All Specific Charges are in addition to each committee's "General" Charge in the Council Bylaws.
Research at Penn: The reimagining of this charge in 2023-2024 highlighted the challenges for undergraduates and graduates to engage in globally oriented research on campus that does not require leaving the greater Philadelphia area. Beyond study abroad and Penn Global Seminars, the Committee might focus on the opportunities, or obstacles, for students to have a meaningful global experience on campus or in the Philadelphia area. Are courses being offered? Are there opportunities for cross-school or cross-department clusters of research activity? If/when Penn initiates cluster hires of faculty working on specific themes, can these clusters of faculty members connect meaningfully across departments and schools, whether in research or teaching? Are undergraduate and graduate students provided enough support and opportunities to conduct meaningful and impactful research?
Penn Global and Regional Centers: Penn Global’s five-year plan includes a vision for working more closely with Penn’s Title VI centers (and other non-Title VI regional centers) to find collaborative efficiencies and support their global engagement, research, and policy impact. How might Penn best achieve synergies across its regional studies centers to maximize their contributions to the University and the world while preserving their unique identities and structural organizations? In what ways can the research and activities of regional centers be supported in light of increasing demands and declining federal support? The Committee could focus on the role of regional centers in the University and their relationship to Penn Global.