During the University Council meeting on October 23, 2024, Interim President J. Larry Jameson encouraged members of the Penn community to read the report of the results of the  2024 Higher Education Sexual Misconduct and Awareness (HESMA) survey. He emphasized that creating a campus environment free of sexual misconduct was a collective responsibility of the entire campus (Almanac October 22, 2024).

The minutes of the September 17 meeting were approved and then Moderator Melissa Wilde asked if there were questions about the status reports. In response to a council member’s question about a recent search at a student’s residence, Vice President for Public Safety Kathleen Shields Anderson said that the search was pursuant to a Penn Police Department warrant and offered to meet with their constituency or other campus groups.

Associate Vice President and Associate Uni- versity Secretary Lizann Boyle Rode provided re- sponses to topics raised during new business at the last meeting. She noted that current health guidance can be found on the Wellness at Penn website and that COVID-19 tests are available to students free of charge; she noted that the appropriate individuals are aware of concerns regarding funding for lecturers who teach foreign languages; she also noted that Penn continues to monitor legal developments regarding the 2024 Title IX regulations.

During the President’s Report, David Asch, senior vice president for strategic initiatives, provided an update on the implementation of In Principle and Practice. While it is not yet a year old, many bold, campus-wide programs that cascade through schools and centers have been launched. He also noted that Michael Mann has been appointed vice provost for climate science, policy and action (Almanac October 22, 2024). The appointment of a vice provost for the arts is expected soon.

Dr. Asch also noted that Penn Washington, and Penn AI will ensure the University continues to lead in developing and deploying information-based technologies beneficially and justly. He also noted that Draw Down the Lightning grant requests are due on October 28 and the first round of programs will be announced in the spring (Almanac September 17, 2024).

During the Provost’s Report, Senior Vice Provost for Research Dawn Bonnell described stra- tegic initiatives in data science and artificial intelligence. She focused on several initiatives, including Penn Advanced Research Computing Center (PARCC) which will be launched in the spring and will be a hub for Penn’s 12 schools.   Dr. Bonnell also noted that the Penn AI Council, created to enhance the visibility of AI research across Penn and make cross-campus connections, is beginning its work.

During new business portion of the meeting, council members shared concerns that class schedules may not provide adequate time for students to eat lunch; expressed disappointment that a Proposal for the Formation of an Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Divestment introduced at the steering committee was not moving forward; requested the creation of a system that allows students to change their names on school-facing platforms while legal names remain unchanged on billing documents; expressed concern over the prevalence of sexual misconduct on campus as revealed in the HESMA survey results; and suggested that certain surveys be mandatory to increase response rates.

The next meeting of the University Council is on December 4, 2024 and includes an open forum.