
Gutmann jumpstarted a university-wide drive to maximize the innovative, life-changing discoveries emanating from Penn. The proportion of students in Penn’s entering class who are low-income, those who are first-generation, and those who identify as minorities all more than doubled over Dr.

Penn’s selectivity for the Class of 2005 was 21 percent it is about 5.7 percent for the Class of 2025. Applications for admission have grown exponentially in quantity and in every dimension of quality, with a record-breaking 56,333 applications to join the Class of 2025. Pioneering initiatives such as Penn First Plus-a comprehensive support system for first-generation and low-income students-propel the success of all students. Today, nearly 80 percent of traditional undergraduates leave Penn debt-free and the lives of tens of thousands of students and their families have been transformed for the better. To make this possible, Penn more than tripled its undergraduate aid budget, growing from $84 million to $259 million annually and awarding some $2.6 billion to students over the course of Dr. As a result, it costs students receiving aid 19 percent less to attend Penn today (in inflation-adjusted dollars) than it did at the start of Dr. Gutmann made the historic decision to go all-grant in undergraduate financial aid, making Penn one of the largest of only a small number of universities to offer grants rather than loans to all aided students, based on need. ambassador to Germany, will express and guide the commitment of a world-class urban research and teaching university to improve the lives of individuals and communities, locally, nationally, and globally. That concept, holding true after her honorable departure from Penn in February 2022 to become the next U.S. Gutmann immediately set about growing student financial support and bolstering inclusion, innovation, and impact as cornerstones of her strategic vision, which she named the Penn Compact. It made educational opportunity the driving force and the absolute defining mission of my life.”īeginning in 2004 as the University of Pennsylvania’s eighth president, Dr. Hard work and need-based scholarships enabled his daughter to access a world-class education which, said Dr. Gutmann’s father, who fled Nazi Germany, eventually emigrating to the United States. Her answer comes straight from the heart: “One generation.” “What’s the difference between a scrap metal dealer and an Ivy League university president?” she’ll sometimes ask an audience. Chair, University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees Penn President Amy Gutmann’s Tenure of Nearly 18 Years is Penn’s Most TransformativeĪmy Gutmann’s lifelong dedication to the transformative power of education is captured in a favorite riddle. I hope that everyone in the Penn family will join me in wishing Amy great success and good fortune as she embarks on this important new chapter in her life. President Biden made an excellent choice in selecting Amy to be Ambassador, and I am confident that she will excel in her new position, just as she has at Penn. Our University’s goals and priorities, articulated so clearly in the Penn Compact, remain in place to guide the important work carried out in all corners of our campus. This transition should be seamless for faculty, staff, and students.

We have a great leadership team in place and are grateful that Wendell Pritchett has agreed to step in as interim President until the planned start of Liz Magill’s presidency on July 1.

She has led Penn to new heights of eminence and in doing so established herself as one of the most highly regarded academic leaders in the world.Īs she departs for Germany, Amy leaves Penn in exceptional shape. Her tenure as President has been among the most impactful in Penn’s history. On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the entire University community, I want to thank Amy for the extraordinary work she has done in leading the University of Pennsylvania. Amy has officially resigned from her position as President and will shortly be departing Philadelphia for Berlin to represent our country’s interests with this important European ally. Senate, Amy Gutmann, who has served so admirably as Penn’s President for the past 17 years, will soon be sworn in as United States Ambassador to Germany. A Message to the Penn Community Regarding the Departure of Amy Gutmann
