The following is published in accordance with the Faculty Senate Rules. Among other purposes, the publication of SEC actions is intended to stimulate discussion among the constituencies and their representatives. Please communicate your comments to Patrick Walsh, executive assistant to the Senate Office, either by telephone at (215) 898-6943 or by email at senate@pobox.upenn.edu.

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Actions
Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Penn Faculty Climate Pledge. The Penn Faculty Climate Pledge (PennFacultyClimatePledge.Org) was developed by CIRCE, the Faculty Senate Select Committee on the Institutional Response to the Climate Emergency, and has been endorsed by the Faculty Senate. The pledge commits signatories to five simple actions, from reducing their household carbon footprint to reviewing their retirement accounts.

A 3.5-minute film completed this month describes the pledge and its purpose. While the University has made significant commitments to an institutional carbon action plan, CIRCE’s research shows that faculty and staff residences and retirement accounts produce about as many carbon emissions as the main campus and the endowment. CIRCE aims to use the film and Pledge to create momentum for reducing individual carbon footprints and to demonstrate visible engagement with issues around climate change and sustainability on the part of the faculty.

Resolution on Formalizing and Making Accessible School and Departmental Faculty Bylaws or Standing Rules. The draft resolution presented to SEC in March 2022 was returned to the Senate Committee on Faculty and the Academic Mission (SCOF) for further deliberation. SCOF agreed to remove the third operative clause from the resolution draft (which calls on faculties to address systemic racism and inequity) and will use that clause as the basis for an independent resolution on this topic to be drafted during the next academic year. SCOF then forwarded the revised Resolution on Formalizing and Making Accessible School and Departmental Faculty Bylaws or Standing Rules. Following discussion and friendly amendments, SEC members unanimously endorsed the resolution. (The full resolution appears here.)

Resolution for Election Day. The Tri-Chairs presented a revised version of a resolution passed by SEC in October 2020 for its consideration. The revised resolution serves the same intention but without time-specific references. It encourages faculty to make accommodations for students who may wish to participate in forms of electoral engagement on Election Day and it calls on the University to include Election Day in a list of observances that fall under its Policy on Secular and Religious Holidays. Following discussion, SEC members unanimously endorsed the resolution. (The full resolution appears here.)

Discussion with Scott Bok, Chair of the Penn Board of Trustees. Scott Bok, Chair of the Penn Board of Trustees, responded to questions posed by SEC members. 

Mr. Bok discussed the role of Trustees in governance and management, their relationship to the University President, and their fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the institution and its research and educational missions. Trustees are kept aware of ongoing controversial issues but allow established procedures to ensue. The Trustees try to separate the “money management” from other issues and works through the Office of Investment by building and diversifying portfolios that generate income to serve Penn’s academic mission. In March 2022, the Office of Investment released a March 2022 Net Zero Goal update that comments on the endowment’s goal of reducing carbon emissions. Mr. Bok also emphasized the importance of Penn’s relationship with the surrounding community and its contributions to local schools.