Open Forum

University Council holds an Open Forum annually to which all members of the University community are invited and during which any member of the University community can direct questions to the Council. A PennCard is required for entry.

Additional issues of significant concern to the University community should be sent to the Steering Committee.

Open Forum Format and Guidelines

Any member of the University community who wishes to do so may attend the Council meeting (a PennCard is required for entry). PennCard holders who want to be assured of speaking at Open Forum must submit a request to the Office of the University Secretary (ucouncil@pobox.upenn.edu) by the applicable published deadline, briefly indicating the subject of their intended remarks. Speakers’ statements are limited to three minutes and should be framed to present topics of general University interest and be directed to University Council as a body through the moderator, and not to an individual.

The moderator of University Council has discretion to interrupt statements that are directed against individuals and otherwise to maintain respectful engagement and productive dialogue during the meeting.

Penn is a community committed to respecting one another even when- and particularly when- one disagrees.

Penn is dedicated to a plurality of voices and different opinions. This is fundamental to the Penn community.

Those who have not submitted a timely request to the Office of the University Secretary will be permitted to speak at the discretion of the moderator of University Council if time remains after the registered speakers.

Following the deadline for speakers to sign up in the Office of the University Secretary will structure the Open Forum session in terms of subject matter themes, speakers, and times, and publicize the order of registered speakers in advance. In the event that there is not enough time available at the meeting to provide for all those who have requested to speak, selections may be made to accommodate the broadest array of issues having important implications for Council's work and represent the breadth of Council's constituencies. The resulting order of the Open Forum topics will be made available no later than the Tuesday before the meeting, to be published on the Office of the University Secretary website and, if deadline constraints allow, in Almanac.

Actions taken and responses to topics raised during Open Forum are reported to Council at the following meeting.