At the picket, GET-UP announced that its members have begun pledging to authorize a strike if Penn continues to reject the union’s proposed contract. 

The compact was broadly described as a threat to the practice of shared governance — where faculty, staff, administrators, boards, and sometimes students share responsibility for decision-making and policy development. 

“There is no room for hate within the Penn community,” a University spokesperson wrote in a statement to the DP. 

The Oct. 3 memo condemned the compact as “another attempt” by the Trump administration to pressure universities “to comply with its political agenda.” 

In an Oct. 5 message, Penn President Larry Jameson said that administrators will “seek the input” of stakeholders across campus to develop the University’s response to the federal government.

“When an invitation is accompanied by consequences for not accepting it, it is in fact a threat, not an invitation,” the AAUP-Penn wrote.

Experts told The Daily Pennsylvanian the compact could reshape the relationship between institutions of higher education and the federal government, posing a significant risk to academic freedom.

Former GAPSA executive board members described an “overarching infiltration” at the hands of administrators, citing unreasonable performance expectations and a lack of respect for shared governance.

The United States government has been shut down since Oct. 1 after Congress missed the deadline to approve a funding deal.

Jackson, who assumed the provost position in 2023, described his office as “the perfect perch from which to really make sense” of Penn as an institution. 

Universities are “free to develop models and values other than those” offered in the memo, but only if the institution chooses to forgo federal benefits, the document stated.

The announcement came two weeks after Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) called for Penn to take action against Mann in light of his social media activity regarding the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The Sept. 25 order dismissed the suit outright, arguing that the plaintiff's arguments lacked plausibility. 

Wax’s notice of appeal comes nearly one month after a judge granted Penn’s motion to dismiss her complaint, which contended that the University’s speech code violates civil rights law. 

The Sept. 25 meeting included reports from the board's Executive and Budget and Finance Committees.

According to recently released class profile data, international students comprise 26% of the current MBA class compared to the 31% in both the Class of 2026 and 2025. 

This year, 21 faculty members across Penn’s schools and departments were chosen to participate as fellows.