WEST PHILLY & BEYOND

Project Chairs: Jackie Balanovsky & Lauren Bambach

The West Philly and Beyond project strives to better understand the institution's impact on the broader community and how it intersects with students’ education. We aim to increase engagement, awareness, and positive impact that bursts the “Penn bubble.”



Academics

Project Chair: Max Annunziata & Alex Perez

The academics project focuses on studying and solving issues relating to academic life. These include advising, course selection, grading, and course registration.



One University

Project Chair: Sophia Leung

One University is committed to improving the accessibility of Penn’s resources for students across the four undergraduate schools. Project members have met with administrators and student organizations in stakeholder meetings and focus groups to discuss inconsistencies in academic integrity policies and resource distribution, as well as utilized survey data to better understand the diversity of student experiences related to these issues. The committee also hosted a Course Registration Conversation event to help students learn about academic opportunities existing outside of their home schools.



Wellness

Project Chairs: Shriya Boyapati & Anagha Gouru

The Wellness Committee works on all things related to student well-being at Penn. An example of past wellness initiatives is our Wellness Community Conversations. Current projects include wellness related study breaks (ie. slime-making, cupcake decorating) and establishing an award for students with a demonstrated interest in health literacy.


Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Project Chairs: Alex Guzman & Maddie Pastore

The DEI Committee is working to host focus groups, conduct surveys, and meet with stakeholders and administrative leaders on campus to discern a better understanding of what “DEI” means to the Penn undergraduate body. We are also researching peer institutions to learn more about Penn’s performance in comparison to other undergraduate schools. We are currently preparing for the upcoming 2025 White Paper.