THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA • FOUNDED 1885
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2023
VOL. CXXXIX
NO. 7
Faculty retirement funds managed by company with billions in fossil fuel investments The funds are primarily managed by TIAA, a company with an estimated $78 billion in fossil fuel investments ELEA CASTIGLIONE Staff Reporter
doctors the first housestaff to organize with CIR in Pennsylvania, a state without any unionized residency programs,” the CIR press release said. A Penn Med spokesperson wrote on Feb. 17 that residents are a “crucial part” of Penn’s health system. “We believe that our trainees will best be served by working directly with UPHS administration through our existing Graduate Medical Education
Penn faculty’s retirement funds are potentially being invested in fossil fuel companies. The University’s only service provider for faculty retirement plans has an estimated $78 billion in fossil fuel investments, according to a recent analysis from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. The company, Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America, is the primary insurance organization that offers employer-sponsored savings plans at higher education institutions in the United States. Penn is one of more than 15,000 institutions for which TIAA is the primary or only manager of assets. The investment options are primarily not TIAA funds and include 13 other funds. But all Penn retirement accounts are considered to be administered by TIAA, which serves as the University’s “retirement saving plans partner” and has a $1.4 trillion portfolio. A spokesperson for TIAA wrote that the company aims to make decisions that are in the financial interests of its customers. The spokesperson added that selling investments that generate fossil fuels to other companies on a large scale “won’t reduce carbon output.” “Our view is that broad divestment from fossil fuels does not offer TIAA an optimal way to influence the policies and practices of the companies we
See UNION, page 7
See RETIREMENT, page 7
PHOTO BY ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL
Penn Med residents, fellows demand union Nearly 1,000 residents and fellows filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board KATIE BARTLETT Staff Reporter
Residents and fellows at the University of Pennsylvania Health System are working to unionize, citing “fundamental concerns” about their experience. On Feb. 17, the Committee of Interns and Residents sent a letter to the Health System demanding that the hospital system recognize the unionization efforts of their residents and fellows. Over twothirds of the over 1,400 residents and fellows who work at Penn Medicine are represented by CIR, the
largest housestaff union in the United States, which is directing the unionization effort. The University did not confirm the CIR’s request for voluntary recognition of the union by the Feb. 21 deadline given in the letter. In response, the Penn Med residents and fellows filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board to gain recognition with the CIR, according to a press release sent to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “This historic move makes the Philadelphia
Two dining halls found not in compliance with Philadelphia health code
Protestors from Penn, Drexel call for direct University action to preserve UC Townhomes Over 30 protestors gathered outside of College Hall, demanding that Penn commit $10 million to preserve the UC Townhomes as affordable housing MOLLY COHEN AND NINA DILWORTH Senior Reporter and Staff Reporter
Most locations had at least five health violations during their most recent inspections, DP analysis finds JIN KWON Staff Reporter
Penn Dining locations received a total of 100 observations of health code violations during their most recent inspections by the Philadelphia Office of Food Protection. A Daily Pennsylvanian analysis of food safety inspection reports found that a majority of the 12 Penn Dining locations were found to have at least five health code violations. Among these, Hill House and 1920 Commons were issued the highest number of observations of health code violations during inspections conducted on Feb. 6 and Jan. 18, respectively — contributing 59% of the most recent observations across dining locations. Hill received 38 points of concern for 16 distinct violations, while Commons was cited for 21 points of concern among eight violations in the report. Due to these observations of violations, Hill and Commons failed to attain satisfactory compliance with the overall standards set by the Philadelphia Department of Health. All other dining locations remained compliant with these standards. Food safety inspections are conducted at least once annually by the Philadelphia Department of Health, and the severity of violations determines whether a reinspection will be required. Violations such as rodent and insect activity and accumulation of debris are identified as risk factors for foodborne illness. An establishment is in satisfactory compliance when it does not have health code violations. Barbara Lea-Kruger, the director of communications and external relations at Penn Business Services, wrote in an email to the DP that three Penn dining locations are due for annual inspections in the spring semester. She wrote that Hill and Commons are also up for reinspection because of their current non-satisfactory compliance statuses. The Lauder College House dining hall and Pret a Manger — which were assessed as not being in satisfactory compliance during inspections in fall 2022 — reduced most of their violations relating to insect activity, debris, and mouse droppings, passing each of their reinspections. “When evaluating findings, diners should be most concerned when a facility has repeated violations which are not corrected upon reinspection or when the inspection yields discoveries that reflect severe violations that require a facility to immediately shut down,” Lea-Kruger wrote. “Neither of these events See DINING, page 3 SEND STORY IDEAS TO NEWSTIP@THEDP.COM
PHOTO BY ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL
College and Engineering senior Emma Glasser speaks on behalf of the Coalition to Save the UC Townhomes at the University Council Meeting on Feb. 22.
Penn and Drexel University students have held protests this week, demanding that their respective universities meet their calls to preserve affordable housing in West Philadelphia. On Feb. 22, over 30 Penn student and community members from the Coalition to Save the UC Townhomes and Students for the Preservation of Chinatown gathered outside of College Hall ahead of the University Council Meeting and Open Forum, demanding that Penn commit $10 million to preserve the UC Townhomes as affordable housing. Penn does not own nor have plans to purchase the UC Townhomes property, and administrators have said that it does not have any direct control over the redevelopment plans for the Townhomes property site. In September, Penn announced it would partner with Rebuilding Together Philadelphia, a local community revitalization organization, to assist approximately 75 West Philadelphia low-income homeowners. Speakers at the Feb. 21 demonstration highlighted Penn’s history of displacing West Philadelphia residents and gentrification. An hour later at the Open Forum, multiple students addressed President Liz
Magill and other University administrators about what they said was Penn’s responsibility to protect the UC Townhomes. “You, through Penn, have the institutional, financial, and political power to prevent evictions and homelessness, and preserve the longstanding lowincome housing community of the UC Townhomes,” College and Engineering senior Emma Glasser said at the Open Forum. On Feb. 21, Drexel for Justice — a student-led abolitionist group — and the Coalition to Save the UC Townhomes hosted a rally on Drexel’s campus. In addition to a rally outside the building, Drexel students began a sit-in occupying the main building, which is ongoing as of time of publication. According to an Instagram post from Drexel for Justice, Drexel President John Fry and Vice Provost Lucy Kerman met with residents of the UC Townhomes on Jan. 30. Drexel has not responded to requests for comment. Previously, Interim Penn President Wendell Pritchett agreed to meet with the UC Townhomes residents. Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli and Director of City Relations Leigh Whitaker have
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met with the residents twice since last spring. The UC Townhomes were first constructed as federally-subsidized low-income housing in 1983 to compensate for the displacement caused by gentrification. After nearly 40 years of offering below-market rates to residents, IBID Associates decided not to renew its contract with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. This announcement sparked backlash from some students and residents, who have been protesting the closure of the townhomes and the potential effects of displacement and redevelopment. HUD has repeatedly extended IBID’s contract, with the goal of offering residents necessary time to acquire housing vouchers and relocate. According to Kevin Feeley, a spokesperson for IBID, the last renewal request was granted on Jan. 31 for 30 days, and they recently put in a request for a new one. Feeley said he was confident that HUD would get back to them within “a few days or a week.” “I don’t see the end of February deadline as being the last deadline,” Feeley said. See TOWNHOMES, page 7 CONTACT US: 215-422-4640