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 at senate@pobox.upenn.edu.

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Actions

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Report from the Tri-Chairs. Faculty Senate chair Tulia Falleti offered the following report:

• At the suggestion of colleagues, the tri-chairs encourage relevant departments, programs, centers, and institutes at Penn to mount intellectually engaging events to counter hyper-politicization, polarization, and fear with education, more knowledge, and learning.
• A seminar with Senior EVP Craig Carnaroli, originally planned for January 24, will be rescheduled to a later date.
• Deputy Provost Beth Winkelstein invites faculty feedback that will inform the ongoing search for the next vice provost and director of libraries. Feedback may be sent to deputy-provost@upenn.edu, to the Senate office, or to Vivian Gadsden, who is participating on the consultative committee.
• Penn Alumni seeks nominations for the 2024 Faculty Award of Merit through February 23.
• Penn Sustainability seeks faculty participation on two recently formed groups: (1) the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee’s Civic Engagement and Outreach Subcommittee, and (2) the Earth Week at Penn 2024 Organizational Committee.
• All faculty are invited to attend a celebration of the creation of the new Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, which will be held at the Kleinman Center on February 12.

Update from the Office of the Interim President. Interim President J. Larry Jameson spoke of the importance of hearing, healing, and honoring each other within the Penn community. He described that one of his priorities as interim president is to identify actionable steps to realizing the desired outcomes set forth within the In Principle and Practice strategic framework, which was developed during 2022 and 2023: the anchored university, the interwoven university, the inventive university, and the engaged university. He reported that the Task Force on Antisemitism and the Presidential Commission on Combatting Hate and Building Community are continuing their work at quick pace and will provide regular interim reports so that ideas can be implemented even before the final reports are issued. Interim President Jameson emphasized the critically important roles that academic freedom and open expression play at Penn and stated that he continues to embrace those ideals in his own scholarship as well as in his role as a campus leader.

Resolution on Academic Freedom and Open Expression. Professor Falleti presented a revised draft Resolution on Academic Freedom and Open Expression, considering discussion of needed revisions during the December 6, 2023, SEC meeting. Following discussion and friendly amendments, SEC members unanimously endorsed the resolution. (The full resolution appears to the right.)

Discussion of Faculty Letter to the Trustees and Background Materials. Professor Falleti described the events leading to the Faculty Letter to Penn Trustees, which was transmitted to the Trustees, together with 1,214 faculty signatures, on December 18, 2023, and which appeared in Almanac on December 19, 2023.

Proposals for SEC Actions. SEC members discussed ideas for how to address the recent events on campus.

Communication with Constituencies. Professor Falleti recognized and responded to a request from a constituency representative for assistance in communicating with their constituency’s members.