Of the many aspects of government spending up for debate in the current 2012 fiscal year budget negotiations, the continued funding for grant-giving organizations such as the National Institute of Health and the National Science Foundation could be cut — a concerning prospect for Penn administrators.

Over the past four years, textbook prices have risen 22 percent, according to a survey by the Student Public Interest Research Group.

Students flocked to the fairs in hopes of making contacts, securing interviews and gaining job and summer internship opportunities.

Yesterday evening, Zell offered around 300 students an unobstructed view of the thoughts and habits of one of the most successful businesspeople of the last half century ­— as he put it, “the world according to Sam.”

While the competition was developed well before the Provost’s office announced the 2011-2012 theme of “the Year of Games,” Dean of the Nursing School Afaf Meleis is excited to promote the competition under the theme.

Although Penn climbed the moral ladder in the Washington Monthly’s annual “public good” ranking by jumping from 34th place to the 21st this year, many faculty and administrators remained unsatisfied.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded Benjamin Horton, a professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science, a $1.5 million grant to improve the prediction of coastal flooding caused by hurricanes and sea-level rising.

Barring any unlikely setbacks, the University is set to reach its $3.5-billion goal in the “Making History” fundraising campaign before 2012 begins, Penn President Amy Gutmann said.

Since the 1970s, the Perelman School of Medicine has allowed students to complete an MBA and medical degree within five years.

While some Penn students have expressed concern about a similar ban, “nothing has ever come up in a conversation with upper level administrators, fraternity and sorority life or any national organization leadership,” said Wharton senior Harry Heyer, president of the Interfraternity Council.

In addition to educating students about safety issues, the fair also aimed to increase participation and awareness about DPS programs and initiatives, in part because the division saw low freshman enrollment in several of these programs during New Student Orientation, according to Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush.

The Campus Loop Bus will operate between the Levy Tennis Pavilion in Penn Park and 40th Street between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Crime log for the week of Sept. 2-Sept. 8

Penn Haven — a housing cooperative and community at 40th and Chestnut streets — emphasizes sustainable lifestyles and activism.

This summer saw 7 percent more crime than last summer, but robbery and theft saw significant decreases.

Bon Appetit closed the cafe’s doors on Wednesday afternoon to host a grand opening event for faculty and administrators.

The park, which officially opens Thursday, will add 14 acres to Penn’s campus and increase the University’s green space by 20 percent.