Academics
There’s always something new going on at Penn’s four undergraduate schools and 12 graduate schools. Look here for information on upcoming academic initiatives, new classes and research conducted by professors and students.
Penn SP2 to end support program for formerly incarcerated individuals
According to an updated webpage describing the program, starting June 2025 GRI will no longer offer direct services and instead focus on the criminal legal system as part of SP2's Criminal Justice Hub.
‘A dire situation’: Penn faculty say shared governance broke down over past year
Penn’s faculty members claimed that the University’s shared governance structures have eroded over the past year amid administrative turmoil and controversies surrounding academic freedom and open expression.
Penn GSE to launch college, career readiness program with School District of Philadelphia
Programming will be free of cost to the District, schools, and students, according to the Penn GSE press release.
Students concerned for future of Indigenous studies program a year after coordinator retires
Students expressed frustration about the lack of communication from the University, the sparse Indigenous representation among NAIS faculty, and the limited number of courses.
College and Engineering senior Om Gandhi named 2025 Rhodes Scholar
Gandhi, who will pursue a a D.Phil. in oncology at Oxford, is one of 32 students selected for the scholarship from the United States this year.
Penn trustees vote on campus renovations, discuss implications of election at fall meetings
The Board also approved the creation of a new College of Liberal and Professional Studies master's program focused on police practice and criminology as well as multiple large scale renovation projects.
Penn professors cancel classes, delay exams as campus takes stock of Trump victory
After 1968 Wharton graduate and former President Donald Trump was named the winner of the 2024 presidential election, Penn professors acted quickly — canceling classes, offering resources, and adjusting exam schedules.
Many professors cancel classes on Election Day, despite lack of holiday recognition by Penn
Penn professors said that they have either canceled their classes or modified their curricula to accommodate Election Day and surrounding political activities — a decision students said that they supported.
Penn Global launches research initiative to examine international climate action, geopolitics
The program will focus on climate security and geopolitics, and seek to highlight research gaps in aligning national security policy with climate action.
Penn School of Social Policy & Practice faculty receive grants to combat climate inequality
The Kleinman Center, which is housed in the Stuart Weitzman School of Design, seeks to address issues related to energy and climate policy.
Penn symposium gathers history professors to discuss political, legal history of voting
The event — titled “A More Perfect Union: Histories of Voting in America” — featured presentations by faculty members from neighboring institutions moderated by Penn professors and a student panel.
14 Penn Global Seminars for spring 2025 to include new travel sites in Brazil, Bulgaria, Malawi
Penn Abroad will offer 14 Penn Global Seminar (PGS) courses for the Spring 2025 term, featuring new program sites like Brazil, Bulgaria, and Malawi.
From Percy Jackson to college presidents, five fun classes to take in spring 2025
The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with five professors who are teaching new or interesting courses in spring 2025, exploring topics that range from city soundscapes to "Percy Jackson."
Inside Penn’s largely unknown process of assigning sector tags to College courses
Multiple faculty members told The Daily Pennsylvanian that they were not aware of how the sector tag assignment process worked or what committees were involved.
Drexel University adopts “academic transformation” initiative amid low enrollment, budget struggles
The consolidation of Drexel's schools and colleges follows other recent changes to the university's academic structure.
Wolf Humanities Center hosts linguist, columnist Ben Zimmer for lecture on “keywords”
Zimmer — who was a research associate at Penn’s former Institute for Research in Cognitive Science from 2005 to 2006 — gave a presentation on lexicology and linguistics followed by a question and answer session with roughly 40 attendees.
Penn Dental announces memorandum of understanding with faculty at Yeditepe University in Turkey
Yeditepe University is an institution in Istanbul, Turkey that engages in patient care, research, and dental education, offering instruction in both English and Turkish.
Penn quietly discontinues Bio-Dental program, sparking confusion over student statuses
Three students who spoke with the DP described feeling confusion and concern over whether current students in the program were still provided their conditional acceptance into the Dental School.
Paul Farber, Penn alum and head of Rosengarten Reserve at Van Pelt Library, dies at 78
Farber graduated with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Penn and was hired at Van Pelt in 1974.