The Key — What Is the Governor’s Role in Penn’s Governance?
With the release of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s new memoir, Where We Keep the Light, attention has returned to an important question at Penn: what does it mean that the sitting Pennsylvania governor is, on paper, ‘President of the Trustees’?
Shapiro uses the book to revisit discussions with Kamala Harris about campus protests and antisemitism. He reiterates his condemnation of Penn’s “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” and his criticisms of Penn leaders’ handling of the spring 2024 campus protests, calling their response “unacceptable.” That public involvement drew criticism from some quarters, including accusations of political interference and concerns about academic freedom.
To understand what is actually at stake, it is worth stepping back to ask what the governor’s official role on Penn’s Board of Trustees actually is, how it has historically functioned, and what it means for Penn’s independence as an academic institution.
Although having a governor actively involved in Penn’s affairs is new, the governor’s role at Penn is not. It is a formal position codified in Penn’s governing statutes, one that for much of Penn’s modern history was rarely considered.
Recent scrutiny has brought this structure into focus and heightened concern about its implications for academic freedom. But having a state official embedded in its governance framework is not a unique aspect of Penn compared to its peers, and for the foreseeable future, this situation is not going to change.
During times of crisis, especially when trust in Penn is wavering and leadership alignment is weak, the governor’s formally limited role can nonetheless expand in practice. Gaps in confidence and cohesion create space for greater external involvement, raising the risk of rising challenges to Penn's academic independence.
Preserving independence under such a structure therefore depends first and foremost on the strength of Penn’s own leadership. Clear authority, cohesive governance, and institutional confidence do not guarantee academic freedom, but they are necessary conditions for sustaining it. Without them, Penn lacks the capacity to absorb external input without it exerting outsized influence.
An old role, clearly defined
Since its establishment as the University of Pennsylvania in 1791, Penn’s governing documents have given the governor an ex officio role on the Board of Trustees, a position that comes automatically with the office.
The governor holds the title “President of the Trustees,” a legacy of Penn’s early history. In modern practice, however, Penn is governed by its trustees and senior leaders. The governor does not run the university, cannot vote on the board, and does not hold a position that is designed to direct outcomes.
For much of Penn’s modern history, this structure drew little attention because it was rarely activated. Governors did not routinely preside over board life, shape university policy, or get involved in campus governance. The role existed, but it stayed mostly dormant.
Penn is not an outlier
Penn’s governance structure is not unique among peers. Several other universities similarly include governors or state officials in formal leadership roles, a common relic of colonial-era schools.
At Princeton and Cornell, the state governors serve as ex officio trustees with voting power. At Yale, both the governor and lieutenant governor of Connecticut serve as ex officio members of the Yale Corporation, alongside other state officials. At Dartmouth, the governor of New Hampshire serves as a trustee ex officio in a largely ceremonial role without voting power.
Each of these universities has to balance historic ties to the state with institutional independence, especially during moments of political or public pressure. Penn’s arrangement is therefore neither unprecedented nor uniquely burdensome.
Like its peers, Penn’s ability to maintain academic freedom depends less on the formal structure itself and more on the strength, clarity, and confidence of its leadership and board, especially in times of crisis.
What matters going forward
For the foreseeable future, Pennsylvania’s governor will remain part of Penn’s formal governance structure. What is not fixed, however, is how much influence that role carries in practice.
Penn can help protect academic freedom the same way it protects any core institutional value: by maintaining governance that is legible, disciplined, and trusted. This requires openness from Penn’s leadership about what decisions are being made, why they are being made, and where Penn is succeeding or falling short.
When those conditions are present, an external voice such as a governor can serve as a constructive outside perspective. But Penn must be strong enough in its own governance to ensure these voices inform decisions rather than shape them.
When pressure mounts, Penn needs to clearly know who makes decisions, under what authority, and under what standards, or governance risks drifting toward whoever applies the most pressure.
The events of the 2023–2024 academic year exposed what happens when that strength is lacking, especially in times of crisis. Penn faced a fractured Board and an unsettled President’s Office at a moment of intense scrutiny, eroding confidence among alumni, the public, and government leaders. That loss of confidence invited intervention and amplified its impact.
Today, Penn is better positioned than it was then. The university has new leadership and a reformed trustee process, developments that make it more capable of navigating future stress tests while preserving its autonomy. Still, good governance is not static. Maintaining academic freedom and institutional independence requires continued focus, ongoing improvement, and, above all, confidence from the Penn community and the public.
Penn’s leaders have an opportunity. By strengthening governance, communicating clearly, and demonstrating resolve, Penn can rebuild trust and ensure safeguards for its independence.
The Almanac
Curated highlights from this week’s Penn news
Penn asks federal court to block EEOC subpoena enforcement
On Tuesday, Penn formally asked a federal court to deny the EEOC’s request to enforce a subpoena seeking names and contact information for Jewish faculty, staff, and student employees. The subpoena stems from an ongoing EEOC investigation launched in 2023 by a Philadelphia-based EEOC commissioner into alleged antisemitic employment practices at Penn.
In its filing, Penn detailed two years of cooperation with the EEOC investigation but argued this subpoena is overly broad, requiring the university to collect and turn over contact information for all employees connected to Judaism-related clubs, departments, and affinity groups.
Penn also noted that in September it offered to email all employees, Jewish and non-Jewish, about the investigation and how to contact the EEOC with information (with an option for anonymity). The EEOC refused that approach and filed for subpoena enforcement instead.
So what? So far, the Penn community at large and the university stand largely aligned and against the EEOC’s request. The unusually broad alignment among Penn’s administration, faculty, and employee groups strengthens the university’s position and raises the stakes for how federal agencies pursue sensitive information requests at private universities.
Penn records highest ever lobbying spend in Q4 2025
From October through December 2025, Penn spent a quarterly record $770,000 on federal lobbying, directly and through three outside firms, bringing its total 2025 federal lobbying spend to over $2 million.
Penn spent $640,000 on federal lobbying in 2024. This year’s sharp increase reflects a more contentious and consequential relationship between universities and Washington.
So what? With over $1 billion a year in federal funding tied to Penn’s current operating model, the university’s academic and research mission depends heavily on federal relationships. Record lobbying spend reflects an effort to protect that funding and institutional interests while Penn also explores other ways to fund research and innovation.
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