The 2024-25 academic year at Penn was marked by heightened national scrutiny in light of federal policy changes and continued student activism.

The 2023-24 academic year placed Penn under an intensified national spotlight as campus controversies, rising student activism, and federal investigations into the University drew widespread attention.

Penn experienced increased student activism, changes to housing and dining, and a new admissions policy during the 2022-23 academic year.

The 2021-22 academic year marked new beginnings for Penn with a return to in-person instruction following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The May 9 joint committee hearing questioned Penn’s rollback of DEI policies in response to recent federal mandates. 

According to an Education Department press release, Penn has 30 days to comply with the agency’s request for information.

Magill and Bok discussed the “pervasive role” of Wall Street, the days that led up to their departures from Penn, and the current “crisis” facing “all major, elite” American universities. 

The May 5 lawsuit claimed that the NSF’s 15% cap on indirect cost reimbursements could cost Penn's research budget over $10 million annually.

Penn has yet to publicly acknowledge the Education Department’s demands — even as a senior White House official warns that it could lose federal funding for failing to comply.

“I’m stunned by this news, deeply honored, and grateful for the tremendous support Penn has given me over the course of a quarter-century,” Nathans wrote in a statement to the DP.

Also, Penn experts weighed in on Trump’s first 100 days back in office.

Several former Penn swimmers expressed their support for the Department of Education’s recent finding that deemed Penn in violation of Title IX and demanded further governmental action.

As Trump surpasses the 100-day mark of his second term, the DP spoke with Penn experts to understand the impact of his policies and rhetoric on higher education.

Faculty raised concerns about the writing seminar’s structure and alleged restrictions on academic freedom in interviews and internal reports obtained by The Daily Pennsylvanian.

Here are six key moments from the DP’s 90-minute conversation with former Board of Trustees chair Scott Bok. 

The Daily Pennsylvanian sat down with four politically oriented student groups to discuss campus sentiments in response to recent federal actions.

Also, Penn faculty and students expressed concerns about the potential implications of Trump’s proposal to narrow Fulbright scholarships.