In June, Larry Jameson will depart the Penn presidency after three years in office. His term \u2014 first as interim president and later as Penn\u2019s 10th president \u2014 spanned an era of reckoning for universities nationwide. But while political debates and federal investigations have transformed the landscape of higher education, our University has remained stagnant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In December 2023, Jameson stepped into an office stricken by turmoil. After months in the national spotlight that culminated in former Penn President Liz Magill\u2019s disastrous congressional testimony, Penn was begging for some semblance of stability. To his credit, Jameson provided that. But what did that stability cost us?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jameson\u2019s presidency has been an exercise in appeasement. His administration champions empty gestures while minimizing failures, swiftly addressing conflict in an effort to turn the fewest heads. In negotiations with the Trump administration, Penn has evaded federal oversight just enough to feign resistance while bending to the pressure when convenient. The ultimate goal is never academic freedom but institutional preservation. \u00a0<\/p>\n
This complicity extends to our campus culture, which has grown increasingly passive since the Gaza Solidarity Encampment and subsequent disciplinary actions taken against students in 2024. In response to the year of protest, Jameson\u2019s administration published a set of interim guidelines that severely limited campus speech. It was clear that any show of dissent would be considered a violation of conduct, and our community was forced into self-censorship.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Almost two years later, the University published a draft of proposed guidelines<\/a> that appeared little different from the restrictive interim requirements. This draft drew criticism<\/a> from students and faculty alike for its unclear language, with many suggesting the vague regulations would be easily violated unknowingly.\u00a0<\/p>\n Get the DP delivered straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n Sign Up<\/a><\/p>\n This fall, we entered the third academic year without a finalized open expression policy. Despite the previous semester spent soliciting feedback, the administration did not meet its self-imposed deadline of a revised policy on Sept. 9. Finally, on Tuesday, we received yet another draft, which will be further revised after a number of listening sessions next month. In this revised version, the most notable change is the clarification of ambiguous language through a list of vague definitions that require further clarification themselves.<\/p>\n In the absence of a permanent policy, campus expression has been stifled indefinitely. College Hall sit-ins and Convocation disruptions are relics of the past, poorly replaced by a few University-sanctioned demonstrations each year. Without fair and detailed guidelines that protect our right to free speech, student expression exists in a liminal space \u2014 not outwardly forbidden, but far from protected.\u00a0<\/p>\n It is plainly unacceptable that the administration has done so little to move the needle on an issue of such importance. When will the period of drafted proposals and listening sessions end? When will the era of change begin?<\/p>\n Throughout the past few years, Penn\u2019s administration has distracted from its failures to act with talk of \u201cprogress\u201d and \u201cinnovation.\u201d Jameson has defined his presidency around \u201cPenn Forward,\u201d an ambitious title for an initiative that has failed to produce any tangible change. Its framework aims to tackle a list of broad and unrelated objectives, from affordability to artificial intelligence to the University\u2019s international presence. Their only common thread seems to be the administration\u2019s inability to make any real headway on a single one.\u00a0<\/p>\n Since its announcement in September 2025, Penn Forward\u2019s biggest achievement seems to have been an expansion of financial aid that, for 900 students, increased average grant aid<\/a> by $4,000 \u2014 out of Penn\u2019s $99,000 sticker price. Otherwise, Penn Forward\u2019s effects have been felt more by its donors than by students, as the University continues to implement cost-cutting measures<\/a> in its budget for fiscal year 2027 even as it operates on a surplus of more than $600 million.<\/p>\n The Office of the President has remained largely silent about the issues that most affect our community \u2014 and intentionally so. Perhaps Jameson summed up his tenure best in his own declaration of institutional neutrality: \u201cIt is not the role of the institution to render opinions.\u201d This belief has guided his leadership of our University, effectively reducing Penn\u2019s political and social commentary to a statement of detachment. But in questions of individual rights, neutrality does not exist. Silence is a position, and it is one of acceptance. \u00a0<\/p>\n Since December 2023, Penn has not moved forward, nor has it quite slipped backward. Under Jameson\u2019s leadership, the University has remained hopelessly at a standstill. While claiming to be a leader in thought and research, Penn has resigned itself to a passive role in debates that deeply shape our campus. Even more troubling, this position of impartiality is being asked of our students and faculty \u2014 an expectation antithetical to the very mission of higher education.\u00a0<\/p>\n Editorials represent the majority view of members of The Daily Pennsylvanian Editorial Board who meet regularly to discuss issues relevant to the Penn community. This body is led by Opinion Editor Ingrid Holmquist and operates independently from the newsroom. Questions or comments should be directed to letters@thedp.com<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In June, Larry Jameson will depart the Penn presidency after three years in office. 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