Penn affiliates want merit and ‘intellectual diversity’ to guide university

The University of Pennsylvania should reorient itself to support “intellectual diversity” and merit, according to some students, faculty, and alumni.

“A Vision for a New Future of the University of Pennsylvania,” comes after Penn’s former president, Liz Magill, resigned earlier this month following remarks she made regarding antisemitism on campus in a hearing with federal lawmakers.

The constitution calls for a return to the values of the university’s founder, Benjamin Franklin. The petition supporting the new constitution has garnered the signatures of over 200 professors, alumni, and other Penn community members.