Penn in the News

State support for higher education is up 4.1 percent this year, according to a new report. The Grapevine report, released today, shows a slow but steady increase in state funding over the last few years. Between the 2015 and 2016 fiscal years, 39 states reported increases in state funding, while only nine reported decreases. The remaining two states -- Illinois and Pennsylvania -- have yet to finalize their budgets and are not included in the report. Once those data become available, the national averages could change significantly, given the two states' size and significance.

A mass media professor who was videotaped pushing a student journalist away from protesters at the University of Missouri has been charged with assault, according to the Columbia City Prosecutor’s office.

A female student at the University of Virginia reported to campus police that she was raped by two unknown assailants early Sunday morning. U-Va. officials sent out an e-mail to students on Sunday describing the assault, which they said at the time happened at a “student organization” on Rugby Road, which is where many of the university’s fraternity houses are located. But on Monday morning, U-Va.

Joel Fein of the Perelman School of Medicine comments on violence against children as a public health issue.

Gustavo Aguirre of the School of Veterinary Medicine is highlighted for receiving the 2016 Louis Braille Award for his research and treatment of inherited blinding diseases.

Jeffrey Silber of the Perelman School of Medicine is quoted as the lead author of a study that found that better nursing work environments affects surgery survival rates.

Less than $1 of every $100 in revenue generated by major college athletic departments at public colleges is directed to academic programs, according to a Chronicle analysis of NCAA financial statements. Many athletic departments provide millions of dollars in scholarships and academic support for players. But as elite programs have received bigger television payouts and increased licensing revenue, athletics leaders have used almost all of it to cover sports expenses, even though many of those officials argue that new revenue from sports allows them to spend more on academics.

Dean Geoffrey Garrett of the Wharton School is quoted about the relationship between finance and entrepreneurship.

What can universities, governments, journals, and private funders of research do to ensure they are making the greatest possible efforts toward solving society’s most pressing issues? The Chronicle asked experts for their suggestions. Here is a sampling of the steps they proposed: Develop statistical approaches to identify the social problems that are most important and most worthy of intensive translational research. Who could do it: universities and foundations.

Briana O’Neal of the Graduate School of Education shares her thoughts about the SAT, ACT and test-optional policies in colleges and universities.