Announcements

Interim President J. Larry Jameson issues a statement on the passing of Claire M. Fagin, former interim president of the University of Pennsylvania and former dean of the School of Nursing.

I write to share that J. Larry Jameson, MD, Ph.D., has graciously agreed to serve as Interim President of the University of Pennsylvania, effective immediately. Dr. Jameson has served as Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and dean of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine, which together comprise Penn Medicine, since 2011.

I am honored that the Board of Trustees has asked me to serve as Penn’s Interim President. I accept this responsibility clear-eyed about the challenges facing our University. Like you, I love Penn. I have dedicated many years of my life to this amazing institution. I have been honored to serve as Executive Vice President of our health system and dean of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine for more than 12 years.

Dear Members of the Penn community, We write to share that Julie Platt, the Vice Chair of the University of Pennsylvania’s Board of Trustees, has been named Interim Chair by the Board’s Executive Committee. As current Vice Chair, Julie was the clear choice, and we are grateful to her for agreeing to serve in this capacity during this time of transition. Due to her current commitment as Board Chair of the Jewish Federations of North America, Julie will only serve until a successor is appointed.

Dear members of the Penn community, I write to share that President Liz Magill has voluntarily tendered her resignation as President of the University of Pennsylvania. She will remain a tenured faculty member at Penn Carey Law. On behalf of the entire Penn community, I want to thank President Magill for her service to the University as President and wish her well. We will be in touch in the coming days to share plans for interim leadership of Penn. President Magill has agreed to stay on until an interim president is appointed.

Dear members of the Penn community, As you may be aware, I will testify today at a hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Education & the Workforce on the topic of “Holding Campus Leaders Accountable and Confronting Antisemitism.” I will be joined by Harvard University President Claudine Gay and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth.

I write you today to share “In Principle and Practice: Penn’s Focus on Tomorrow,” providing a strategic framework to guide our path forward. This document is the result of a yearlong strategic planning process, shaped further by the initiatives we launched this fall. You can learn more at: https://in-principle-and-practice.upenn.edu/

Advancing Penn’s Action Plan to Combat Antisemitism, Penn President Liz Magill today announced the members of the University Task Force on Antisemitism. The Task Force, a centerpiece of the plan President Magill announced earlier this month, is charged with engaging broadly and deeply with all members of the Penn community to better understand how antisemitism is experienced on campus and to provide critical feedback and actionable solutions as part of Penn’s ongoing efforts to counter and combat antisemitism.  

Dear members of the Penn community, College and universities across the country are experiencing disturbing acts of hate on their campuses—Penn is no different. I write to condemn all acts of hate that are perpetrated on our campus, to affirm our responsibilities as members of this community, and to make clear that we take seriously and will vigorously pursue any violation of our policies or the law.

Last night, vile, antisemitic messages were projected onto several campus buildings, including on Penn Commons, Huntsman Hall, and Irvine Auditorium. Penn Police were notified and quickly responded, and a full investigation is currently underway. We will pursue this matter to the fullest extent and take swift action in accordance with our policies.