Over the past decade, the mutual dependence of the University and its surrounding community has become a commonly accepted fact - for the University to prosper, the community must do so also.
From the Penn-Alexander Partnership School to the Center for Community Partnerships to Penn's economic inclusion program, University President Amy Gutmann has stated that she wants to emphasize a mutually beneficial interaction with the community.
"I'm very ambitious in what I expect for Penn as a university and for Penn's interaction with the community," Gutmann said.
Gutmann has especially emphasized the role of education as an equalizer of opportunity and has set Penn-Alexander as a great example of long-term involvement between the University and the community.
"The Penn-Alexander School is a great model of how we can partner with our community, to strengthen both the community and the University," Gutmann said. It is beneficial "for all members of the community who are living in that school district. In addition, it's great for the rest of Philadelphia, because it has become a model school."
She added that it is an ongoing effort and it requires continual input from the Graduate School of Education.
But even though the Penn administration is in the process of reshuffling, in fact much of its interaction with the community will remain steadfastly on course. Penn's involvement with the community is highly decentralized, allowing many of the programs already in place to continue functioning uninterruptedly.
As Gutmann is known as a genuine proponent of a diverse and deliberative democracy, many expect the new administration to promote a true conversation with the community. In the past, some community members have leveled criticisms at Penn for its propensity to act unilaterally, and an open dialogue is expected to resonate positively with the residents and leaders of the community.
"Involvement comes through the efforts and the commitment of the faculty, staff and students and the University," said Nancy Streim, associate dean for graduate and professional education in the Graduate School of Education. She added that the GSE and the CCP are two of the hubs that are currently working on programs to produce new, fruitful interaction with the community.
Combining her emphasis on the improvement of financial aid packages with the effort to improve local education is one way that Gutmann is planning to make Penn's education accessible to all.
"Part of our involvement with the schools in West Philadelphia is to help develop and promote a college-going culture," Streim said. "We are very much tuned in to and interested in helping children who live in the community get the academic background and education that would allow them to" consider secondary education options.
But education is only one of the aspects of community interaction. As the biggest private employer in the city, Penn has the economic might to aid the community in economic development.
Through various economic inclusion programs that stress both the creation of jobs for local residents through various projects and the procurement of many of its supplies from local businesses, Penn has attempted to boost its surrounding local economy.
And according to Glenn Bryan, the director of Penn's Office of City and Community Relations, the new administration will continue to aid the community's economic development by trying to raise the bar on its current programs and find new meaningful methods.
