On its billboard and subway ads, SEPTA upbeat slogan promised that it was "Serious About Change."

Faculty hires and departures are often made with little notice from the University community. But, last week, one of Penn's most notable scholars has announced his appointment at another university. Religious Studies professor Michael Eric Dyson's departure from Penn for Georgetown seems sudden, given his short five-year term here.

Robbery July 3 - A 43-year-old man, unaffiliated with the University, reported that several suspects on bikes allegedly attempted to take items from him while he was walking on the 4200 block of Locust Street at about 10 p.m. July 7 - A 40-year-old male Penn employee reported that two people allegedly assaulted him and took items from him on the 4200 block of Locust Street at about 5:10 p.

Ibrahim Jaaber still refuses to pick on people his own size. At 170 pounds, he's lighter than every opponent he'll see in his five NBA Summer League games.

The scales were about even for former men's tennis coach Mark Riley. While he had the opportunity to coach at his alma mater, Divison III Kalamazoo, he also could stay with an emerging powerhouse; Riley had just led Penn to two consecutive Ivy League titles.

Penn's Division of Public Safety released an alert last night. According to DPS, groups of juveniles have been allegedly harassing, assaulting and robbing people in University City. DPS reports that the juveniles, all male, have been seen in groups of three to eight.

SEPTA implemented a fare increase on Monday "in an effort to begin to partially address the expected shortfall in the proposed budget," according to the SEPTA Web site. The $2 base fare for use of intra-city transportation like the Market-Frankford El, Broad Street subway, subway-suface trolleys and buses won't be affected by the increase, nor will token prices, which will remain at $1.

Ibrahim Jaaber might be raising eyebrows for the Detroit Pistons in the NBA's Las Vegas Summer League, but Harvard grad Brian Cusworth is having a much quieter week. The Crimson big man, who used his last semester of eligibility in fall 2006, has submitted solid, if unspectacular numbers for the Golden State squad, which also includes former Bradley center Patrick O'Bryant.

Two distinguished professors of African-American culture will be leaving Penn this fall for positions at other peer institutions. Elijah Anderson, a Sociology professor for over 32 years at the University and a noted specialist on urban inequality will join the sociology department at Yale University, while Religious Studies professor Michael Eric Dyson will become a university professor - the highest position a faculty member can hold- - at Georgetown University.

The eight schools that will participate in November's Philly Classic, a weekend exempt tournament to take place at the Palestra, were disclosed yesterday, with two power-conference teams highlighting the lineup. Penn will face Virginia on Friday, Nov. 23, and Seton Hall plays Navy the same day.

In this castle siege, there's no need to brace yourself for boiling tar and thousand-pound rocks - instead, enjoy over 2,000 Tastykake Butterscotch Krimpets. That's exactly the treat visitors will receive at the Eastern State Penitentiary, located at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue, as it hosts the 13th annual Bastille Day Festival this Saturday.

The administration announced on Tuesday that current Wharton Deputy Dean and Marketing professor David Schmittlein will serve as interim dean of the Wharton School for July. Tom Robertson will assume the top position at Wharton on Aug. 1. A Wharton faculty member since 1980, Schmittlein has served as deputy dean since 2000 and has been heavily involved in Wharton administration, having previously held the positions of chairman of the Marketing Department and vice dean and director of Wharton doctoral programs.

The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties has threatened to go on strike starting Monday if negotiations with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education fail to result in a new contract. The association represents 5,500 professors at 14 state-owned universities excluding those at the Penn State University system.

If school policy and the law weren't enough to keep Penn athletes away from marijuana, the NCAA has just upped the ante. According to a June 22 USA Today article, the NCAA may expand its drug testing program to include year-round screening for street drugs such as marijuana and cocaine.

Don't fret about missing Jack Johnson's performance in Australia at the LiveEarth concert this summer - Penn is providing live feed of the international event. The Mid-Atlantic Gigapop in Philadelphia for Internet2, a high-speed Internet2 network based at Penn, will provide a live DVD-quality multicast of the climate change-focused Live Earth concerts on July 7 for computers on networks with Internet2 capabilities, which include those at many research and educational institutions.