Administration
Penn still plans to reopen in the spring despite new citywide COVID-19 restrictions
The city's rush to close parts of daily life in response to the rise in cases has not motivated the University to reconsider its plan to open on-campus housing in the spring.
In wake of new statue, Black students call on Penn to go beyond 'performative' gestures
While Gutmann highlighted the statue’s placement in a prominent location on campus, Black students said the artwork was largely meaningless if it was not accompanied by concrete action to support the Black community at Penn.
Penn pledges $100 million to Philadelphia public schools to address environmental hazards
Penn will contribute $10 million annually over the next decade. The announcement comes as the University faces widespread criticism from both students and faculty for its refusal to make Payments in Lieu of Taxes, known as PILOTs, to the city of Philadelphia.
As the pandemic rages on, Class of 2021 holds out hope for in-person commencement in May
The Class of 2020 and 2021 are scheduled to hold Commencement ceremonies on campus in May. But as COVID-19 continues to devastate the country, seniors are beginning to worry if the traditional ceremonies will be safe or feasible.
Penn’s latest campus sculpture aims to celebrate Black womanhood
The sculpture, titled 'Brick House,' was created by acclaimed artist Simone Leigh, and features cowrie shells on the woman’s braids which symbolize wealth, femininity, and the African slave trade in which the shells were used as currency, according to Penn Today.
Penn students organize boycott of classes this week to promote student wellness
Students participating in the strike cited the cancellation of fall break, Penn’s failure to cancel classes on Election Day, and the police killing of Walter Wallace Jr. as causes of students' mental health struggles this semester.
Students hesitate to trust Penn’s spring reopening plan after fall reversal
Citing Penn's reversal of its fall 2020 plans just weeks before the start of the semester, students now doubt that the University will follow through with its current reopening plan for the spring.
Over 7,000 people petition Penn to give its 41,000 employees time off on Election Day
Penn's employee count is just 3,000 fewer than the 44,000-vote margin of victory that decided Pennsylvania in the 2016 presidential election.
Penn's official response to Wallace Jr. killing omits police involvement, outraging students
In an email signed by Penn President Amy Gutmann and other Penn officials, Gutmann referred to Wallace Jr. as a neighbor of the Penn community, and his killing as a "death" with no mention of the word "police," escalating student outrage.
With classes online, a wave of cheating is ravaging Penn’s academics
While some professors have implemented anti-cheating measures like "live proctoring" on Zoom, students claim that many professors have failed to take necessary precautions against cheating even in the face of inflated class scores.
Ezekiel Emanuel says fully reopening the U.S. safely will take at least 12 more months
Emanuel, who is also healthcare advisor to former Vice Presidnt Joe Biden, said he believes that conditions are likely to improve only by November 2021. It could, however, be feasible to reopen colleges and universities before then depending on how a potential vaccine is rolled out.
Amy Gutmann and her husband donate $2 million to Penn Nursing for new scholarship program
The program, which will launch in January 2021, will select and fund 10 Nursing students annually across the undergraduate and graduate degree-levels, Director of Media Relations Ron Ozio wrote in a press release.
Penn denies congressional request to disclose stats on diverse-owned firms managing endowment
Rep. Joseph Kennedy III (D-Mass.) and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) sent a letter to 25 colleges and universities on July 10, requesting information regarding the participation of women and minority-owned asset management firms in the administration of endowment assets.
‘Latinos can make a community anywhere’: Students celebrate Latinx Heritage Month virtually
While some students said the virtual setting could not match the same exciting atmosphere of the in-person traditions, most students and faculty still deemed this year's online celebrations an overall success.
Students chafe at Gutmann’s $3.6 million salary as Penn’s academics face cuts
Gutmann, who is the highest paid president in the Ivy League with a salary of $3.6 million in 2017, has taken a pay freeze for the 2019-2020 academic year. Meanwhile, presidents of four other Ivy League schools have taken pay cuts of 20% or more.
New Vice Provost for University Life begins job, prioritizes meeting students virtually
This semester, VPUL Mamta Motwani Accapadi hopes to provide students with the resources they need to vote in the upcoming presidential election and help the Penn community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wharton MBA students petition for lower tuition to offset limited in-person networking
Many students said the remote semester greatly diminishes the MBA experience where students can no longer network in-person or take advantage of Wharton-sponsored traveling and co-curricular activities.
Despite COVID-19 pandemic, Penn’s endowment increases by $200 million to $14.9 billion
This year's endowment had a return rate — the percent of growth from investing the endowment funds — of just 3.4%, continuing the downward trend in return rates since fiscal year 2017 which recorded a 14.3% return rate.
Disorientation Guide for first years critiques Penn’s impact on students, staff, and Phila.
The guide, published annually, was written by various student groups including Penn Community for Justice, Police Free Penn, the Penn Slavery Project, Fossil Free Penn, Philly Jobs with Justice, and the Coalition Against Fraternity Sexual Assault.