Penn trustees discuss political challenges, approve campus renovations at annual winter meeting

Penn’s Board of Trustees discussed recent political challenges to higher education and approved tuition increases and financial aid expansions at their annual winter meeting. 

The Board of Trustees met over the course of two days on Feb. 27 and 28 at The Inn at Penn for one of three annual stated meetings. During committee sessions, the Board approved campus renovations alongside a new Master of Applied Economics Program, discussing the importance of academia as well as the current political environment’s hostility to higher education.

At the stated meeting of the full Board of Trustees Friday, Interim Penn President Larry Jameson emphasized Penn’s mission amid challenges in higher education. Jameson reaffirmed Penn’s commitment to academic excellence, inclusivity, and open discourse.

“Penn and American higher education face challenges that we haven’t seen in our lifetimes, both fiscal and philosophical,” Jameson said. “While Penn has always upheld the law and will continue doing so, we must be clear eyed about our future, which may alter dramatically depending on how these developments unfold.”

The Thursday meeting of the Local, National, and Global Engagement Committee opened with a panel discussion on Penn’s environmental engagement. The panel, moderated by Vice Provost for Climate Science, Policy, and Action and Earth and Environmental Sciences professor Michael Mann, discussed a variety of climate-related issues including climate misinformation, energy security, and sustainability.

Panelists emphasized the importance of climate action by the University amid a political environment that Mann described as “aligned against us right now.”

“It’s critical the university be a place where we teach and make available accurate information,” panelist and Anthropology professor Kathleen Morrison said. “That’s certainly important, particularly at a time when a lot of public information is coming down off of websites.”

Vice Provost for Global Initiatives and Medical Ethics and Health Policy professor Ezekiel J. Emmanuel also spoke at the meeting to discuss Penn’s global engagement opportunities. 

Emmanuel discussed recent efforts to expand international opportunities for Penn students, including increasing the number of global seminars and spots in the Global Research and Internship Program. Despite this effort, Emmanuel said that there is still an issue of “high demand and low supply.” 

“We have way more interest in this than we can satisfy,” Emmanuel said, noting that there were five applicants for every available spot in GRIP.

Emmanuel ended the meeting by emphasizing the importance of Penn’s global involvement amid “turbulent times.”

“Across all countries, [there has been] a rise in nationalism and anti-immigrant sentiment. Penn is a countercurrent to that,” Emmanuel added.

At the Facilities and Campus Planning Committee meeting, Vice President of Penn’s Business Services Division Micheal Scales discussed upcoming campus construction projects, including The Inn at Penn, which will receive its first major renovations since 2011. 

According to project principal Caren Foster, the renovation will involve a “complete refresh” of the first and second floors of the hotel, as well as renovations to guest rooms, bathrooms, and the University dining club. A grab-and-go market will also be added to the lobby. The project is estimated to cost $43.4 million, with construction expected to begin in November. 

Locker rooms for the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams are also set to be renovated. Plans for the project include new lockers, upgraded showers, and additional amenities which are estimated to cost $6.9 million. Construction is scheduled to begin this June and finish in December.

The meeting of the Student Life committee featured a discussion by faculty and student fellows of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia Program. The program, now in its sixth year, aims to support Penn students who wish to “learn about dialogue, from dialogue, and how to dialogue” in a diverse environment.

“We’re thinking about all sorts of human differences and building bridges or understandings across these very differences,” SNF Paideia director Sigal Ben-Porath said at the meeting.

At the Academic Policy Committee meeting, the group reviewed a proposal for a new Master’s in Applied Economics, set to launch in Fall 2026, to meet changes in industry demands. 

Additionally, Deputy Provost and Chair of University Task Force on Antisemitism Beth Winkelstein provided updates on initiatives to combat hate and foster inclusivity, including efforts to enhance institutional transparency, support affected communities, and promote meaningful dialogue.

A panel of faculty and student leaders also discussed strategies for strengthening campus engagement, such as faculty-led discussions and student involvement in programs to promote open conversations on complex issues. 

At the stated meeting, tuition increases and financial aid expansions were announced for the upcoming school year. 

Prior to the start of the meeting, several faculty held up signs in protest of both cuts to graduate programs and a $13 million authorization to construct a new parking lot at Pennovation works. 

“The Trustees are creating a climate of manufactured austerity,” a member of Penn’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “Penn has many ways to counteract federal funding cuts that don’t damage the University’s research and teaching mission.”

At the stated meeting on Feb. 27, administrators announced that the total cost of attendance will increase from $87,860 to $91,112. Tuition will increase from $60,920 to $63,204, fees from $7,766 to $8,032, and room and board from $19,174 to $19,876. 

“Measured increases in tuition and fees reflect the increasing annual costs of delivering a Penn education, such as employing a world-class faculty and staff, expanding interdisciplinary academic programs, offering the largest no-loan undergraduate financial aid program of its kind, and accounting for inflationary cost increases across many operating expense categories,” the University wrote in a statement.

At the meeting, Vice President of Budget Planning and Analysis Trevor Lewis acknowledged recent challenges to Penn’s federal funding.

“Penn receives over a billion dollars a year in federal funding to support research, clinical trials that improve and save lives, and critical programs like our Pell grants [which] make it possible for students to attend Penn,” Lewis said. “The University is actively working to assess and respond to these challenges.”