Press pause and catch up on the week’s biggest stories. Delivered on Saturdays. To read this newsletter as soon as it sends, sign up to receive it in your email inbox.
Subject: Weekly Briefing: New details from the leadership unraveling at the U. of Pennsylvania
New details emerge from unraveling at the U. of Pennsylvania
Illustration by The Chronicle; Getty Images
How things fell apart at the U. of Pennsylvania. Scott L. Bok was ready for a less demanding life. After he sold his small investment bank, Greenhill & Co., his only role was to serve on the boards of two nonprofit institutions, one being the University of Pennsylvania. In his new book,
Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.
Don’t have an account? Sign up now.
A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.
New details emerge from unraveling at the U. of Pennsylvania
Illustration by The Chronicle; Getty Images
How things fell apart at the U. of Pennsylvania. Scott L. Bok was ready for a less demanding life. After he sold his small investment bank, Greenhill & Co., his only role was to serve on the boards of two nonprofit institutions, one being the University of Pennsylvania. In his new book, Surviving Wall Street: A Tale of Triumph, Tragedy and Timing, Bok details several events from a fateful time in Penn’s history that have never been publicly reported. In December 2023, then-university President M. Elizabeth Magill testified before a congressional committee about campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. Four days later, Magill resigned. Bok’s book gives an inside look at how her presidency unraveled after just a few months in the role. Our Francie Diep has more.
U. of Florida calls off a dean search after Gov. Ron DeSantis intervenes. The University of Florida was ready to hire a new dean for its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, until campus officials called off the search. Why? The DeSantis administration alleged that the candidates were not in line with the state’s policies against diversity, equity, and inclusion work. Our Alissa Gary reports.
ICE arrested a postdoctoral fellow. This writer visited him in jail. In March, federal agents arrested Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University. Pro-Israel groups had published videos and articles targeting his wife, the daughter of a Hamas adviser, before Suri’s arrest. Nader Hashemi, an associate professor of Middle East and Islamic politics at Georgetown, traveled to Alvarado, Texas, where Suri is being held, to speak with him through a glass window. Here’s what he learned.
This week on College Matters from The Chronicle. Through a series of layoffs and buyouts, the Trump administration has reduced the U.S. Department of Education’s work force by roughly half. On College Matters from The Chronicle, we spoke with department staffers to understand the purge, its effects on higher education, and the lives of those who’ve lost their jobs. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. .
Read. Did you know that Auburn University still operates a help desk? Anyone can call the Melton Student Center, and a student worker will try to answer your question or just chat. This story in the Oxford American follows a few during their shifts.
