At the University Council Meeting on Wednesday, November 30, there were two presentations before the open forum portion of the meeting. President Liz Magill was ill and did not attend.

Anne Papageorge, Senior Vice President for Facilities and Real Estate Services, presented the Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0 report. To increase awareness,  additional digital media, such as videos and podcasts, are being created to disseminate sustainability-related information.

She spoke of achievements in the seven key initiative areas: academics, utilities and opera- tions, physical environment, waste, procurement, transportation, and outreach and engagement. Campus carbon emissions have been reduced by 45% in FY22 compared to the FY09 baseline.

Ms. Papageorge said two solar facilities in central Pennsylvania are under construction and are expected to come online by 2024. They will produce 70% of Penn and its health system’s electric demand.

The next presentation was on the Penn Environmental Innovations Initiative, given by Kathleen Morrison, the Sally and Alvin V. Shoemaker Professor of Anthropology, anthropology department chair, and faculty co-leader of the initiative.

Dr. Morrison discussed the initiative mission of catalyzing solutions to significant real-world environmental challenges. She said research is at the core of that mission. Four research projects are being funded in the second year of the initiative. Faculty are working to expand courses with sustainability content to meet demand and to foster increased collaboration across disciplines.

During the open forum portion of the meeting, presenters discussed their views on the following topics:

• Updates needed for the future of the Hutchinson Gymnasium, the Pottruck Health and Fitness Center, and Penn Park
• Expansion of employee mental health coverage to include clinicians in training
• Resident displacement from University City Townhomes
• The health system’s role in low-income housing and stopping mass displacement
• Need for more all-gender bathrooms across campus
• Additional support for sexual assault survivors
• Penn’s payment of PILOTS (Payment in Lieu of Taxes)
• Protection of spaces on campus for Black students
• Freedom of expression and Penn’s punishment of student protestors
• Graduate student housing
• Shorter wait times for Penn Transit and transit for people with disabilities
• Additional support and representation for international students
• Incorporation of legal education across Penn
• Improved policies for postdocs at Penn
• Funding channels for new organizations
• Issues with the Office of Student Conduct (now the Center for Community Standards and Accountability)

The next meeting of the University Council is on February 1, 2023.