Tag: University of Pennsylvania

International

Biden Nominates UPenn President Amy Gutmann As Germany Ambassador

President Biden nominated University of Pennsylvania President  Dr. Amy Gutmann to be ambassador to Germany, The New York Times reported. In doing so, Biden is giving an important post to someone who hired him for a lucrative university position after he left the Obama administration. Gutmann – well-versed in constitutional democracy and human rights – […]

July 6, 2021

News Roundup

University of Pennsylvania Apologizes for Keeping and Losing Track of Remains of Two Children

The University of Pennsylvania is apologizing for keeping and then losing track of the remains of two children – ages 12 and 14 – killed in the 1985 MOVE bombing in Philadelphia, KKTV reported. In a series of statements, UPenn apologized to the Africa family, the remaining members of a pro-revolutionary organization entangled in a […]

April 27, 2021

Tenure

Engaging Academia on My Own Terms

I associated my belonging and success in academia with persisting and succeeding in the “traditional pathway” of doctoral students. While no one specifically told me, “you need to get a tenure-track position at a research institution,” I was socialized to believe that was the only goal I should aspire to.

April 14, 2021

African-American

Rutgers U, UPenn Work to Educate Public About Institutions’ Historical Slavery Ties

Rutgers University and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) are attempting to educate the public about their campuses’ ties to slavery, The Press of Atlantic City reported. Rutgers plans to place four historical plaques on its New Brunswick campus in the spring. These markers will show how school figures — such as Rutgers’ first president, Jacob […]

February 24, 2021

Leadership & Policy

The Rich Get Richer in the Midst of a Pandemic

In order to stay above water, institutions are making drastic decisions – implementing hiring freezes and pay cuts, trimming personnel via furloughs and layoffs, and leaving several employees without cost-of-living adjustments for the foreseeable future. Yet, in the midst of these decisions, I can’t help but notice how certain individuals seem to avoid economic losses – or take only minimal losses to save face.

December 17, 2020

News Roundup

U of Pennsylvania Museum to Remove Cranial Collection After Student Opposition

The University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Museum will remove from public view a cranial collection that critics, including student groups, say includes skulls of enslaved people, reported The Daily Pennsylvanian. The Morton Cranial Collection, which includes some 1,000 crania, was the work of Samuel George Morton, whose “research was taken as proof that Europeans, especially those […]

July 14, 2020

News Roundup

U of Pennsylvania to Withdraw Funding to Philadelphia’s Police Foundation

The University of Pennsylvania said Wednesday it will withdraw funding to Philadelphia’s police foundation following nationwide protests against racism and police brutality, reported The Philadelphia Inquirer. The university has also commissioned a review of its police department, one of the largest campus police departments in the country. The review will be conducted by the university’s Quattrone […]

June 25, 2020

COVID-19

Young Invincibles: Elite Institutions Should Accept Stimulus Funds

Late last week, the University of Pennsylvania joined its rich, elite peers, like Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and Yale universities, in refusing its share of funds from the coronavirus stimulus package. It was a laudable move on the part of these universities, many observers said, but one advocacy group, Young Invincibles, said on Monday these universities shouldn’t refuse the money.

April 27, 2020

Students

Maintaining Hope Despite the Uncertain Ending of My Doctoral Journey

As I come to terms with our current reality under the COVID-19 pandemic, I can’t shake the feelings of uncertainty. Beyond the academic job market being very competitive, the looming economic impact this crisis will have in higher education makes it seem like this is the worst time to be seeking a job, especially on the tenure track.

April 23, 2020

Sports

Ivy League Won’t Allow Spring Sports Athletes to Compete as Graduate Students

The Ivy League won’t allow an additional year of eligibility to its spring-sport athletes who had their seasons shortened by the coronavirus pandemic, reported the Associated Press. That means the league won’t allow its spring sports athletes to compete as graduate students. Meanwhile, on Monday, the NCAA allowed spring-sport athletes, regardless of their year in […]

April 3, 2020

COVID-19

Higher Ed Institutions Lay Off Workers, Tighten Budgets Amid Coronavirus Crisis

As college faculty and administrators slide into their slippers and prepare to work online, other campus workers who can’t carry out their duties remotely – namely members of dining, housing and maintenance operations – face layoffs as various institutions across the country are reeling from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

March 29, 2020

Students

The Flaws With College Rankings

I would never suggest getting rid of rankings altogether. They serve as a great starting point for students who are researching potential schools, and they encourage schools to constantly strive for growth and improvement. Specific ranking lists that provide information on the best colleges for veterans, undergraduate teaching, and affordability can be quite helpful. However, it is important to note the limitations of the ranking system and to encourage students to find the school that is the best fit for their individual needs.

March 24, 2020