Here’s what you missed at Penn this summer

From construction projects reshaping Locust Walk to the end of a high-profile legal battle with the federal government, Penn had a busy summer. Here’s what you missed.

Campus construction

Renovations continued across campus this summer, as new projects began while older ones came to a close. 

With the completion of construction at Fisher Hassenfeld College House, the Quad will be fully functional for incoming first years for the first time since the 2022-23 academic year. Prior to these updates, which were initially proposed in 2018, the Quad had not been renovated since 2002. Construction in the three college houses spanned 520,000 square feet and cost $188.7 million.

Penn also began a multi-phase renovation of 1920 Commons that is expected to conclude by January 2029. The updated building will feature over 200 more seats, an expanded Gourmet Grocer, a new coffee shop, group study pods, elevators, and a locker-based food pick-up system.

The first phase of construction, which began in June and will continue until fall 2027, involves the demolition of a current greenhouse adjacent to the lower level of Commons and the addition of a new entrance. The dining hall, Gourmet Grocer, and Starbucks will remain open while the addition is under construction.

Platt Student Performing Arts Center is additionally expected to open in January 2027. The building, located near Hill College House and Lauder College House, aims to increase space availability for Penn’s student performing arts groups and was initially announced in 2021. 

The University is also moving forward with plans to construct a new Physical Sciences Building at 33rd and Walnut streets — where David Rittenhouse Laboratory is currently located. Expected to begin in 2028 and conclude in 2031, the project will cost $520 million and will involve the demolition of much of DRL. 

Open expression

Following months of debate regarding Penn’s campus speech policies, Provost John Jackson Jr. announced in June that the University would delay finalizing its revised Guidelines on Open Expression. The final draft — which was initially due in September — will now tentatively be presented at University Council on Nov. 18.

The extension means that the 2024 temporary standards for campus demonstrations, which bypassed conventional procedures for revising the guidelines, will remain in effect for longer than previously anticipated.

Also in June, Penn’s Faculty Senate released a statement that categorized the current draft as “misaligned” with University values. The Faculty Senate Executive Committee called for a return of authority to the Committee on Open Expression and for the Provost’s Office to release the 2025 recommendations from the Task Force on Open Expression.

“The content of the proposed guidelines would undermine Penn’s operations and chill speech,” SEC wrote, citing restrictions on event registration, “spontaneous assemblies,” and social media posts.

Several student groups also voiced concerns, taking to social media to share statements criticizing the draft guidelines. 

New civil rights center

In June, Penn announced the creation of a new Center for Civil Rights, which consolidated the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs, the Office of the Associate Vice President for Equity and Title IX, and the Office of Religious and Ethnic Interests under a single administrative structure.

The center is led by Vice President of Human Resources Felicia Washington, who will “serve as special advisor to the president on civil rights issues,” according to the announcement. 

Washington previously told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the center’s mission is “to continue showing care for our community by making it easier for the community to understand how to access resources” and “report concerns that they have” — ultimately strengthening “the prevention and education efforts that are already going on throughout the University.”

The creation of the center capped a series of measures taken by the University in response to pressures from the federal government. The Trump administration has withheld funding from Penn and other universities, repeatedly pursued legal action over alleged civil rights violations. The new structure also followed individuals accusing OREI of violating academic freedom last year in its investigations of antisemitism accusations.

Penn in the legal spotlight

A monthslong legal battle that galvanized many groups across campus came to a close in July, when Penn reached an agreement with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission stipulating that the federal agency would not enforce its subpoena seeking lists of Jewish employees. 

In exchange, the University agreed to drop its appeal of an April district court ruling, in which a judge had ruled in EEOC’s favor. Additionally, per the agreement, Penn will not attempt to vacate that ruling.

The resolution came about a year after the federal agency filed its initial subpoena for information on Jewish employees at Penn. 

Penn students and faculty expressed relief and optimism toward the agreement, noting how the campus community rallied behind a common cause in conversations with the DP.

While the resolution means Penn will not have to provide any of the information demanded by the agency, some legal questions still remain. In particular, the resolution only applies to the University, not the Penn-affiliated intervenors — who had filed a separate appeal with a unique case number. 

Earlier this month, the intervenors filed a motion to vacate with the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. If granted, the motion would essentially erase the earlier ruling from the record, meaning that it would have no legal effect should the EEOC take similar action at Penn.

The summer also brought a major Supreme Court decision on Title IX — nearly a year after Penn settled with the federal government over the law.

At the end of June, the Court ruled that states could ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s and girls’ sports. Penn previously came under federal scrutiny after allowing 2022 College graduate and transgender swimmer Lia Thomas to compete on the women’s swimming and diving team during the 2021-22 season.

Penn professors told the DP that while the decision may have limited immediate effects on campus, it could spark broader conversations about equality and transgender rights.

---