Covid
Study finds that Pennsylvania's COVID-19 restrictions saved thousands of lives
University of Pittsburgh physician Mark S. Roberts and his team developed a model to evaluate the impacts of closing and reopening schools, offices, restaurants, and stores.
Headaches, exhaustion, and more screen time: Penn students are worn down by online learning
Students report feeling tired from staring at their screens all day, and say their courses and coursework take more time and mental energy than they normally would in person.
Penn reports 76 COVID-19 cases from Sept. 5-12, tripling the previous week’s tally
Chief Wellness Officer Benoit Dubé wrote in an email to The Daily Pennsylvanian that the positivity rate uptick was driven mostly by three groups of students in shared community circles.
Penn will not pay contracted dining workers in financial blow to Bon Appétit employees
While Bon Appétit workers will not receive pay this semester, the 113 dining workers directly employed by Penn are not furloughed and will continue to be paid for their typical 40-hour work week.
Penn to temporarily stop reporting daily COVID-19 testing data with shift to new platform
Penn has moved the coronavirus testing data to the COVID-19 Dashboard and is currently only reporting weekly positive results.
Penn Student Government donates $500,000 to Emergency and Opportunity Fund amid pandemic
Grants may range from $100 to $1,000 and can cover expenses such as medical bills, technology repairs, winter and professional clothing, travel over school breaks, and graduate school exam fees.
Penn to announce extended COVID-19 testing and Greek Life-specific mitigation strategies
Dubé said the University will take a "data-driven approach" to testing asymptomatic individuals — essentially testing students based on various factors like location – throughout the rest of the semester.
First years burdened by workload but buoyed by social life during first weeks of school
Many students agreed that their social experience has been better than expected, citing opportunities to meet other first years through classes and virtual study groups.
Virtual shopping period met with a mix of praise and privacy concerns
Students, overall, have found the access to Canvas pages useful in determining whether to enroll in classes, but not all classes' Canvas pages are available, as class material access is up to the discretion of the professor.
Penn's competitive job recruitment season shifts online for first time in U. history
While some students said they find it more difficult to build connections with employers without meeting them in person, others said virtual recruitment alleviated the stress of on-campus recruitment and Penn's toxic, competitive recruitment culture.
Penn shot put record holder Maura Kimmel transfers to Notre Dame
After the coronavirus derailed her senior season, Maura Kimmel will take her talents to South Bend, Ind. to throw for Notre Dame in the competitive ACC.
NEC eases requirements to appear on the ballot as student government campaigns go virtual
To alleviate the burden on candidates, the Nominations and Elections Committee reduced the number of signatures needed to appear on the ballot by 33% for each position.
Pennsylvania's COVID-19 death toll may double by January, new model suggests
Officials have pointed factors such as increased mobility and decreased compliance with mask mandates as driving the rise in projected cases and deaths in many states.
Hundreds petition Penn to extend widespread COVID-19 testing for the entire fall semester
The University will invite specific asymptomatic members of the Penn community, including students, faculty, and staff who are deemed have a higher exposure risk, to enroll in surveillance testing protocols once Penn has finalized the details of the program.
A virtual brotherhood: Greek life changes for fall 2020
While some fraternity members are living off-campus together, IFC fraternities plan to hold fall recruitment online with hopes for in-person rush this spring.
Nursing students publish open letter condemning Penn Nursing admin’s response to COVID-19
Nursing students used iHuman, an online nursing simulation, and listened to a free podcast called "Serial" in lieu of in-person clinical rotations this past spring and summer terms.
Temple moves classes online after more than 200 students test positive for COVID-19
Temple's decision comes several weeks after other Philadelphia colleges, including Penn and Drexel University, decided to conduct the fall semester remotely.
First years tackle virtual NSO with Zoom panels and remote Quizzos
First years praised the overall NSO experience despite its completely remote status. Some, however, encountered difficulties accessing certain events online and wished events allowed for more communication amongst students.
Penn will now pay to ship students’ spring dorm items home following student pushback
The shipping process will begin around mid-September and take several weeks to complete, Penn Business Services Director of Communications and External Relations Barbara Lea-Kruger wrote in an email to The Daily Pennsylvanian on Monday.