Campus & Community

The Penn Commonwealth-Engaged Scholars (PCES) Program is a new initiative aimed at deepening the university’s connection with communities across Pennsylvania. Funding for PCES comes from the University’s inaugural Draw Down the Lightning Grants program. The first cohort of PCES Scholars is made up of faculty and staff members interested in applying their expertise to local Pennsylvania issues.

New and returning undergraduates arrived on campus last week, attending welcome events and receptions, including an introduction to the Libraries, the Class Photo on Franklin Field, and an evening at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

President J. Larry Jameson offered a message of encouragement, comparing the scaffolding on Fisher Fine Arts Library to the support Penn will provide the Class of 2029, and Provost John L. Jackson Jr. told students they will be challenged both with new ideas and to embrace differences.

Carol Muller, faculty director of Riepe College House, discusses what makes a first-year house special and how to create community.

The Academy at Penn, a five-year program in partnership with nonprofit Foundations, Penn Graduate School of Education, and the School District of Philadelphia, kicked off this summer with programming that empowered adolescents to assess their skills and imagine what’s possible for their careers.

Thousands of new and returning students move into campus housing this week.

With students arriving on Penn’s campus this week to move into the College Houses, Penn Today has compiled links to resources and statistics about the Move-In experience.

As part of New Student Orientation and Academic Initiatives, a group of nine undergraduates have been working since June to help shape the design, development, and planning of the New Student Orientation experience for the incoming Class of 2029.

Ahead of Move-In and the start of a new academic year, construction teams mark milestones in vital renovations and maintenance across the University.

Whitaker will begin her new role at Penn’s Office of Government and Community Affairs on Oct. 1.