In the fall of 2023, Penn Arts & Sciences announced the “Living the Hard Promise” series, an initiative to create spaces for the University community to begin the process of working through a period of tremendous challenge. Over the course of the spring, the series engaged students, faculty, and staff in programs examining the purpose, history, and challenges of open expression; the purpose of universities; and the role of social media in contemporary public discourse.

In a special program for our alumni, panelists will share their observations on the purpose of the program and highlights from the semester’s discussions and will take questions from the audience.

Paul Sniegowski, Stephen A. Levin Family Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Biology, researches the evolutionary significance of mutation rates and mutational phenomena. His teaching has been recognized with several awards including the School’s highest teaching honor, the Ira H. Abrams Award (2005).

Beth S. Wenger, Moritz and Josephine Berg Professor, is a scholar of modern and American Jewish History and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in the School of Arts and Sciences. She is the author of several books including The Jewish Americans: Three Centuries of Jewish Voices in America and is deeply engaged in public history.

Open expression is a hard promise: it is both a firm commitment and an extraordinarily difficult one.

The Penn community has experienced pain, fear, and anger over the past few months, but we must believe in the ability to engage across differences. We reject hate and violence unequivocally, and we embrace the spirit of free exchange without reservation. Penn Arts & Sciences launched the Living the Hard Promise initiative to create spaces in which the University community can begin the process of working through these tremendous challenges.