Doing Research

Use the resources below to learn about how projects fared in the past! An important part of UA progress is writing things down so that we can learn from our mistakes and successes. See below for archived meeting minutes, links to Penn, Philadelphia, and peer school news resources, and past Annual Reports.

1. The Daily Pennsylvanian is the most important news source for any UA member. Not only does the DP cover almost everything we do, but its news articles and opinion pieces often contain the germs of articles and form a vital mechanism of forcing administrators to budge. All members should subscribe to the DP’s email edition. Communications Director Jordan Andrews (communications@pennua.org) will manage a daily email blast of relevant DP articles to all UA members.
   1. 34th Street Magazine is the DP's life and culture magazine. Published weekly, 34th Street gives anecdotal recollections of student stories, often providing some insight into other angles of student interest.
   2. Under The Button is the DP’s (un)official news and gossip blog. Often more useful than the DP itself, this reports anything “interesting” on campus. It often competes with the UA’s own blog for interesting tidbits, but focuses more on culture and social life.
2. The Almanac is the administration’s official journal of record. It is long, dry, and contains few pictures, but it is the gazette that all administrators use to “announce” anything and also publishes the committee reports that drive many of Penn’s decision-makers. This is also available in email form.
3. Penn Propaganda takes many forms and all of it is useful in the determination of what Penn wants us to think.
   1. Penn Current. The University’s Official external publication highlights particularly PR-worthy research accomplishments and occasional photos of adorable puppy dogs. It is, however, always instructive to know what the administration wants you to read.
   2. Penn Digest. This is more newsletter-like than the Current, but targeted towards faculty and staff.
   3. Office of Communications. Much more tweet-like, this is the Official Mouthpiece of the administration. Perhaps the most useful propaganda to subscribe to. News from here comes out in the "Penn News Today" email blast, which you should sign up for to get useful emails each day at about 4:30am.
4. Education Policy Journals are great sources of project ideas and also keep you up to speed on what’s happening in higher education. These are the journals that administrators read and reflect on.
   1. Inside Higher Education. Easily the best trade publication, this never fails to provide interesting and insightful news about higher education, from textbook rental to changes in NCAA disciplinary procedures.
   2. NY Times Education. Administrators pay very close attention indeed to what the NY Times has to say on higher education. However, this is still the New York Times, so count on wading through lots of articles on the New York City public school system to get to the good (national) bits.
5. Student Newspapers/Governments from our Peer Institutions, much like our own student newspaper, give you a great insight into other schools and will from time to time have great project-idea gems twinkling amidst the morass of football news.
   1. Brown – The Daily Herald
   2. Columbia – The Spectator
   3. Cornell – The Sun
   4. Dartmouth – The Dartmouth
   5. Georgetown – The Hoya
   6. Harvard – The Crimson
   7. Johns Hopkins –The News-Letter
   8. Princeton – The Daily Princetonian
      1. Princeton's Undergraduate Student Government
   9. Stanford – The Stanford Daily
      1. Associated Students of Stanford University Website
   10. Yale – The Yale Daily News
   11. Duke – The Chronicle
   12. Chicago – The Maroon
6. Local Philly Newspapers (www.philly.com). Penn is in Philadelphia, and what happens to Philly affects us in more ways than we know. Thankfully, all city news sources banded together to aggregate their content on Philly.com, so there’s a one-stop shop to keep in the loop about our adopted home city!
   1. The Philadelphia Inquirer
   2. 6abc News

Annual Report 2017-2018

Annual Report 2016-2017

Annual Report 2015

Annual Report 2014

The UA did not produce Annual Reports in 2012 or 2013.

Annual Report 2011

Annual Report 2010

Annual Report 2009