Academics
In new summer video series, SAS professors lecture on music, philosophy, and physics
The Big Ideas for Strange Times series launched on May 15, and includes five-minute lectures on "ideas that transcend the immediate crisis of the pandemic." One video lecture will be broadcasted each week throughout the summer.
In a new course this fall, students will create and study the history of digital fakes
The English and Cinema Studies departments are offering a new course this fall, titled "Fakes, Forgeries, and Forensics in Digital Media."
LPS launches free online course to teach resilience and increase optimism during pandemic
The course, titled “Resilience Skills in a Time of Uncertainty,” launched on the online learning platform Coursera in April.
Students and professors grapple with unprecedented remote finals season
Many professors had to change the format of their final exams to accommodate for students’ varying time zones, lack of proctoring methods, and other at-home difficulties.
Penn Global Seminars plan to operate as normal despite uncertainty of fall semester
Penn Abroad will monitor the pandemic and international travel policies in the coming months, but is optimistic students will be able to travel safely by winter break.
Disillusioned students consider gap semesters if fall courses are held online
University administration said they have no plans to amend the current leave of absence policy for the fall semester.
Two Penn juniors win Truman Scholarship to fund grad studies for public service careers
College juniors Annah Chollet and Camilo Duran are among 62 winners selected from a pool of 773 candidates nationwide.
Wharton will offer quantitative finance major for MBA students starting this fall
Although Wharton currently offers a finance major to MBA students, new courses have been created specifically for the quantitative finance major, including classes in data science, asset pricing, and financial engineering.
Gutmann criticizes U.S. for ‘striking lack’ of global leadership during coronavirus course
Gutmann also discussed the process of making major decisions such as asking undergraduates to move off campus and shifting to remote learning. She said that the University has not yet decided when students will be allowed back at Penn.
Penn students launch website with resources for new FGLI students at 15 peer universities
The website, called The Virtual Vine, will feature weekly videos created by ambassadors from 15 universities for incoming students to learn about resources for academics, research, financial aid, and student life.
College junior wins Beinecke Scholarship to fund graduate studies in English literature
College junior Misha McDaniel is the 13th Penn student to receive the $34,000 award since its founding in 1975, and is one of 18 Beinecke Scholars chosen from applicants across the United States.
TAs demand more support from University after online learning disrupts their routines
Since the move to remote teaching, some TAs said they are dedicating significantly more time to teaching and struggling to balance their work as both a teacher and student.
International students say late online classes make it impossible to live a normal life
Some international students have said that they feel pressured to attend live lectures to sufficiently prepare for exams, and they now have less time to spend with their families at home.
Students frustrated by Penn’s decision to suspend Dean's List for 2019-2020
While some students have expressed support for a semesterly Dean’s List based only on academic performance in fall 2019, the University has decided against this option.
Students call for tuition refunds, citing unusable campus resources and isolated learning
Some students feel that they are unfairly paying for less rigorous classes and on-campus benefits that they are not receiving, including libraries and academic help centers.
PWH launches ‘Penn Pandemic Diary’ to tell stories of students affected by the pandemic
Perry World House seeks to publish three to four diary entries per week, which can be submitted anonymously or under a byline.
Students must fill out petition to opt in to pass/fail grading after April 13
For students who have not made a decision about pass/fail by April 13, the Office of the University Registrar has created a Petition for Change of Grading Option that students can fill out anytime from April 14 to April 29.
Former Obama healthcare advisor criticizes government’s coronavirus response at PWH event
The talk was led by Ezekiel Emanuel, who is Penn's Vice Provost for Global Initiatives and served as a healthcare advisor in the Obama administration.
Penn extends pass/fail opt-in deadline to April 29, the last day of spring classes
Provost Wendell Pritchett announced the change and the suspension of the 2019-2020 Dean's List in a Thursday afternoon email to Penn undergraduates.