During the University Council Meeting on Wednesday, September 14, Melissa Wilde, professor and chair of the department of sociology, was appointed the University Council moderator. Scott Schafer, University Privacy and Institutional Compliance Officer, was appointed parliamentarian. 

Lizann Boyle Rode, associate vice president in the Office of the University Secretary, responded to new business topics raised during the April 19, 2023, University Council meeting. Topics covered include the value of humanities studies; postdoctoral researcher compensation; University City Townhomes; and the Center for Teaching and Learning’s bias training for faculty. 

Tulia Falleti, Class of 1965 Endowed Term Professor of Political Science and chair of the Faculty Senate, presented the Council Committee charges and focus issues for 2023-2024. The focus issues include an update from Public Safety; artificial intelligence and machine learning; democracy and civic engagement; and the arts at Penn.

During new business, two student representatives made a call for the allocation of funding to the Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Program for recruitment and retention of disability scholars, a promotion of the Program to departmental status, and additional funding for disability studies for undergraduate and graduate students.