Category: Miscellaneous

Penn’s presidential search is underway, and this is an important moment for the Penn community to make its voice heard. Penn Quaker Courage penned an open letter to let decision makers know the essential criteria we’re looking for in the new president.

The Presidential Consultative Committee has been convened to gather community perspectives and help define the qualities and priorities Penn should seek in its next president. The Board of Trustees will ultimately elect the president. What we say now can help shape the criteria that guide that decision.

Our open letter to the Presidential Consultative Committee and Board of Trustees, centers on five principles that we believe should be fundamental to the next president’s leadership:

Academic freedom. Free expression. Institutional independence. Shared governance. Community trust.

We believe these principles are particularly important at this moment.

The University is now defining what it will seek in its next leader. Now is the time  to make our priorities known. 

If you share these principles, we ask you to add your name to the letter:

Please sign the letter, then share this invitation with colleagues across the Penn community. A broad and representative group of signatories will make clear to the Consultative Committee and the Trustees that these are not peripheral concerns. They are central to the future of Penn. With the clout of the Penn Community behind us, we will endeavor to meet with the Trustees individually to discuss our priorities.

Sunday, 2/15/26, 4:00-5:30pm on Zoom. Register here.

Since our goal is to help Penn live up to its aspirations, we want to familiarize ourselves with Penn’s stated goals. Prior to the meeting, please read Penn’s posted statements on the University’s values and the words that guide Penn:

• University Values
• The words that guide us
• Upholding academic independence

Additional helpful actions:

1. Email info@quakercourage.org a short paragraph about your concerns and what issues you are watching at Penn and universities/colleges elsewhere.
2. Join our letter writing campaign! And encourage others to do so. Paper letters encouraged. If willing, share these for the QC website by emailing them to info@quakercourage.org, but delete anything you would not want posted on the website.
3. Encouraging your Penn-affiliated friends to write a letter and to sign up for our Quaker Courage mailing list

Agenda for 2/15/26 meeting

Welcome and Introductions

What Quaker Courage has done so far

• Website updates (slogan, new articles, menu changes)
• Conversation with Aiden Ledbetter from Democracy House
• Meeting with Crimson Courage
• Planned meetings with Stand Up for Penn & Alumni for Freedom and Democracy
• Scheduling meeting with Cornell Courage

Discussion inspired by homework from last meeting

• Your thoughts on the Penn web pages
• Did anyone write us a paragraph about their concerns and issues they’re following?
• Did anyone write a letter to Penn leadership?

Identify next steps, plan and schedule next meeting

Are you affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania as an alum, faculty member, staff member, or donor? Do you want to help Penn stand strong in the face of federal attacks on academic freedom, free speech, and equal opportunity? Please join us on Zoom Sunday, January 18 at 4pm.

We’ll meet and work together to identify goals and objectives for Quaker Courage. How can we best encourage Penn’s leaders to resist government attacks on Penn and higher education overall? How can we best support leaders when they push back? We’ll identify and choose actions and determine timelines for these.

To join the meeting, please register in advance. If you cannot make the meeting, you can still join our mailing list.

Hope to see you there!

Shobhi and Sharon