Penn UPDATES: https://coronavirus.upenn.edu/

Penn has been as straight forward as possible about the pandemic plan. The University became entirely remote halfway through the semester. Professors were as accomodating as possible in handling technical issues, time concerns for students who traveled or left Penn Campus Area, and the resource gap between students.

At the end of the semester the Universtity of Pennsylvania had a Covid-19 survey to better understand the remote semester and pandemic impact on students. This was a very long survey! I appreciate that there were a number of fill in the blank The results of this are supposed to assist the university in deciding how to move forward for the summer and fall semesters.

Summer schools and workshops still appear to be online. The plan for Fall is still up in the air. Rumor has it in the Design School that Architecture and Landscape students will be partially in person (studios with spaced desks) and partially online (all other classes). However nothing has officially been released yet.

I certainly wish the decision would be announced. Should classes be all online and states/cities return to massive shutdowns I would cancel my rent in Philadelphia. This would save me a ton of money! Living at home I have essentially free rent, electricity, water, rather terrible internet but functional, good food, and excellent company. Needless to say there’s good food and excellent company in Philadelphia but for a negative cost to my already sad student debt.  Why duplicate costs?

Until then I will enjoy the summer lecture series the Design School is releasing.