While they will be present on campus in the fall, incoming transfers are concerned that online instruction and the Student Campus Compact will make the transition to the University more difficult than normal.

Institutions such as Penn, Yale, and Princeton have deep-rooted ties to slavery and other discriminatory practices, prompting students to call on their schools to address and denounce their pasts.

Penn Provost Wendell Pritchett made the announcement on Tuesday that Mamta Motwani Accapadi will replace Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum as Penn’s new VPUL on Aug. 17. Accapadi will arrive to Penn with committed to goals of inclusion, community, and social justice.

Chief Wellness Officer Benoit Dubé and Director of Campus Health Ashlee Halbritter discussed health and safety initiatives for bringing students back to campus, including the Student Campus Compact, and emphasized that many specifics of Penn's plan remain fluid. 

Shortly after the University released its fall semester plan to open campus and offer instruction in a hybrid format, students voiced mixed reactions. While some are concerned about intense time zone differences, Penn's testing abilities, and housing, others are excited to return to campus. 

Penn will invite students back to campus on Sept. 1 for a hybrid fall 2020 semester with a mixture of in-person and virtual instruction. The remainder of the semester will be conducted online after Thanksgiving break.

The DP surveyed undergraduates to gauge what students hope to see and are currently most concerned about regarding fall 2020. Over half of the nearly 1,000 respondents prefer a hybrid model of in-person and online instruction, while only 9% preferring an entirely remote, online option. 

Manāna, a nonprofit organization founded by a Penn graduate in 2014, creates celebrations and sends hopeful messages for children in need. It has locations in both Philadelphia and Atlanta.

'Dear Class of 2020' also featured speeches and performances by Michelle Obama, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Malala Yousafzai, Condoleezza Rice, Lady Gaga, and more. 

Performing arts groups have grappled with uncertainty over what rehearsals and performances will look like this coming fall, and whether groups will be able to meet in person next semester.

Computer Connection, a technology retail store located in the Penn Bookstore, will permanently close due financial impacts from larger businesses, fewer product releases, and tight margins. 

While students appreciated that Gutmann named particular initiatives in her second email, many still felt it did not properly communicate what Penn could do to fight systemic racism and support students of color.

Amid protests over the police murder of George Floyd, Penn students have founded initiatives responding to police brutality in hopes of enacting change within the University community and beyond.

Penn Quaranteam sells merchandise featuring both Penn-related and quarantine themed designs, ranging from various clothing items to stickers and homeware. All profits will be donated to the Philadelphia COVID-19 Fund. 

Until the University announces a decision about fall semester operations, incoming first years across the world remain in limbo about their future plans.u00a0

Jeremiah Oteh, a 2020 Penn Law graduate, created Penn Law Perspectives in April, and has since hosted five guests who discuss the impact of the coronavirus on the life of Penn Law students. 

On March 20, the Fulbright program was suspended for all American citizens participating in the U.S. Fulbright Program.