peer institutions have taken public stances criticizing Trump's administration.
Last week, Harvard President Alan Garber announced the university’s decision to reject demands from the Trump administration that threatened $9 billion in Harvard's research funding.
In a March 19 essay published in The Atlantic, Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber criticized the federal government's cancellation of $400 million in federal funding to Columbia and expressed concern about the university’s subsequent compliance with Trump's demands.
In contrast, Jameson has sent four messages to the Penn community regarding federal policies affecting the University — but has yet to issue a public statement. He attributed his reserved approach to Penn’s policy of institutional neutrality.
“I think it's very important that I focus on issues that are relevant to Penn's missions and operations,” Jameson said. “When it comes to commentary about the external world, let all members of our community develop their own points of view and decisions.”
The University’s institutional neutrality policy, which was announced in September 2024, states that Penn will “refrain from institutional statements … except for those which have direct and significant bearing on University functions.”
Visa revocations
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 1,550 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.
“I recognize the anxiety, certainly for anyone affected,” Jameson said, adding that while the number of students impacted by visa revocations at Penn is “small,” the “anxiety is broad.”
“What I think turns out to be the case is that each of the circumstances is quite unique to that individual,” Jameson added regarding support resources available to international students. “Some may be graduate students, some might be close to finishing a thesis, and others not, so it depends exactly on what the circumstances are and the options that might be available.”
Changes to DEI
Under Jameson’s leadership, Penn implemented numerous changes to its policies, programs, and initiatives in response to federal actions taken by the Trump administration.
Following a Jan. 20 executive order, schools and centers across the University quietly removed references to diversity, equality, and inclusion from their webpages. The takedowns drew sharp criticism from faculty members and local politicians.
When asked if the scrubbed sites indicated a shift in Penn’s commitment to DEI, Jameson said they were “in compliance with the executive order” and do not “change our culture and our values.”
“I would say that Penn has a very long-standing commitment to inclusion and non-discrimination,” Jameson said. “This goes back many decades here, and our track record of support for broad populations and being inclusive is extraordinary.”
Jameson did not use the word “diversity” in his initial answer. After being asked directly about Penn’s commitment to diversity, he responded that diversity of “thought,” “fields,” and “backgrounds” — including “national origin, religion, race, or ethnicity” — is “part of inclusion.”
Goals of his tenure
Jameson said that during his tenure as president, he has learned about the Penn community and had the opportunity to “meet a lot of really interesting people, both [on the] student side and among the faculty.”
Jameson added that he approaches his role at the helm of the University through his background as a physician-scientist, prompting him to “analyze things in a rigorous way and use data to inform decision making.”
“I'm a very forward-looking person,” Jameson told the DP. “I think one thing that's going to be really important for Penn as we navigate … a challenging time in higher education is to stay focused on what the future is going to look like.”
“At the heart of this, I want my legacy to be that I help Penn adapt successfully to a rapidly changing world,” he concluded.
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