Statement addresses research funding, student visas, and other key issues.
Photo Credit: Email Screenshot
By Sarah Mester
Interim President of Penn Larry Jameson released a statement on January 28th to the Penn community about “recent developments from Washington that directly affect higher education” and lists seven such developments: research funding, financial aid, visas, immigration status, student loans, endowments, and DEI programs. Jameson noted that the statement is meant to “provide guidance to sustain our missions while ensuring Penn complies with federal law” and goes on to state that “Penn’s financial outlook is sound”, that “we will uphold Penn’s values”, and that the university is monitoring any developments.
In September of 2024, Penn announced that it would “refrain from institutional statements made in response to local and world events except for those which have direct and significant bearing on University functions”. Messages that have been sent since this policy change include topics such as the Draw Down the Lightning grant initiative, Climate Week at Penn, and the changeover in the School of Arts & Sciences leadership.
The Daily Pennsylvanian posted an article on January 27th titled Penn remains silent on Trump’s new immigration policies as campus groups prepare response. The article noted that in November 2016, the then-President of Penn Amy Guttman announced that the University would be a sanctuary for undocumented students and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would not be allowed on campus. It is unclear if Jameson’s statement was released in response to the DP article.
Sarah Mester is a senior in the College studying Political Science and Classics from San Francisco, CA. She’s the Assistant News Editor for The Pennsylvania Post. Her email is smester@sas.upenn.edu.
