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INSIDE: GIFT GUIDE

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA • FOUNDED 1885

PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2025

VOL. CXLI

NO. 29

Penn issues guidance on potential work stoppage as GETUP begins strike authorization vote If the motion passes with a two-thirds majority, Graduate Employees Together — University of Pennsylvania’s elected bargaining committee will have the power to call a graduate worker strike at its discretion DANIYA SIDDIQUI AND SANDY WALLS Staff Reporters

Penn’s Office of the Provost has issued guidance about a possible work stoppage as this week’s strike authorization vote by Graduate Employees Together — University of Pennsylvania takes place. GET-UP formally announced its strike authorization vote at a Nov. 3 press conference with local elected officials. The vote — which began Tuesday at 9 a.m. and will close at 9 p.m. on Thursday — will take place via an online secret ballot. If the motion passes with a two-thirds majority, GET-UP’s elected bargaining committee will have the power to call a graduate worker strike at its discretion. GET-UP’s FAQ page describes the potential strike as a “last resort,” adding that the decision to strike will only be made if the bargaining committee deems that the circumstances “necessitate” it. If a strike is called, Penn graduate workers — a group that encompasses those who are employed in teaching or research roles during the fall 2025 or spring 2026 semesters — will stop performing all academic duties. Workers will instead “participate in picket lines around campus to increase the visibility See STRIKE, page 3

ANDY MEI | DESIGN ASSOCIATE

Federal agency sues Penn for withholding information in two-year antisemitism investigation In a response to the suit, Penn wrote that it has ‘cooperated extensively with the EEOC, providing over 100 documents, totaling nearly 900 pages’ FINN RYAN AND CHRISTINE OH Senior Reporter and Staff Reporter

The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against Penn alleging that the University failed to provide documents requested for an investigation into its handling of antisemitism complaints from Jewish faculty and

staff on Tuesday. The Nov. 18 complaint — which was filed in a Pennsylvania federal court — claimed that Penn “refused to comply” with a July subpoena seeking discrimination complaints filed by Jewish employees,

membership lists of Jewish-related campus groups, and Jewish Studies Program employee names. In a response to the suit, Penn wrote that it has “cooperated extensively with the EEOC, providing over 100 See LAWSUIT, page 3

Penn has not negotiated with White College and Wharton senior Florence House since rejecting federal funding Onyiuke named 2026 Rhodes Scholar compact, sources say The document was originally sent to Penn on Oct. 1 and laid forth guidelines that would govern the University’s admissions, pricing, and hiring practices

The Rhodes Trust announced this year’s group of scholars on Nov. 15, with Onyiuke listed as one of 32 chosen from the United States

FINN RYAN Senior Reporter

MISHAL GEORGE Contributing Reporter

Days ahead of the White House’s original Nov. 21 deadline for universities to sign its preferential funding compact, Penn says it has had no further conversations with the federal government regarding the proposal. Penn has not engaged in negotiations with the Trump administration since it rejected the government’s offer nearly a month ago, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. The sources also told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the Trump administration has not offered the University an alternative to the version it originally sent to Penn on Oct. 1. Two weeks after the federal government sent the widesweeping proposal to nine higher education institutions, Penn President Larry Jameson announced the University’s rejection following a review process that involved consulting various campus stakeholders. On Wednesday, The Daily Signal reported that the White House would extend the deadline for universities to sign the compact beyond Nov. 21 to “ensure maximum participation and accommodate universities that have been responsive and cooperative.” In the agreement, the federal government stated that universities are “free to develop models and values other than those” listed in the compact but “forgo federal benefits” as a result, including access to student loans, grants, federal contracts, federal and indirect research funding, international student visa approval, and preferential tax treatment. According to an analysis by the DP, the compact would have had sweeping repercussions on Penn’s internal operations. Among the demands were a five-year tuition freeze, a 15% cap on international student enrollment, and a requirement that universities take steps to protect conservative viewpoints. The proposal faced immediate criticism from members

of the Penn community, including a petition circulated and signed by more than 1,000 individuals. On Oct. 15, Penn’s Faculty Senate overwhelmingly passed a resolution urging administrators to decline the proposal. In his statement announcing Penn’s rejection, Jameson stated that the University is “committed to merit-based achievement and accountability.” “The long-standing partnership between American higher education and the federal government has greatly benefited society and our nation,” Jameson wrote. “Shared goals and investment in talent and ideas will turn possibility into progress.” The rejection also marked a notable shift in the University’s negotiations with the federal government and communications with the campus community. Jameson’s public statements signaled a higher level of transparency with the University’s stakeholders compared to Penn’s prior dealings with the White House — including its July Title IX resolution with the Department of Education.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PENN TODAY

Onyiuke was named a 2026 Rhodes Scholar.

CHENYAO LIU | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Locust Walk pictured on Sept. 10.

College and Wharton senior Florence Onyiuke was named a 2026 Rhodes Scholar. The Rhodes Trust announced this year’s group of scholars on Nov. 15, with Onyiuke listed as one of 32 chosen from the United States. The Rhodes Scholarship, established in 1902, funds full-time graduate study at the University of Oxford for around 100 recipients worldwide each year.

Onyiuke, originally from Altamonte Springs, Fla., plans to pursue a master’s degree in economic development with a specialization in West Africa while at Oxford. She is currently pursuing a dual degree in international relations and business as well as a minor in Spanish through the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business. See RHODES, page 2

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