Penn goes postal

The I’s are dotted and the T’s crossed on the agreement that transfers 24 acres of land on the Schuylkill’s west bank from the U.S. Postal Service to the University. Penn’s purchase provides it with the land it needs for future expansion and offers opportunities to tie the campus to 30th Street Station and Center City. Penn is set to take ownership of the site, which includes the 30th Street post office building, its annex and a parking garage, in 2007. The Postal Service will remain a tenant in parts of the post office after that date.

Grad school grades

The 2004 U.S. News & World Report rankings of “America’s Best Graduate Schools” are in, and five Penn graduate and professional schools ranked in the top 10 in their fields. The Wharton School and the School of Nursing both placed third (Nursing tied with Michigan), the School of Medicine tied with Duke for fourth, the Law School was ranked seventh, and the Graduate School of Education placed ninth. The School of Social Work ranked among the top 25 schools in its field, placing 13th. Wharton’s accounting and finance programs topped their fields. Eight other Wharton programs placed in the top 10.

Jail-free justice

The Jerry Lee Center of Criminology has been awarded a $1.6 million grant from the British government to study a program called “Restorative Justice as a Diversion from Prosecution.” The study will test the effectiveness of restorative justice, which focuses on repairing the damage criminals cause victims and communities, as an alternative to punishment via the criminal justice system. Under the program, Penn and British prosecutors will offer selected offenders the option of admitting guilt and negotiating restitution with victims instead of going to court.