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The University of Pennsylvania announced Tuesday it will embrace a policy of institutional neutrality going forward, refraining from issuing public statements “in response to local and world events except for those which have direct and significant bearing on University functions.”
In an email to the campus community announcing the change, interim president J. Larry Jameson shared a statement detailing Penn’s values, as well as an affirmation of the university’s commitment to academic independence.
“Over the years, and with increasing frequency, leaders across the University—indeed across most universities—have made public statements in response to external events,” the message read. “By and large, these messages sought to provide acknowledgement and solidarity following often horrific circumstances. Although well-meaning, these institutional messages fundamentally compete with the free and unencumbered creation and expression of ideas by individuals … By quieting Penn’s institutional voice, we hope to amplify the expertise and voices within.”
Penn’s leaders join those from a growing list of institutions—including the University of North Carolina system and Harvard, Stanford and Columbia Universities—who have changed their policies on making statements about external events in the wake of campus tensions over the Israel-Hamas war.
